The Quality Growth Cycle

The Quality Growth Cycle is a strategic process. It provides a framework for action which allows church leaders to get the most out of the annual Surveys and at the same time progressively understand and apply the NCD paradigm. There are many reasons why the Quality Growth Cycle is proving useful to church leaders: Many church leaders find it helpful to have the cycle's framework for implementation when applying growth principles; The cycle enables church leaders to respond to the Minimum Factor in a way which is unique to their church; The cycle fits into the annual church calendar, with its normal processes of review, visioning, holidays, etc. This helps integrate NCD into the rest of church life; Repeating the cycle annually progressively builds understanding of the paradigm, reinforces values, maintains focus on what is important and cements decision-making processes which increase the potential for "all by itself" growth. Repeating the cycle also reveals trends in church life and ultimately draws out deeper issues that may not be apparent in any one cycle. Six major stages The six major steps of the Quality Growth Cycle are outlined briefly here. More detail on Stage 1 is included later in this manual should your church decide to do the Survey.   Stage 1 - Preparing for the NCD Church Survey The church leadership begins to understand the basic concepts of NCD and determines if it wishes to begin the process of doing annual Surveys. It commits to a long term implementation process (multiple cycles) to maximise the possibility of making the transition to NCD thinking and practice. It determines what assistance will be required from inside and outside the church to go through the cycle. Spiritual momentum is built by sharing NCD concepts with the congregation   Stage 2 - Completing the Survey Survey participants are selected and then brought together to complete the questionnaires. These are forwarded for processing.   Stage 3 - Analysing the Survey Results The church spends time discussing the results of the profile. The purpose is to gain insights into the key obstacles that are preventing the healthy growth of the Minimum Factor. Feedback is sought from leadership, from those who completed the questionnaires and from those parts of the congregation most directly affected by the Minimum Factor. By the end of this stage, the leadership has a prioritised list of the key issues to be addressed over the period leading up to the next Survey.   Stage 4 - Developing an Action Plan The church puts together an action plan aimed at removing the obstacles to growth uncovered in the previous stage. In this way the health of the Minimum Factor will rise. Specific goals are set, with accountabilities. The goals are formulated using the Biotic Principles so that new patterns of thinking begin to evolve through practical action. Ownership of the plan by the leadership is vital .   Stage 5 - Implementing the Action Plan At its heart, this step tests the commitment to the plan. Momentum is monitored and encouraged, people are held accountable for implementing their part of the plan, adjustments are made to the plan where necessary and progress is assessed regularly. Further work is done to understand the NCD paradigm and as a result the church begins operating more as an organism than merely as an organisation.   Stage 6 - Review the Cycle and Repeat the Survey After twelve months, the leadership reviews the current cycle to assess what has been achieved in addressing the Minimum Factor. The Survey is then repeated to test that assessment. The overall health of the church is determined and the new Minimum Factor revealed. The leadership consolidates the gains of the previous cycle and then turns its attention to the new Minimum Factor by beginning the next cycle.