church ministry analysis - the fellowship online · official leadership role no official role 96%...

CHURCH MINISTRY ANALYSIS REPORT

PREPARED FOR: THE FELLOWSHIP

EASTON, MASSACHUSETTS

APRIL 24, 2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHURCH MINISTRY ANALYSIS (CMA) OVERVIEW 3

VITAL SIGN #1: ATTENDANCE 5

VITAL SIGN #2: GIVING & STEWARDSHIP 5

VITAL SIGN #3: STRENGTHS 6

VITAL SIGN #4: WEAKNESSES 11

READINESS FOR CHANGE AUDIT Error!Bookmarknotdefined.

APPENDIX: COMPLETE STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES REPORT 16

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CHURCH MINISTRY ANALYSIS (CMA) OVERVIEW

WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CHURCH MINISTRY ANALYSIS? NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS: 25

44%

28%

28%

YEARS ATTENDING THE FELLOWSHIP

6-10 YEARS 11-20 YEARS

20+ YEARS

84%

16%

MEMBERSHIP STATUS AT THE FELLOWSHIP

MEMBER NON-MEMBER

100%

ATTENDANCE HABITS

ATTEND WEEKLY

44%

56%

ROLE IN CHURCH

OFFICIAL LEADERSHIP ROLE

NO OFFICIAL ROLE

96%

4%

STEWARDSHIP

REGULAR GIVER

NOT A REGULAR GIVER

28%

44%

28%

INVITATIONS TO CHURCH LAST YEAR

INVITED 0 GUESTS

INVITED 1-3 GUESTS

INVITED 4+ GUESTS

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THE FOUR VITAL SIGNS

SNAP ANALYSIS

ATTENDANCE The first of the four vital signs is that of worship attendance. While attendance doesn’t tell the whole story about a church, and there are many factors that affect attendance, it can still be an indication of church health. It is the first perceived indicator that points to the overall status of the church.

GIVING The next vital sign is the church’s Giving and Stewardship. While giving doesn’t give a complete picture, it indicates the commitment of the congregation. Sustained giving when tied to competent stewardship empowers the church’s Vision and strategies.

STRENGTHS The third vital sign is the perceived Strengths. Your church’s strengths are what you will best be able to leverage in order to gain momentum quickly towards your Vision. Knowing your strengths reveals resources well invested and creates positive energy.

WEAKNESSES The final vital sign is the perceived Weaknesses. There is no such thing as a perfect church, and your church is no exception. View these weaknesses as challenges to overcome. When these areas are addressed in a strategic, intentional manner, it can propel your church.

The Fellowship is a church with a lot of potential. The giving is strong within the church, and the congregation is very committed and passionate. The greatest challenge for a church to overcome is apathy; The Fellowship does not have that issue! To be certain, there are great challenges for the church to overcome. Primarily, there is a lack of trust which has caused the church to lose momentum and effectiveness both in internal ministries and in reaching the community. Yet there are strengths to be leveraged, and the Strategic Envisioning process will be an excellent opportunity to rebuild unity, trust, and a common Vision.

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VITAL SIGN #1: ATTENDANCE

THE RAW DATA

PERCEIVED PLACE IN LIFE CYCLE

THE FELLOWSHIP VERSUS THE AVERAGES

0% 0% 0% 16% 64% 20% 0%

80%

10%

9% 1%

CHURCH SIZE & U.S. PERCENTILES

1-200

200-400

400-2000

2000+

The Fellowship ranks among the 10% of churches averaging 200-400, making it a Medium-Sized Church. At an average of around 291 (including children), The Fellowship’s next common growth barrier is 400, but without making strategic change could risk falling below the 200 barrier.

The majority of CMA respondents believe that The Fellowship has either Plateaued or is in Decline. The raw data provided to The Malphurs Group suggests that The Fellowship is in Decline. The Fellowship experienced Plateau from 2007-2014, but the rate of decline has increased significantly within the last three years.

150

200

250

300

350

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Average Adult Attendance

AverageAdultAttendance

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VITAL SIGN #2: GIVING & STEWARDSHIP

THE RAW DATA

PERCEIVED STEWARDSHIP IN THE CHURCH

THE FELLOWSHIP VERSUS THE AVERAGES

VITAL SIGN #3: STRENGTHS

8%

16%

76%

PERCEPTION OF GIVING AT THE FELLOWSHIP

INCREASEDPLATEAUEDDECLINED

The overwhelming majority of CMA respondents believe that the church’s giving has declined. Interestingly, the 16% who said giving had plateaued were more accurate. The raw data submitted to TMG suggests that while the church is seeing a deeper decline in giving within the current year, the overall giving trend over the last ten years is closer to a plateau. However, the recent downward trends are a cause for concern and action.

