Introduction and Research
Session Agenda
1. Introduce members of the coaching group (if applicable).
2. Share a devotion and prayer.
3. Establish ground rules. Each participant covenants with the equipper/leader and coaching group (if applicable) to make each session a priority in their schedules, to read all required materials and to complete prep work between sessions.
4. Discussion
5. Pray (for yourself and each other) as you begin the task of recruiting a Church Leadership Team.
6. Review the Church Leadership Team job description and then select 5-8 people to serve on the team. Recommended characteristics for this group are:
Your Church Leadership Team could be an existing group, such as a Church Council or Long-Range Planning Committee. It’s sometimes useful to create a new group for the purpose of strategic planning.
Church Leadership Team Job Description
1. Pray for God’s vision.
2. Review the church’s current health.
3. Write mission, vision and core values statements.
4. Develop a strategic plan.
5. Lead the church to implement the plan.
6. Communicate with the church body.
7. Overcome roadblocks as a team.
7. Review church health indicators to reveal where ministry is working and where it isn’t. Research helps you know precisely where your church is at this moment. And it helps you answer important questions about the people who populate your church:
Questions like these tell you who your church has reached in the past and who you are reaching now. It indicates that you’re doing a good job ministering to many people in your church and community. But you might discover that something—or someone—is being missed.
Complete the Internal Trends Assessment to gain further insight into your church’s internal trends. Compile additional church metrics with the Church ACP History (Word Document) and Internal Trends Worksheet (Excel Document) below.
Read “Understanding Church Culture” by Everett Anthony.
Describe how church members perceive your church.
Give approximate baptisms last year.
How many small groups were started last year?
What percent of members became leaders in the last five years?
Church ACP History (Word Document)
Internal Trends Worksheet (Excel Document)
"Understanding Church Culture" by Everett Anthony (PDF)
8. Learn more about the people in your community. While internal trends provide a snapshot of ministry to people inside the walls of the church, community research starts the process of understanding your community. Gathering information about your community will confirm things your already know and reveal new insights that might have gone unnoticed.
The purpose in learning more is not to remake your church in the image of your environment, but rather to develop ministry in ways that connect with real and felt needs of local residents. Community research is simply a tool to help you understand more clearly what those needs are.
Complete the Community Research Assessment to begin processing how well the church matches up with its community.
Read “Understanding Community Context” by Everett Anthony.
Describe how your community perceives your church.
What quick ideas can bridge any church/community age gaps?
What quick ideas can bridge any church/community lifestyle gaps?
"Understanding Community Context" by Everett Anthony (PDF)
9. Discuss why churches grow. Read “Biblical Principles for Church Growth” by Everett Anthony and discuss the takeaways. Do you agree with the ideas presented here? What would you add or subtract?
Complete “Evaluating Our Church’s Commitment to the Commission” on the final page. Rate each area for effectiveness using 1 as ineffective and 5 as very effective. Then, write a statement about the church’s strengths and weaknesses in each of the five areas.
Biblical Principles for Church Growth
1. Evangelism
2. Discipleship
3. Fellowship
4. Ministry
5. Worship
10. Begin a discussion of personal and corporate spirituality. Reflect on where you are and where you want to be a year from now. Ask and answer these questions:
11. To Do Items
Vital Signs of a Healthy Church
Evangelism Checkup
Sunday School/Discipleship Checkup
Fellowship Checkup
Mission/Ministry Checkup
Worship Checkup
Leadership Checkup
Stewardship Checkup
(to be completed in preparation for Meeting 2)
Read Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. Prepare to discuss the implications for your life and your church at the next meeting.
Begin the church assessment by reviewing the Church Profile material of your church for the past five years. Chart the graphs of attendance, baptisms, giving and mission activity (such as community ministry, mission trips or mission projects). Contact your equipper, speak with us or reach out to a church leader if you need help obtaining these statistics.
Analyze the demographic data for your church area from MissionInsite. Go to the local planning commission office in your town or city and talk with them about their future plans. Are there new schools, roads and businesses being built? How is your church planning to address these new opportunities for ministry and evangelism?
Begin praying about people who can serve on your Church Leadership Team.
Research Resources by MinistryActionPlans.com
ExecutiveInsite Report by MissionInsite
“Vital Signs of a Healthy Church” Assessment
Church Health Assessment by The Unstuck Group
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