Introducing the Church Health Check

Introducing the Church Health Check

Agenda for the session • Introduction to the Church Health Check • Rationale and purpose • Values and ethos • Overview of the process • What happens at a Health Check • Planning and practicalities • Promoting the event Growing Healthy Churches

Church Health CheckWhat is it? • A response to the needs of the Church: • Remit from the 2007 Synod Review • to enable every church to develop a credible mission strategy • After District Pastoral Consultations • a new way of exercising oversight by the wider church is required Growing Healthy Churches

Purpose • Maintenance: • to check the health of the local churchas a body or organisationready to represent God in the world • Ministry & Mission • to encourage and enable the local churchto develop its understanding of, and participation in, the work of God in the world • Both are pastoral work Growing Healthy Churches

Church Health CheckBasis • Healthy Churches Handbook • a health-check for the body • based on researchamong growing churches Its emphasis: changed thinking from Church = Building + Minister + Sunday services to CHURCH = COMMUNITY + FAITH + ACTION Growing Healthy Churches

Values • Context of prayerful reflection • What is the Spirit saying to my church? • Church self-appraisal • not inspection by outsiders • Facilitators enable a process to happen • not there to impose their own views • Church reports on its own life & health • Facilitators do not make judgements • Church makes its own decisions about the way forward • Facilitators respect confidences Growing Healthy Churches

Summary • In the Church Health Check • the local church conducts a self-appraisal • led by outside facilitators • as part of the pastoral responsibility of the wider church Growing Healthy Churches

Overview of the Process • 1. Identification of the church– SPAs • 2. Elders Preparation– Facilitator team ldr • 3. Church Health Check– Facilitators • Bible study • Logical & creative exercises • Action planning • 4. Report by the church– to their SPA • 5. Follow-up Growing Healthy Churches

Bible exposition Church Profile Exercise & related exercises Angel of the Church exercises Video material Overview of theChurch Health Check • Four different strands: Growing Healthy Churches

Bible exposition • offers biblical basis of church review • introduces the concept of the Angel of the Church (in Revelation 1-3) • promotes worshipful attitude to whole event Overview of theChurch Health Check • Church Profile Exercise • church self-appraisal using 7 signs as criteria • suits the more logical personality • leads to action planning Growing Healthy Churches

Church Health Check • Criteria of health in Church Profile Exercise: • Energised by faith • Outward-looking focus • Seeks to find out what God wants • Faces the cost of change and growth • Operates as a community • Makes room for all • Does a few things and does them well Growing Healthy Churches

Overview of theChurch Health Check • Video material • stimulates imagination about mission • encourages thinking ‘outside the box’ • provides relief from us talking! • Angel of the Church exercises • view church as single personality • suits the more creative personality • invoke church-God relationship Growing Healthy Churches

Reporting • Proforma report sheet supplied • for self-reporting • after the event • Page 1: • what did the church decide about itself ? Growing Healthy Churches

Reporting • Page 2: • what does the church intend to do ? Growing Healthy Churches

Overview of the Process • 1. Identification of the church– SPAs • 2. Elders Preparation– Facilitator team ldr • 3. Church Health Check– Facilitators • Bible study • Logical & creative exercises • Action planning • 4. Report by the church • 5. Follow-up– SPAs have watching brief Growing Healthy Churches

Pattern A Growing Healthy Churches

Pattern B Growing Healthy Churches

Pattern C Collating Collating Growing Healthy Churches

A word about language something others do (perhaps overseas) what my church pursues a natural (joyful) outworking of church life (if church is healthy) a duty all about giving (eg. to M&M) what we do an ongoing journey of faith something we’ve done already something we decide upon(eg. because Synod tells us to) a response to God’s call

To decide • What venue to use? • we need one room big enough for group work • we need plenty of display space • What arrangements need to be made for Saturday/Sunday lunch and refreshments? • people may welcome a provided lunch • but preparing it may compromise involvement • Provision for children and young people • older teenagers can do the Health Check Growing Healthy Churches

Promotion • Why? • More people to discern what God is saying • Reformed principle: God’s gathered people best discern what God is saying • Maximum involvement gives confidence to decisions made as a result • How? • Pray for God’s assistance Growing Healthy Churches

Promotion • How? • Adequate notice - give out date early • Clear information • Enthusiastic support of the leadership team • Personal invitation - proforma letter supplied • Get people to sign up • Pray for God’s assistance Growing Healthy Churches

Introducing the Church Health Check