Frequently Asked Questions
How come I've never heard of NCD?!
NCD has been in existence since 1997, and 80,000 churches across the world have definitely heard of it! For some reason churches and denominations in the UK have been slower to recognise its value. NCD also does not have a major marketing budget or multi-millionaires sponsoring it so it relies mainly on website attraction and word of mouth recommendations.
All this talk of research and surveys and plans. Isn't it all a bit forced? I think God works spontaneously.
The Bible is full of polarities - opposites that need to be held in tension together. Just like both ends of a bow are forced apart so that the arrow can travel in a straight line faster, so there are many things in the Bible which look like opposites but both are needed together. So, for example, Jesus is both God and Man. God is loving but also just. There are the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. There is faith but also works. And there are God's plans (Jesus did not come to earth accidentally?!) as well as the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit. So we need BOTH approaches in our churches.
My denomination has got a different strategy to this. Can I still use this approach?
Absolutely, YES! Because NCD is not a programme, or a lot of extra things to DO, it will support ANY other Christian initiative. It will also help identify potential gaps in strategies if any of the 8 Essential Qualities are missing from them. The key thing about NCD is not WHAT you do but HOW you do it. If your denomination is interested in growing churches, then NCD can be a valuable asset towards achieving that, and is much more likely to support and enhance existing strategies rather than work against them. Having been a strategic leader himself, I would be very happy to speak to denominational leaders about any concerns they may have relating to NCD.
My church has got no money. Can we still take part in this?
Absolutely, YES! See the web page on Costs.
I met someone who said NCD doesn't work!
That would be a very strange response given that research from 80,000 churches world-wide shows that it definitely does! The comment is likely to come from:
-
A church that has not given NCD enough time. If churches have only done 1 or 2 surveys it is very unfair to say 'It did not work', as no time has been given for the qualities to improve and for the cultural change necessary in a congregation. Grass does not grow quicker if you tug it harder. And fruit trees take time to bear fruit. A lack of patience (which is actually a fruit of the Spirit!) can lead to an addiction for finding 'quick fix' solutions - which rarely work.
-
They haven't addressed the minimum factor with appropriate actions that would improve it.
-
They have conducted 3 or 4 surveys with appropriate actions and then got 'stuck' because the church leader and/or congregation refuse to change the underlying behaviour patterns in discipleship that have been identified by their own responses in the NCD surveys, but which prevent growth if not addressed.
-
Church leaders who didn't like what the congregation said in the surveys so didn't want to repeat the experience!
How much do you get paid by NCD?
I am not employed or paid by NCD. I am not associated with NCD in any official capacity. I act as an advocate and mentor for NCD principles because I believe they are the best researched, most easily understood and applied, and most holistic principles of church growth in the world. I have confidence in the approach because I have seen it work many times. I have confidence in the people who researched it, because I have met them personally and they exhibit genuine Christian humility and character. I do this purely out of passion, and not for personal profit. After all...I'm semi-retired and could just put my feet up if I wanted to!
