Congregational Life Cycles Charles Fulton
For more than a summary of congregational life cycles, see the booklet downloadable off the earlier blog entry, Click here.
Charles' main point is that congregations have a life cycle, like all living things: birth, then growth, then stability. At stability, you can either redefine the ministry, or the congregation declines. Ministry can be redefined by answering these questions:
1. What was the original vision for this ministry? (value the past)
2. What has been accomplished? (evaluation)
3. What is new that was not anticipated? (analysis)
4. Where do we want to see this congregation in 3 - 5 years? (planning)
The parenthetical words are what I call these things.
If you don't redefine the congregation's ministry, the congregation declines.
Even then, there is still a possibility for new life, but the cost is greater than redefinition.
Reversing serious decline requires redevelopment: not just new information, but also new and different purpose and direction. (Charles says 50% of things have to be new).
And if we continue to neglect the decline, there is more decline, which increases interruption and "letting go" is required. If there is still neglect, the decline eventually leads to congregational death.
Aphorism: IF YOU'RE GOING TO GROW, SOME WILL GO, says SUSO.
Charles reminds us that part of leadership is truth-telling: telling the reality of where in the congregational life cycle the congregation actually is.
Characteristics of decline: anxiety, fear, denial, paranoia, conflict. It is the nature of congregational decline to deny the decline as long as possible, to underestimate the decline, and then to underrepond.
In Charles' words: "Declining congregations ignore the congregational cold, treat congregational pneumonia with aspirin, and embalm with penicillin."
Aphorism: Resurrection flows from death, not denial.
Life cycle learnings:
When growing: encourage the growth; Maximize and resource the growth.
When stable: redefine.revision, identify the new information and use demographic data both about the congregation and the context.
When declining, intervene early and accurately.
When dead, bury. Let them die with dignity.
Using Life Cycle Theory:
Of course, the reality is that there is not one life cycle in a congregation; there are often MANY life cycles (of programs, groups etc).
One way to use this in congregations: (for the vestry)
1. List all the ministries of the congregation
2. Have every vestry person individually to rank each as growing, stable, declining
3. Collect and collate this information
4. For the growing ones, vestry asks: how can we help, add resources etc
5. For the stable ones, ask
a. What was the original vision for this ministry? (value the past)
b. What has been accomplished? (evaluation)
c. What is new that was not anticipated? (analysis)
d. Where do we want to see this ministry in 3 ? 5 years? (planning)
6. With rest, ask vestry which ones should be allowed to die, and make plans for a dignified burial.
7. For ones they do not want to die, intervene (but it will be costly), including personal one on one etc. Then see if they still need to die; they may need to die even if leaders do not want them to die.