A LOOK AT NATURAL CHURCH DEVELOPMENT

Christian Schwarz’ book, Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches, shares a research project that involved 1000 churches in 32 countries on 6 continents. They sought the answer to the question “What church growth principles are true, regardless of culture and theological persuasion?” Their analysis of 4.2 million responses revealed 8 quality characteristics for churches that demonstrated both “high quality” and quantitative growth. Here they are.

1.     Empowering Leadership.

2.     Gift-oriented ministry.

3.     Passionate spirituality.

4.     Functional structures.

5.     Inspiring worship service.

6.     Holistic small groups.

7.     Need-oriented evangelism.

8.     Loving relationships. 

After listing these qualities, he concludes with this statement. “No church wanting to grow qualitatively and quantitatively can afford to overlook any one of these eight quality characteristics.” Then he adds, “Neither small groups nor worship services, neither leadership nor structures, nor any other element is ‘the’ key to church growth. ‘The’ key is found in the harmonious interplay of all eight elements.”

The reason for this intensive study is based on part of something the Lord said in Matthew 6:28, “…Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow…” The word “consider” means to carefully and closely examine the object under consideration. In the case of the passage above it is not mainly the beauty of the flower that the Lord is asking us to “consider”, but the process that allows it to flourish and to become as God intended!

The point of Schwarz’ book is that the same consideration ought to be given to the growth of the church. We ought to “carefully and closely examine” our area of the world so that we might help it flourish and reflect God’s beauty as He intended. These eight qualities are good to consider.

                                Ronaldo Ricardo Guzmán