Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches

U.S.A.: Churchsmart Resources, 1996. Hardcover. New. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Synopsis: Critics of the church growth movement have often emphasized the need for quality congregations. We should not focus on numerical growth, but rather, we should concentrate on qualitative growth. Christian Schwarz has done extensive research world-wide and found that healthy, growing churches seem to share eight quality characteristics. These characteristics are: -Empowering leadership -Gift-oriented ministry -Passionate spirituality -Functional structures -Inspiring worship service -Holistic small groups -Need-oriented evangelism -Loving relationships .Schwarz uses the illustration of a barrel with eight staves to symbolize the eight quality characteristics. The barrel can only hold water to the height of the lowest stave. So too, Schwarz argues, a church can only grow as far as their 'Minimum factor,' which is the lowest of the eight quality characteristics in their church. He challenges churches to resist the temptation to work on improving areas in which they already excel, for by doing this they do not increase their minimum factor or their church quality. About the Author: Christian A. Schwarz is the founder and president of the INstitute for Natural CHurch Development (NCD International). His books on theology and practical church development have been published in more than 40 languages.