Compared to most, The Fellowship is a generous church. This is an interesting contrast to the perception of some CMA respondents who do not believe that the people of The Fellowship give generously. The most recent data available suggests that the congregation of The Fellowship surpasses Leadership Network’s “Generous” churches by approximately $12/week. Some of this is influenced by geography. However, this is is still a significant benchmark.

$29

$53$65

A V E R A G E A M E R I C A N

L E A D E R S H I P N E T W O R K

T H E F E L L O W S H I P

AVERAGE WEEKLY GIVING

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Giving Trend

TotalYearlyGiving

$1,150,000 $1,000,000 $800,000

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STRENGTHS OVERVIEW In this section of the Church Ministry Analysis, we will reveal which key areas

respondents feel are the strengths of The Fellowship. Supporting data from the survey will be provided for each strength along with a brief analysis of each strength.

THE FELLOWSHIP’S TOP THREE STRENGTH TRENDS

World Missions

Biblical Foundation and Education

Children’s Ministries

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STRENGTH #1: WORLD MISSIONS

SURVEY STRENGTH RATINGS

SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

“The church is involved in reaching the world for Christ (foreign missions).”

1.41

WORLD MISSIONS

STRENGTH WEAKNESS N/A

The congregation, as a whole, is keenly aware of the high value that The Fellowship places on foreign missions. In looking at the budget, a signficant percentage (approximately 33%—far beyond a recommended 10%) is dedicated to funding missionaries and mission projects around the globe. To be clear, the church recognizes this as a strength and a positive. However, this strength has come at a high cost. All of the positive survey comments above were followed by a recognition of what that cost has been: primarily effective evangelistic efforts at the local level and the financial burden. While the church is supportive of the focus on world missions, there appears to be a growing consensus that the church may need to pull back to a degree in order to focus on making a gospel impact locally.

SURVEY COMMENTS: “Our commitment to foreign missions is very strong…” “We are very active in foreign missions…” “The church strongly supports foreign missions…”

1-2.2= POSITIVE 2.3–3.4= WARNING 3.41-5= DANGER

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STRENGTH #2: BIBLICAL FOUNDATION AND EDUCATION


SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

“The church has small groups ministries to meet people’s needs for community.”

1.77


SURVEY COMMENTS: “Teaching at the church is Biblical and strong.” “There is a good foundation for biblical teaching both from the pulpit and within adult classes.”

The congregation sees and appreciates the hard work that goes into planning adult ministries and the sermons. Throughout the CMA, respondents acknowledged the abundance of opportunities for people to grow in their faith. What was less clear is how effective these efforts have been. When asked if the church is effectively making disciples, the average response was 3.10—in the Warning category. When asked if all of the ministries are working well together, the average response was 3.29—very close to the Danger category. To be certain, the necessary response to this is not to walk away from the Biblical Foundation the church has worked hard to build, but rather to find a way to streamline it and increase its effectiveness. While this is still a strength, strategic action is needed in creating a clear Discipleship Pathway.


ADULT MINISTRIES BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION TEACHING SMALL GROUPS

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STRENGTH #3: CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES


SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NURSERY FAMILY EMPHASIS

SURVEY COMMENT: “Very thankful for those who serve faithfully in the nursery…”

The Children’s Ministry, by all appearances, seems to be given high marks at The Fellowship. Unfortunately, there were not many comments or additional data to support the high rating in the Strengths and Weaknesses. However, it is apparent that the congregation feels that those who are leading the Children’s Ministry and Nursery are effective in their roles. These staff and volunteers ought to be commended for their good work. The comments did reveal that some feel the Children’s Ministry is “siloed” in certain ways. A healthy Children’s Ministry that is fully connected to the leadership of the church will be central to The Fellowship’s turn-around. It should be noted that this positive feeling does not extend to the Youth Ministries, as will be addressed in the next section.


