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NCD - WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T

NCD Logo + 8 Essenntial Qualities + Healthy GRowing Churches.png

What NCD is

  • Essential Qualities and Principles

  • Well researched

  • Easy to understand

  • Biblically and theologically sound 

  • Proven to work

  • Flexibly applied to ANY local church context

  • Empowering to local congregations

  • Inspiring

  • ​Friendly​

  • Accessible

  • A 'breath of fresh air'.

  • Supported by mentors

  • Illuminating​​​

  • Long term discipleship

What NCD isn't

  • A 'tool'

  • A 'model' 

  • A quick fix

  • The same as other 'Healthy Churches' approaches

  • Just for evangelicals

  • After your money

  • Disproven

  • American

  • ​Like an 'Ofsted'

  • Just something else to do

  • Something to be tried once or twice to see if it works (with that  approach, it won't!)

NCD Logo + 8 Essenntial Qualities + Healthy GRowing Churches.png

Christian Schwarz and the lessons from botanical health/growth

​Christian Schwarz, a German Lutheran, wanted to see if there was any association between how God ordained plants to grow naturally (see Mark 4:28 - 'All by itself') and church growth.  Based on research by the botanist, Liebig, who found that if soil has the right nutrients, a plant would grow 'all by itself', Schwarz wondered whether the growth of churches was similar.  Could they grow naturally, 'all by themselves', if they had the right nutrients?  In other words, if we can create a healthy environment, with specific qualities as the nutrients, will churches grow 'all by themselves'? 

 

After researching 1,000 growing churches across the world, of different sizes, denominations, and contexts, he discovered that there was in fact a definite correlation between 8 core qualities (not activities) and church growth.  Just as Liebig discovered that if certain nutrients were weaker or missing, the plant would ultimately die, Schwarz discovered the same thing in relation to churches.  If all the 8 Essential Qualities were present at a high level, churches would grow 'all by themselves'.  If any of these 8 Essential Qualities were weaker or missing, then a church would stagnate or decline (ultimately die).  Church growth was therefore limited by the strength (or weakness) of their weakest quality.  

 

The research was originally published in 1997.  Since then the research has been extended to over  80,000 churches.  There is no other research on church growth as extensive as this.     

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My personal experience of the value of NCD

​From a personal point of view, I have seen the difference that applying NCD principles properly can make to local churches.  I have seen declining churches turned around by good leadership and the application of the 8 Essential Qualities.  The survey which is used to assist churches is done to an international statistical standard, and helps church congregations identify for themselves the major differences between growing and declining churches, and what their major strengths and weaknesses are in relation to these 8 Essential Qualities.  I can guarantee that churches themselves would never arrive at the conclusions that the survey helps to identify.  Most people in church congregations do not have sufficient knowledge or understanding of these major differences to self-identify what the main strengths and blockages are to their church health and growth.  I can explain more in the presentation if you invite me (in person or by ZOOM).

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National UK affirmation from various denominations

​​The official report from the Church of England on the strategy applied across the Diocese of Coventry, which implemented NCD principles over a period of 7 years during my time as Archdeacon Missioner there, stated: 

 

'There is good evidence that those churches who actively embraced NCD have grown, with growth tracked in both urban and rural settings even over the relatively short period of time measured.......A focus on church health is valuable in encouraging church life and growth. There is good evidence, even in the limited time studied, of the value of this in established church settings......NCD provides a robust approach to addressing church health that is easily used by all types of church tradition, if introduced sensitively.'  

 

NCD principles are now also being applied strategically across the Salvation Army and the Seventh Day Adventist denominations.  Within the Church of England there are also a growing number of Anglo-Catholic churches benefitting from the approach.

 

So..... if your appetite has been whetted..... just get in touch or read on and learn a little more about how NCD can help your church become healthier and grow!​ 

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