Cycle Starter Plans

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Having understood your church a little better with the help of the NCD Church Survey, its now time to start cycling together towards a healthier church. You’ve chosen to start experimenting and learning more about the topic to the left. Now, select one of the cycle starter plans below and write number 1 in its box. Put this sheet on your wall, then, go do it!

Next time you are meeting with others who are also working through a topic, ask each other the questions from the cycle, starting at “do” and finishing at “plan”. After a cycle you may decide the most important thing to do now is to keep going with the same plan, modify it, or choose another option from below. If choosing another from below, just write 2 in its box and so on.

If you’d like more cycle starter options, or to work on another topic highlighted by your NCD Church Survey results, just visit ncdchurchsurvey.org/cycle-starters

Q7

  • Ask someone you know well with a mature Christian faith to suggest the kind of challenge you could undertake to stretch your faith. Be accountable to them for taking up that challenge.
  • Establish exact dates (no more than 6 months away) for reviewing the current ministry of every person under your leadership to help them grow in the role, find a more suitable ministry, or take a break if needed.
  • Gather a group together in your church to map the needs of the surrounding community. Share your findings with others in the church, including the leadership.
  • Help your congregation understand that inspiring worship services depend upon every person bringing along their unique gift-based offering of worship to bless God and encourage the church. Help individuals to discover what their offering might be and how it could be expressed regularly before, during, or after the formal part of the service.
  • In your small group, debate the topic: "If a church is to keep growing, all its people must keep growing." Whether you agree or disagree, be prepared to argue the minority view to draw out responses.
  • Reflect on challenging circumstances you face in daily life or ministry. If you rarely speak, even briefly, to God about those challenges, consider what image of God (and yourself) you may have. If you don't face significant challenges, consider what if any implications that has for your prayer life.
  • Think about parts of your life that you (and God might) find boring or unchallenging. Consider what kind of challenge you would need to undertake that would require you to rely more on God and work together more as a team.
  • Volunteer for an activity in your church which will take you out of your 'comfort zone', stretching your faith and increasing your dependence on God.