Abstract
The past few years the researcher spent a lot of time to reflect on the current state of the church, the desires of God for it and the growing gap inbetween.
Statistical research has shown that the church, worldwide, tends to have a stagnant and declining growth. While the world’s population is rapidly growing, Christianity represents a constant figure of 34% towards the population over the last hundred years (Britannica Encyclopedia Online 2000). In America the overall attendance at Christian churches has slumped (Barna 1998:15). If the current growth tendency continues in The Netherlands, the churchless figure in 2020 can rise to 73% (Noordegraaf 1999:14). In South Africa church membership is declining in most of the denominations (Froise 1996:18, Meyer 1997:5-16, Roodt 2000:50-52).
Why does this negative growth tendency exist in most churches? The researcher suggests that one of the reasons is that the typical congregation’s ministries is structured and practiced in such ways that it prevents effective ministry to people.
What can be done? Through survey in this study, the researcher wants to show that the church must rediscover it’s sole purpose as God intended it. Through the process of church analysis and assessment, the congregation can determine what it’s current state is according to God’s ideal. In this way the congregation can identify his strong points, limitations and problems. If these factors are determined, the congregation can begin to plan actions to change the current ministry practices towards the ideal situation. In this process, the congregation develops as a spiritually transforming community in the world, as God had intended for the church to be. The focus of the study lies towards this process of church analysis and also attempts to contribute in a practical way.
Dr. B.J. Geyser