Changes Can Bring Greater Harvest
I have spent the last couple of weeks preparing a raised garden bed for my wife. I figure the tomatoes will cost us about three times what they would in the store, but the garden is her happy place! With the limited size of the garden, I was a little surprised when she incorporated marigolds next to her tomato plants. It turns out, according to my wife, marigolds repel insects that are harmful to tomatoes and attract butterflies and bees as pollinators! My wife picked up this knowledge from a fellow gardener, and the result will hopefully yield us a bounty of tomatoes.
Likewise, churches can benefit and thrive from learning best practices from other churches that are ministering to people much like our own.
Twenty-five years ago, Stephen Macchia wrote “Becoming a Healthy Church”, where he identified ten traits of healthy churches. From the book, a survey was developed to help individual churches test the strength of these ten traits in their own congregation. The survey became known as the CHAT survey (Church Health Analysis Tool), which has led many churches to develop strategies and goals for the glory of God’s Kingdom. They learned how to use their sweet spot to address and make changes for greater effectiveness. They planted marigolds!
Late last year, a revised edition of Macchia’s book was released, which includes additional data from 25 years of CHAT surveys, along with updates reflecting changes within today’s societal landscape.
MB Foundation believes this research and analysis can be a great tool for our congregations, and we are willing to underwrite the cost of the CHAT, as well as one-on-one coaching from Macchia’s Leadership Training Institute. If you are interested in learning more, visit www.mbfoundation.com/thrive or call Rick Eshbaugh at 800.551.1547.