Why Church Consulting

Consulting Churches

What is church health?

Churches don't become healthy by accident any more than you can keep your body healthy by eating junk food and abusing your physical health. We must intentionally strive to become healthy, reproducing congregations, where new believers and established disciples can find a place to grow, serve and share.

Is your church healthy? How can we know? What indicators are available to determine if my church has poor health or great strength? And, what will help me to improve in the areas of my greatest weakness?

The Church Health Survey from Church Central Associates will give a great deal of information about your church health.

Church Health Survey

The survey measures the health of a church based on six purposes of the church found in Acts 2:42 – 47:

Prayer
Evangelism
Ministry
Discipleship
Fellowship
Worship

The Process

Using a proven methodology, objective assessment tools, personalized and ongoing relationships and a skilled staff of experienced leaders, IgniteUS mentors pastors and provides guidance for the development and implementation of a principled, comprehensive revitalization process.

The process is divided into five Phases.

Phase 1: Readiness for the Run (ASSESSMENT)
Using credible assessment instruments, this phase equips Pastors with a realistic portrait of where they are as leaders and where their churches are in their readiness to embrace change. (Months 1–2)
Take the first step and complete the on-line Church Readiness Quiz.

Phase 2: Preparing the Pastor (CHARACTER)
Further exercises and resources, coupled with one-on-one mentoring, prepare Pastors for the change process, ensuring that they are equipped with full knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses so they can most effectively assemble and lead an effective team. (Months 3–6)

Phase 3: Building the Team (COMPETENCE)
Understanding that effective ministry is a Team, not a Solo effort, this phase assists Pastors with developing and equipping a team of competent and committed people who embrace the scope and need for change and understand the necessity of modeling as a key component in successful leadership. (Months 7–12)

Phase 4: Running the Race (STRUCTURE)
This phase redirects the focus of the congregation from “looking in” (what pleases me) to “looking out” (how I can reach and disciple others). This requires an atmosphere of changed values, not simply changed procedures. (Months 13-–24)

Phase 5: Expanding the Kingdom (ENGAGEMENT)
As spiritual growth takes place within a body, numerical growth and reproduction are a resulting fruit. This phase incorporates and measurably applies the truths gleaned from this transitional process, resulting in a healthy, disciple-making church. (Months 25–36 and beyond)

Some of the tools used throughout the Leadership Development process are included in News & Resources. For a list of frequently asked questions and their answers send an email.

The Profile of a Healthy Church

(The measure of effective ministry is transformation.)

1.	The church has a clear and compelling Mission & Purpose statement that is owned and actively embraced by 80%+ of the congregation.
2.	The church has a clear and functional Philosophy of Ministry that provides guidelines and direction for ministry.
3.	The church selects Leaders on the basis of character, competence, and a Biblical profile for leadership.
4.	The church has a discernable expression of unity and oneness that provides an atmosphere for thriving outreach, assimilation, and disciple-making.
5.	The Pastor and Leaders have examined the various dimensions of the church’s history, understand the implications of each major issue, and have satisfactorily resolved any dysfunctional patterns from the past.
6.	The church has a Leadership Development process that produces Leaders for the future. A major component of their growth is modeled behavior by existing Leaders. This includes ongoing learning and coaching designed to ensure competence and excellence in ministry. The church is a Learning Community.
7.	The church has developed and implemented a ministry-focused, Biblically based structure. This includes Ministry Teams and a decentralized approach to ministry. Ministry decisions are made at the level closest to the actual execution of ministry.
8.	The church has an operative Biblical model of and process for Church Discipline.
9.	The church has a membership profile and process that is based on Biblical criteria: worship, evangelism, service, financial contribution and small group participation.
10.	The Pastor and the Leadership Team have developed and refined a Biblical theology that is the foundation and basis for ministry. This is systematically taught to the congregation.
11.	The church has established phased spiritual growth definitions. There is an accountability process that produces objective measurable progress toward obeying all that Jesus commanded. The exercise of accountability produces both maturity and joy among the body.
12.	The church has developed and utilizes objective feedback processes in a 360o fashion. The Leaders hear from the people, and the people hear from the Leaders.
13.	The church has an intentional strategy to fulfill the Great Commission. This includes a church planting strategy for use on a local level.
14.	The church rejoices that they have accepted the discipline necessary to engage the Leadership Development process and actively seeks to enlist other churches to follow their example.