MAJORITY FAMILY STATUS AT THE FELLOWSHIP

MARRIED W/ KIDS MARRIED

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VITAL SIGN #4: WEAKNESSES

WEAKNESSES OVERVIEW In this section of the Church Ministry Analysis, we will reveal which key areas

respondents feel are the weaknesses of The Fellowship. Supporting data from the survey will be provided for each weakness along with a brief analysis of each

challenge. Note that these challenges are not listed in a particular order.

THE FELLOWSHIP’S TOP THREE WEAKNESS TRENDS

Youth Ministry & Young Families

Community Impact

Organizational Trust

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WEAKNESS #1: YOUTH MINISTRY & YOUNG FAMILIES

SURVEY WEAKNESS RATING

SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

YOUTH MINISTRY

SURVEY COMMENTS: “The church lacks connection to youth, especially high schoolers and young adults. Senior high Sunday school and youth group lack attendance, many do not know church leaders, and there is no interaction between church leadership and youth of all ages. High school children of men and women who are extremely active in the church do not attend Sunday school or youth group.” “We are lacking young families and the senior high youth group is in a great decline. Young members don't really participate in the church environment.” “Reaching the youth and aging of the leadership are big concerns.” “The youth pastor is passionate about what he is doing but [has] shortcomings in relation to the youth…. in terms of connecting to people and developing relationships.”

There is an overwhelming sense that the Youth Ministry is in a state of disrepair. The congregation has a legitimate fear that the low attendance and lack of involvement of youth and young adults will lead to a poor future for the church. When asked what the age of the church says about the church’s future, nearly 42% feel that the church has a poor future or no future ahead. Moreover, there is a sense throughout the CMA that the leadership of the church lacks the will power to commit to the necessary actions that will change the current trajectory (more on this later). The future of The Fellowship is inextricably linked to its ability to connect with and integrate the next generation into the week-to-week ministry of the church. The Fellowship must become a church with ministries of young people, not just a place that has ministries for young people.


AVERAGE AGE SAYS ABOUT CHURCH'S FUTURE:

AVERAGE FUTUREPOOR FUTURENO FUTURE

YOUNG COUPLES

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WEAKNESS #2: COMMUNITY IMPACT

SURVEY WEAKNESS RATINGS

SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

“The church keeps up with the changing needs of the community.”

3.45

“If the church were to leave the community, it would be sorely missed.”

3.41

“The church is reaching lost people from the community for Christ.”

3.59

EVANGELISM REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

SURVEY COMMENTS: “We do have many activities to support newcomers. Our church attendance has been droppping so that leads me to believe we are not really reaching anyone.” “We have no solely evangelistic efforts aimed at bringing the unchurched into the church.”

The Fellowship is a church with a heart for global missions, but is missing the mark when it comes to reaching the local community. Despite financially supporting organizations that help those in need, The Fellowship is failing at connecting with unbelievers. Nearly 55% of respondents think that the church has an inward rather than outward focus—62% of those not in official positions in the church believe the church has an inward focus. Outreach efforts have failed to bring new believers and seekers into the church. There is a perception that most in the community are not interested in joining any church. However, there is a consensus that the church’s current efforts to reach out in the community are ineffective. In order for The Fellowship to have a successful turnaround, more effort must be shifted towards reaching the church’s “Jerusalem” and not just “the uttermost parts of the earth.”



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WEAKNESS #3: ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST

SURVEY WEAKNESS RATINGS

SUPPORTING DATA

WHAT IT MEANS

“The board or boards (elders, deacons, trustees, etc.) consistently address needed changes.”

2.83 2.40* 3.14**

“The board or boards consist mostly of leaders who are doing a good job.”

2.48 1.78* 2.93**

“We have a church-wide leadership development process in place that is training leaders at every level of the church.”

3.24 2.63* 3.62**

“The church has a clear, compelling picture (vision) of its future.”

3.05 2.78* 3.23**

MORALE CHANGE-ORIENTED UNITY FOLLOW-THROUGH

SURVEY COMMENTS: “There is no relational connection between leadership and the wider church body.” “They are very much set in their ways with regard to the functioning of the church… they are too engaged in the hands-on activities of church, at the expense of availability, engagement, and relationship building.

