'Excellent' congregations take risks,
have clear vision, new study says
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___The most excellent Protestant congregations in the United States today exhibit a vibrancy about the Christian life, are risk-taking, reach beyond their comfort zone and have a clear but flexible sense of mission, according to a new study.
___Results of the study are published in a new book titled "Excellent Protestant Congregations." It was written by Paul Wilkes and a team of researchers funded through a Lilly Endowment grant. Wilkes is a writer and television producer based at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
___For the study, his team visited 300 Protestant congregations to listen and observe. The book reports in depth on nine of these congregations and then identifies some common characteristics found in all the "excellent" congregations studied.
___Among the 26 common traits found in the successful churches:
___
Vibrancy. This isn't a "generic happiness," Wilkes explains, but a "holy edge" that brings excitement into everything the church does. These churches view Christianity as a "high-adventure pursuit" rather than a leisure-time activity.
___ Entrepreneurship. "Excellent churches are constantly looking for better ways to reach and serve people. This entrepreneurial spirit is not about accumulating a particular number of conversions, but about genuinely doing a better job so that people naturally not only want to come to this church but also want to be a part of it."
___ Philosophical draw. "The approach, the style of these churches attracts people beyond their normal neighborhood or area and often draws people from outside their denomination."
___ Breaking comfort zones. "Excellent church members are not afraid of being uncomfortable," Wilkes explains. "While they are not belligerent or righteous, they have a new power to go places they would never have dreamed of going, to let words come from their mouths they might once have kept secret in their hearts."
___ Clear mission. "Excellent churches do not try to be all things to all people. They have a vision of where they want to be, and they work toward it."
___ Flexibility. "When something is not working or a new need arises, excellent churches are ready to put aside old structures and coalitions, even when this includes the sometimes painful disbandment of long-standing church committees or groups that no longer serve the best purposes."
___ Willing to make mistakes. "The church that doesn't make mistakes, sometimes major mistakes, will never become an excellent church."
___ Lay leadership. "These churches recognize the abundance of talent within their congregations--pastoral and business talent, spiritual and physical talent, talent to work with the young and the old and all those in-between."
___ Forgiveness and acceptance. "There are no hoops to jump through, there is no social ladder to climb in excellent churches. People feel immediately accepted, embraced and welcomed right now."
___ Non-manipulative evangelism. "Most of the new people brought to these churches come by word of mouth because a co-worker, family member or friend simply told them that they have found a church that truly spoke to their hearts and addressed their needs. This kind of evangelizing has a true integrity," Wilkes explains. "It is not manipulative. It is honest and appealing."
___ Partnerships. "Excellent churches do not feel they have to do everything by themselves. If they can outsource, they do it. Excellent churches willingly enter into partnerships that allow them to do their work better."
___ Biblical. "Excellent churches have not lost confidence in the bedrock of God's word. They go to it like the thirsty go to a well."
___ Big tent. "Excellent churches do not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach. ... Theirs is a wide tent, a vast bazaar, and there can be many expressions within."
___ Life-situation preaching. Preaching at excellent churches "is always rooted in the practical, in the cries and concerns of normal people."
___ Long tenures. "The pastor who moves on rarely plumbs the mystery and real potential of his or her congregation. Changing the manager doesn't always improve the team. Most excellent churches have pastors who have been there for years."
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