- The Comprehensive Church Health Assessment is an opportunity for an evangelical congregation of any size to get a fresh, outsider’s look at its ministries, for a minimal cost.
- All assessment results are kept strictly confidential.
- Assessment results will be shared with the senior pastor first and then with the church board. While the report cannot be amended between these steps, the senior pastor will be the first to see it. The extent to which the results will be communicated to the congregation will be determined by the pastor and board.
- Assessments are conducted with sensitivity to the positions of the church’s staff and board. Brian has thirty+ years of experience as a solo and/or senior pastor as well as experience as a church board member and staff member. Every effort will be taken to enhance the leadership of the church’s senior pastor, staff and governing board, making them the “heroes” of a church revitalization process.
- The Assessment Report, prepared within two weeks of Brian’s onsite visit, may include a SWOT analysis. This means that it will highlight the church’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats as well as provide specific recommendations for the congregation.
- Brian will make himself available to present and explain his recommendations to larger groups of church leaders or the entire congregation in one or more follow-up sessions, in order to assist the pastor and church board in implementing the recommendations. Follow-up coaching of the pastor may continue indefinitely.
1. Immediately upon scheduling the assessment, the church begins concerted prayer for “God’s assessment” of their congregation. The more people involved in prayer the better!
2. Several weeks before Brian’s weekend visit, church leaders prepare a package of information about the church (see the Self Study section below) which is sent to the consultant. A community demographic survey is also ordered by the church during this time.
3. Several weeks before the weekend visit, church attendees complete the Ministry Match computer-facilitated congregational assessment.
4. The consultant’s weekend visit typically begins with a Friday afternoon interview with the senior pastor, a Friday evening dinner with the senior pastor and his wife, potentially followed by a journey-wall exercise.
5. Interviews are conducted throughout the day on Saturday with key staff members, board members and lay leaders. (Sample interview questions are found below.) A focus group is conducted with representative (and interested) non-leading church attendees.
6. Brian visits one or more worship services on Saturday evening and/or Sunday morning.
7. Brian sometimes has a few more interview questions for the pastor and board members over lunch on Sunday.
8. Additional interviews may be conducted on Sunday afternoon, as necessary.
9. Within two weeks of the visit, the consultant personally presents his written/oral report to the senior pastor and board, following the process described above.
10. Follow-up teaching and Q and A sessions are scheduled to assist the church’s leaders in presenting recommendations to the congregation. The consultant is available to preach on this follow-up visit.
Generally a pastor, a secretary or administrative assistant is tasked with the responsibility of completing or seeing to the completion of the self-study. The more information provided to the consultant the better. The more accurate the information, the better the consultant’s recommendations are going to be. It behooves the church’s leaders to take this process seriously and conduct it with courageous honesty. The self-study involves:
- Results of personality, spiritual gifts (etc.) assessments taken by the senior pastor.
- Statistics on the church’s finances over the past 5-10 years including, if possible, the following: total annual giving, annual giving vs. annual budgets (shortfalls or overages), per capita (or giving unit) giving, missionary giving, debts, progress at debt retirement, etc.
- Statistics related to attendance, membership, baptism and small group involvement over the same period
- A breathtakingly honest, written congregational history
- A description of the church’s prayer strategy and it’s discipleship (discipling) strategy, if relevant
- A listing of congregational leaders, both paid and unpaid
- A listing of all congregational ministries (programs). What has been the church’s evangelism strategy?
- Samples of all current written materials including: constitutions and by-laws, doctrinal statements, any written positions taken on social issues, church policies, brochures, bulletins, ministry descriptions, procedure manuals, handouts on various ministries, etc.
- Any statements RE the church’s purpose, mission, values, vision, goals or strategy
- Information on any major projects (building, or otherwise) which are planned or underway
- What are the hot-button issues in your church?
- Do you invite guests to your church? If not, what would have to change before you would do this?
- What is your dream or what are your dreams for your church’s future?
- If the church, officially, has clarified its purpose, mission, values, goals or strategy, tell us about these.
- On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the quality of the communication within your church?
- On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the unity of your church’s leadership team?
- On a scale of 1-10, to what degree do you understand what your superior expects of you?
- What do you like best and least about your church?
- Do you invite guests to your church? If not, what would have to change before you would do this?
- What is your dream or what are your dreams for your church’s future?
- If your church has an official purpose statement, mission statement, vision statement or goals, tell us what these are.
