A Church Reforming to Reach the Lost for Christ

Christian Reformed Churches of Australia

Ministry-Formation-grow“To grow healthy churches which nurture and equip their members and, by God’s grace, expand numerically, become the mother-churches of as many fellowships and congregations as possible, and take further initiatives to penetrate structures of society with the gospel. ”

Individuals:

  • Individuals consider how they might reach out and minister to unchurched friends and acquaintances.

Full time ordained ministers:

  • Full time ordained ministers re-evaluate their timetable and responsibilities to free up time (for example, at least one day a fortnight) to review existing initiatives and develop new initiatives inthe local congregations;
  • Full time ordained ministers take time to rethink ministry and seek further training in areas that would aid the fourfold task.

Congregations:

  • Each church council consider how they can best contribute to the fourfold task;
  • Each congregation consider its ability to reach their local mission field and/or plant new congregations and consider whether they need to ask for outside help in this work;
  • Each congregation consider how they can reach out to unchurched groups in their community, for example, unbelieving spouses of church members and the unchurched among single people, professional people, high rise or gated communities, ethnic communities, sports clubs, young people in shopping centres, workers in the hospitality industries, shift workers, the illiterate, young mothers, retired people, and the like;
  • Each congregation consider becoming involved with community organisations to input a Christian ethos;
  • Each congregation provide scripture ministry in all schools in their area.
  • Each congregation undertake an annual (or regular) audit using an instrument such as the Natural Church Development programme.

Classes:

  • Classes evaluate how to encourage congregations in this policy;
  • Where possible, Classes develop and invest resources to provide seed funding for congregational initiatives; and deployment of church planting evangelists.

Church Planting Taskforce (CPT):

  • The CPT shall encourage church planting work around the denomination;
  • The CPT shall undertake research on:
    1. the effectiveness of multiplying congregations;
    2. models of church reinvigoration and church planting;
    3. the financial development of congregations;
    4. the base numbers and goal numbers of the mission (the base
    numbers equals where we start, and goal numbers indicates
    what we're aiming for);
    5. the areas (geographical and sociological) where we are not
    reaching the community;
    6. where we have the most effective outreach.

Church Health Network

Guiding Principle

Healthy churches are growing churches.

Mandate

1. GROW, together with the Ministry and Leadership Development Coach (DC), will assist churches in the CRCA to maximise church health in areas such as:

a. the marks of the true church as identified in the Belgic Confession;
b. CRCA Church Order distinctives: worship, faith nurture, pastoral care and oversight, and missions;
c. the eight characteristics of a healthy church as identified by NCD; and
d. other church health issues raised by individual congregations.

2. If and when necessary, Church Health coaches will be identified and given training in church health principles and the use of the NCD survey and related materials.

3. GROW through the Church Health Network will assist churches so that local initiatives are leveraged for gospel and kingdom growth.