Churches that have done three NCD Church Surveys, have seen the following measurable changes within the 31 month between the first and third profiles:
- The quality of the church (in all areas of church life) increased by an average score of 6 points.
Translated into practical terms this means: deeper prayer, livelier small groups, more loving relationships, more energizing worship, more satisfied commitment, greater engagement with one’s culture, greater attractiveness among the unchurched, etc. - The growth rate increased by 51% on average.
As a direct consequence of the NCD process, 1.6 million additional people have joined the participating churches. That is significant since the process itself isn’t characterized by an evangelistic focus, i.e. the additional growth was exclusively a natural side effect of focusing on church health. - The percentage of “transfer growth” (people joining from other churches) decreased while the percentage of conversion growth increased.
At the outset, churches participating in the NCD process have the same starting point as any other church: If they are already experiencing growth, the percentage of transfer growth is usually too high and the percentage of conversion growth is too low. Within the NCD process, this ratio changes quickly in favor of conversion growth. - The work load of the participating members decreased significantly.
Of the 170 items tested, this is the result with the second strongest change. The positive response to the statement, “Despite my church activities, I have sufficient time for my hobbies” grew by 9.3% within the 31 months between the first and the third profiles. This corresponds to a measurably higher level of satisfaction in the church among those who are personally involved in it.
Taken from Color Your World with Natural Church Development - Christian A. Schwarz