There is a very clear disconnect between the leadership of The Fellowship and the congregation at large. While most feel that the elders are good men with good intentions, the perception is that the leadership has been derelict in their role as change agents, are relationally disconnected to the congregation, and are simultaneously too active in minor decisions and too inert in addressing major problems. In this instance, perception is reality. 100% of CMA respondents acknowledge that the morale is low, and 77% acknowledge the disunity. Significant work with measurable changes will be necessary in order to restore the congregation’s trust in the leadership of the church. Working with The Malphurs Group is a positive step, but a shift in perception will only come from the eldership’s long-term commitment to change, expanding the leadership base, and the implementation of critical strategies.



VISION

* AVERAGE FROM RESPONDENTS IN OFFICIAL LEADERSHIP ROLES ** AVERAGE FROM RESPONDENTS NOT IN OFFICIAL LEADERSHIP ROLES

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READINESS FOR CHANGE AUDIT The Purpose of the Church Ministry Analysis (CMA) is to bring the church to a place where it can see itself objectively — to face reality. It forces the church to avoid the “ostrich effect.” That is, it is easy for many devoted people in a congregation to remain engrossed in heritage, tradition, programming or even their own opinion, all the while ignoring things in its environment that are blatantly obvious to those who are objective enough to see reality. The analysis also helps the church to face what we call the “iceberg effect.” 80% of the iceberg remains submerged below the waterline, outside of view. Similarly, most of an organization’s reality exists below what might be visible at first glance. The CMA forces the church to recognize what might not be readily apparent. In addition to the Church Ministry Analysis, the Malphurs Group conducted something called the “Readiness for Change Audit” which answers the question, “Are you ready to change your current reality to have a better future?” By using a series of questions, we measure your church’s openness and readiness for change. Here are the scoring ranges: SCORE RESULT 20 – 40 Change will not likely take place. 40 – 60 Change may take place with varying success. 60 – 80 Chances are good that you will implement change.

The Fellowship’s Score:

20-4

0

40

-60

60-8

0

62.65

Chances are good that you will implement

change.

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APPENDIX: COMPLETE STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

World MissionsLocation

Children's MinistriesFacilities/Campus

Adult MinistriesBiblical Instruction

TeachingOrganization

NurseryMen's Ministries

Small Group MinistriesEducation Ministries

Family EmphasisWomen's Ministries

Lots of MinistriesSunday SchoolWorship Music

Lay People in MinistryStaff

FriendlinessPlanning

Pastoral CareLeaders

PreachingSenior Pastor

BoardMission (Direction)

FellowshipWorship

GivingCommunity Ministries

Leadership DevelopmentCommunication

Vision (Direction)Young Married Couples

Youth MinistriesEvangelism

UnityFollow-through

ReputationChange-Oriented

Morale

The Fellowship (Strengths & Weaknesses)

N/A Weakness Strength

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Attribute Strength (%) Weakness (%) N/A (%) World Missions 100 0 0 Location 95.45 4.55 0 Children's Ministries 90.91 4.55 4.55 Facilities/Campus 90.91 9.09 0 Adult Ministries 90.48 9.52 0 Biblical Instruction 90.48 9.52 0 Teaching 85.71 14.29 0 Organization 85.71 14.29 0 Nursery 85.71 4.76 9.52 Men's Ministries 85 10 5 Small Group Ministries 81.82 18.18 0 Education Ministries 80 10 10 Family Emphasis 76.19 19.05 4.76 Women's Ministries 76.19 19.05 4.76 Lots of Ministries 76.19 23.81 0 Sunday School 76.19 23.81 0 Worship Music 75 25 0 Lay People in Ministry 72.73 27.27 0 Staff 71.43 19.05 9.52 Friendliness 71.43 28.57 0 Planning 71.43 28.57 0 Pastoral Care 71.43 23.81 4.76 Leaders 70 25 5 Preaching 63.64 36.36 0 Senior Pastor 63.64 27.27 9.09 Board 61.9 28.57 9.52 Mission (Direction) 61.11 33.33 5.56 Fellowship 60 40 0 Worship 59.09 40.91 0 Giving 54.55 45.45 0 Community Ministries 52.38 47.62 0 Leadership Development 38.1 61.9 0 Communication 35 60 5 Vision (Direction) 25 65 10 Young Married Couples 25 65 10 Youth Ministries 23.81 66.67 9.52 Evangelism 23.81 76.19 0 Unity 22.73 77.27 0 Follow-through 19.05 76.19 4.76 Reputation 9.09 77.27 0 Change-Oriented 4.55 86.36 9.09 Morale 0 100 0

church ministry analysis - the fellowship online · official leadership role no official role 96%...

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