NCD Helps End Turf Wars

The Rev. Stephen Taylor, pastor of Trinity UMC in Sumter, had used a variety of different processes over the years to get the churches he pastored to focus on their vision and where the they should be heading.  In some churches and with some ways of going about seeking direction, everyone’s opinion gets tossed into the pot with no clear reasoning for which option is the right one for the church.  The end result can often be a “turf war.” 

Last May, Trinity decided to use the Natural Church Development (NCD) survey as a way to make the decision on where to place their resources.

”NCD identifies your minimum factor which is your greatest weakness,” explained Taylor. “We decided that for one year we would address that and then re-survey and see where we are.”

For Trinity, the minimum factor was “Needs Oriented Evangelism.”

According to Taylor, one advantage of the entire SC Conference focusing on NCD is that pastors and churches can discuss their outcomes by using the same language, so everyone who has taken NCD training or is using the NCD process understands the terminology. Trinity’s coach, District Superintendent Sara White, helped the church members understand that “needs oriented evangelism” is reaching out into the community to bring people to Christ by meeting their human needs and engaging in relationships. 

“It’s making the gospel real,” said Taylor.  “In our case, we looked at our welcoming environment and at our avenues of connection to the community.”

After completing the survey last spring, a “Church Health Team” (CHT) met at Trinity throughout the summer to discuss the results and implications. At their Charge Conference this fall, the group presented 20 strategies to address seven different measurable goals for “attracting and assimilating new persons.”  The CHT asked for adoption of the goals by their Administrative Board and to have their Council on Ministries assign them to the appropriate committee as a high priority.  They also recognized that their plans could even result in the need for some budget adjustments.

One of the goals was to train a dozen “Wayfinders,” and deploy them in the congregation. A “Wayfinder” is a person trained to initiate conversations with others, especially newcomers, with the intention of connecting them with the resources of the congregation appropriate to their needs and interests. One of the strategies was to develop a task group to develop the training and qualifications.

Another goal was to become known for being a warm and welcoming congregation. A strategy to accomplish this was that the church hired a publicist. “We had a lot going on, but people didn’t know about what we were offering,” Taylor said.

All in all, Taylor says the NCD process has created a singular vision for the church until next May when they plan to re-survey.  “It’s been a very fruitful time,” he reflected.