The following is the Appendix from my book 'Your Church Can Come
Alive' - 34 marks of a healthy church. Available for $12 plus a
couple of dollars etc. for postage, (Please contact me by email:
simply click on the 'Contact Us' button top right on your screen
for details). There are also two videos
from a seminar on this theme - four and a half hours of teaching
for your church's leadership group (and others). They're $40 - or
the lot, together with two manuals for discussion, $50 posted.
Most pastors fail this text of excellence: don't be too hard on
your pastor if he/she is a bit embarrassed... Encourage your pastor
to grow!
Pastor-teachers 'prepare God's people for Christian
service, in order to build up the body of Christ', so that
they may become 'mature people' (Ephesians 4:12,13). How well
are you doing?
Answer every question by circling the appropriate number
(1) (2) (3) (4) or (5). If in doubt, choose the most nearly
correct answer. Note: 'Practical theology' is all about the
practice of ministry, and covers such areas as the theology
of ministry, spirituality for ministry/mission, preaching,
Christian education/formation, counseling, church leadership,
Christian management etc.
1. PREPARATION. To equip myself to equip others I spend time
in prayer, reflection and study each week: (1) 20+ hours
(2) 15-19 hours (3) 10-14 hours (4) 5-9 hours
(5) Less than 5 hours
2. DELEGATION. As a pastor-leader I would delegate at least
three or four pastoral visits to others each week; I do not
attend most committees in the church but keep in touch with
them indirectly; I live comfortably with the idea that people
other than I can chair significant church meetings or comm-
ittees; I am not worried if I do not know the details of
everything that happens in the church; When a job has to be
done I have a habit of asking myself 'Am I the best person to
do it? Would I be depriving someone else of a ministry if I
did it?'; I readily delegate tasks to others; most of the
time I have the skill to choose the right person for a job,
and am happy to leave them with it; I circulate leadership
material (including GRID) to all our leaders.
(1) I would score well in all these areas
(2) OK in four or more of them (3) three (4) two
(5) one or none
3. THEOLOGICAL TRAINING: (1) 4+ years full-time or
equivalent (2) 3-4 years full-time or equivalent
(3) 2-3 years full-time or equivalent (4) 1-2 years
full-time or equivalent (5) Less than one year
4. PRACTICAL THEOLOGY: My theological training included
practical theology components such as # regular spiritual
direction with a spiritual guide, # personal growth and
development, # a supervised pastoral placement,
# a thorough critique of my communication/preaching skills,
# supervised counseling, # a time management course,
# leadership skill development, # other courses in practical
theology:
(1) all of these (2) at least four of these (3) three
(4) two (5) one or none
5. CONTINUING EDUCATION. I do a post-seminary course (of at
least 3 days' duration) in some area of practical theology
(1) more than once a year (2) about once a year
(3) less than once a year (4) about every 2-3 years
(5) hardly ever
6. PROFESSIONAL READING. I read books on practical theology:
(1) at least one a week (2) about 2-3 a month
(3) about 1-2 a month (4) about 1-2 every two months
(5) fewer than 1-2 every three months
7. JOURNALS. I read practical ministry periodicals or
journals:
(1) 4 or more a month (2) about 3 a month (3) about 2 a
month (4) about one a month (5) fewer than one a month
8. LEADERSHIP TRAINING. # I would meet with key leaders
individually at least once a month; # I meet with the
leadership team for a training session at least once a month;
# these leaders would aim to reproduce themselves in the
lives of others; # we have elders who visit members on a
regular basis; # we have commissioned deaconesses or lay
visitors who visit in homes and hospitals; # at least 10% of
our regular Sunday attenders would be involved in significant
occasional counseling of others in need; # there is a 'pray-
er chain' or similar structure to engage in intercessory
prayer for those in difficulty; # we have regular community
ministries in place that would meaningfully contact the
equivalent of at least 20% of our Sunday attendance each
week; # at least a quarter of our people would know how to
pray with someone to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord;
# a significant minority of our people would find themselves
spontaneously praying with another as part of a meaningful
contact.
(1) We would score well in at least seven of the above
(2) five-six (3) three-four (4) one or two (5) none
9. WORSHIP LEADERSHIP. Our church involves many people in
leading worship services through # seminars on worship;
# setting up one or more worship committees; # having at
least 2 people participate in leadership besides the preacher
in most worship services; # involving musically-gifted
people to help choose hymns/songs; # training persons with
preaching/teaching skills and allowing them to minister
publicly according to their gifts; # opening up a part of
many services for people to share their faith-stories.
We do (1) all of these (2) four of them
(3) three (4) two (5) one or none of the above
10. COUNSELOR TRAINING. There is a 'counseling/how to help
your friend' course run by our church (or some other nearby
group which our church members are urged to attend):
(1) about once a year (2) about once every 2 years
(3) about once every 3 years (4) every 4 years or so
(5) never or hardly ever
11. VISITATION TRAINING. To train people in visitation
/counseling I have a trainee with me
(1) at least 50% of my people-time (2) 30-40%
(3) 20-30% (4) 10-20% (5) Less than 10%
12. GROWTH GROUPS. The proportion of our regular Sunday
attenders belonging at any one time to a small group for
spiritual growth would be
(1) 70% or more (2) 45-70% (3) 25-45% (4) 10-25%
(5) less than 10%
13. FORMATION. To foster our people's ongoing spiritual
growth we have: # a how-to-pray course at least once a year;
# a bookstall operating after most Sunday services and
perhaps at other times; # regular book reviews from the
pulpit and/or in the church bulletin; # a church library
(with books, audio- and perhaps video-cassettes) in regular
use by at least a significant minority of our people; # at
least two courses on Bible study or theological topics a
year; # at least one seminar per year on life-related
themes; # a habit of regularly circulating photocopied
articles particularly to leaders; # announcements at least
twice a month of outside conventions or training
opportunities for our people; # at least a significant
minority of our young people attending Christian camps,
Scripture Union beach missions, Christian groups at their
schools or colleges and similar functions; # leadership
training opportunities in place for small group facilitators
(1) We would have at least five of the above in place
(2) four (3) three (4) two (5) one or none.
14. ORGANIZATION. In our church's structure, # we have
regular communication between the leaders and the church;
# we open positions for junior members to join important
leadership groups; # our leaders invite and receive regular
written communications from church members; # we have a
feedback mechanism which produces ideas and suggestions from
many in the church; # we have a 'sabbatical' system so that
leaders must retire for at least a year every six-to-eight
years; # at least 30% of regular Sunday attenders would
belong to a committee or task force during a two-year period.
(1) We have all this in place (2) we have three of the
above (3) two (4) one (5) none
How did you score? If your total circled numbers was 14
(honest?) go straight to heaven: you have fulfilled your
ministry! 15-20: your church is quite unique (but don't rush
into organizing seminars on 'how we succeed around here'!).
21-30 - excellent: now work on setting goals to improve.
31-40 - get the World Vision video 'Your Church Can Come
Alive'. 41-50 - get the World Vision video and a copy of the
book for each leader. 51-60 - definitely get the video and
book, and get other churches in your area to combine for a
live seminar. (Cost? travel expenses, accommodation in
someone's home, and a donation to World Vision). 61+ Don't
get discouraged, and do all of the above!
Rowland Croucher
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