ASSEMBLIES OF GODCompleting the Life Cycle Assessment
So, where is your congregation in its current life cycle? Go back and look at the assessment we did a few minutes ago. You circled a total of ten statements on that page, two from each row. Now look at the five columns that divide the page vertically. Count the number of items you circled in each column and write the number at the bottom of the page.
This assessment is simple, but it can help you see where you believe your church is in its current life cycle. If you circled more items in Columns 1 or 2, you see your church somewhere on the ascending side of the life cycle – between Birth and Adolescence.
If you circled more items in Column 3, you see your church near the peak of its current life cycle – likely between Adult and Maturity.
If you circled more items in Columns 4 or 5, you are describing a church that is on the descending side of the current life cycle – somewhere between Empty Nest and Death.
In a few moments, you’ll have opportunity to discuss the results of your assessments together, but before we end this session, let’s consider what needs to happen.
There is one element of our four that is critical to begin to launch a new life cycle in your church—Vision! You need a clear or even fresh sense of vision so that you can find new life and a new future for your church.
Our physical bodies have a life cycle too. We may resist thoughts of decline, but our physical strength will diminish over time, and there’s little we can do to keep that from happening.
But there is something you can do about our church’s life cycle. You can take steps to restore your energy, find new effectiveness, even find a whole new life cycle to live into future generations. It all starts with vision.
At what stage in the life cycle do we need fresh vision? Some might say at the peak of the current life cycle or certainly by the time you are entering the Maturity stage. But likely it’s better to find fresh vision somewhere between the Adolescence and Adult stages, before the current vision is nearing fulfillment. If your church is somewhere beyond the Adolescence stage, then now is the time to find fresh vision for thefuture.
Fresh vision will lead to new relationships and new programs and a whole new life cycle for your congregation. That’s what the journey ahead will help you find.
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The Acts 2 Church Survey is a fully validated church health survey for Spirit-Empowered local churches. Focusing on twelve church health factors, the survey can help you to identify your church’s strengths and challenges in order to pursue the best paths to greater ministry effectiveness.
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