Wednesday, December 7, 2022
by
Melinda Johnstone
This is a story of consistent and significant growth in spite of an influx of new people and new challenges, in spite of a global financial crisis, Covid, unique church hardships, and disappointments.
Grace Reformed is an 18 year old church that started out in Perth, Australia, as a church for South African Immigrants. Today they now have a congregation of Aussie born and bred, immigrants from Asia, NZ, South Africa, Canada and more — there is now a kaleidoscope of people that call Grace home. Many of their people are new to the country and new to the church. It’s no surprise to those at Grace that change is a necessary part of life and change is something they courageously embrace. Change is in their DNA.
For 14 of their 18 years together, they have proactively searched for their next most needed change to create a kingdom-home by engaging in the NCD Church Survey process. Because of their long-term commitment to addressing barriers to growth, and as Pastor Joe says, “By God’s grace”, they have grown from 50 adults in the early days with an average NCD result of 57 to 220 adults today that call Grace home, with an average of 65 in health.
This has not just been a matter of absorbing all that has been thrown at them and holding the church family steady. This is a story of consistent and significant growth in spite of an influx of new people and new challenges, in spite of a global financial crisis, Covid, unique church hardships, and disappointments—and all against the backdrop of diverse and shifting cultural starting points.
When we contacted Pastors Joe and Alex to share in the joy of their progress, Pastor Joe commented that to hear, “Well done” from NCD International means a lot to him. This is an intriguing comment as affirmation in the NCD community has a different benchmark to what is usually held up. In NCD, you won’t hear a, “Well done” for things like a polished worship service or bulging numbers at church gatherings - these alone aren't cause for celebration. But what you WILL hear is a resounding, “Well done!” for being a gathering of people, no matter the size or starting point, that is growing to be more healthy.
That’s why the people of Grace Reformed can pause and enjoy the cheering on from fellow brothers and sisters all around the world. Right now as this is being read, there are tens of thousands who enthusiastically agree that growing to be more inspiring, empowering, gift-activated, passionate, loving, effective, need-meeting and holistic, is reason for great celebration. And one look at Grace’s progress reveals that here is a gathering of people who are making it their mission to grow in alignment with how the Kingdom of God works and flourishes - to create a home that is heaven on earth.
In areas where they have faltered and felt a lack of confidence, they have sought to partner with God better by asking for help from others, ramping up training, and by asking God himself to, “help us grow … incrementally”. They don’t have the expectation of immediate perfection, but most certainly an expectation that churches ought to transform and make progress in becoming a home that reflects Jesus and his desires. And all progress toward the goal, as measured in the 8 areas of the NCD survey, is their passionate pursuit.
At Grace, progress towards greater health is not just expected or required of the paid staff but is clearly presented to every member of the congregation in order for them to consider their creative part to play. This gives them a sense of truly feeling at home and helping to shape what kind of home they want to be a part of. Their people are given a chance to speak openly, by means of answering anonymously-protected questions on the NCD survey. Then, the people are intentionally invited to be an integral part of the creative problem-solving culture by helping solve their next shared challenge. Through personal interactions, sermons, regular conversations, general meetings that allow sharing of essential graphs and data from their recent survey, coaching and training, the information is shared and discussed and action plans made - together.
Their current goal is to do more things they love, and, do them together. As an expression of the heart of God, they want to experience more natural ways of engaging with one another where they help one another experience greater wholeness and connectedness. As you would expect from their results, the passion they have for embracing this next season of change is palpable and very strategic. NCD plays a significant role in directing their strategy, enabling them to walk confidently toward their goal of being a "growing and healthy church for generations."
Well done, Grace Reformed, for your endurance and your passionate hope for the future. And thank you to NCD Coach Jack de Vries for walking alongside them.
need-oriented evangelism passionate spirituality
Give me a spiritual home among the gum trees
