The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada

Color Your World with Natural Church Development
by Christian A. Schwarz ~~Retail $25.95~~ Our price $23.35

Published in 2005, this book explains the 8 Quality Characteristics, the 6 Growth Forces, the Trinitarian Compass, some of the NCD tools including the NCD Survey, and the impact of NCD on churches internationally since 1996.

It also offers the NCD Color Profile, a personal assessment tool.

Note – The NCD Cycle featured in this book has since been upgraded to the Cycle featured in the 2006 edition of Natural Church Development (see below)

This book is for all who are interested in NCD.

Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Characteristics of Healthy Churches
by Christian A. Schwarz ~~Retail $25.95~~ Our price $23.35

The original NCD “textbook” (published first in 1996, revised edition 2006). It covers some of the basic material in Color Your World (see above) with significant additions: the original international research and its findings; the NCD response to the “institutionalism” and “spiritualism” paradigms that shape church life; and an outline of the 2nd generation NCD Cycle process.

A resource for those wanting a greater depth of understanding.

This small booklet of 28 pages introduces some of the main concepts of NCD. It asks why church growth can seem so hard, then looks at the eight quality characteristics, the minimum factor approach, and “all by itself” growth. Use it with your leadership or with those selected to complete the NCD Survey questionnaire.

The NCD Survey
by NCD International $249.00 (1st survey),
$199.00 (subsequent surveys)

The NCD Survey is an annual “snapshot” of the health of your church, giving a rating for the eight essential Quality Characteristics. It is part of the long term process of stimulating healthy growth in your church called the NCD Cycle. To explore the possibility of commencing the process in your church by doing the first NCD Survey
• first go to NCD Introduction on the home page and download Natural Church Development: An Introduction for Churches;

• then go to NCD Survey on the home page.

The Profile Plus supplements the NCD Profile containing the results of NCD Survey. It is a comprehensive tool for exploring and analyzing the results. It can contain up to four sets of Survey results, making it indispensable for diagnosing health issues, tracking trends and making effective long term decisions. Offered as an option, it is now considered indispensable for church leaders doing surveys annually.

This manual takes you through the NCD Growth Cycle, a tool developed by NCD International to help your church benefit from your NCD Survey results and maximize potential for growth over the long term. It is a simple, powerful and focused process that allows you to make significant progress with a minimum of meetings.

The manual will help you make best use of your Profile Plus detailed analysis, the principal diagnostic tool for working on your NCD Survey results.

The 3mb file (99 pages) can be downloaded by clicking here.

This is the author’s treatise on ecclesiology. He examines in depth the impact on God’s Church of imbalances due to the two poles of “spiritualism” and “institutionalism.” He then argues not a middle ground, but a new paradigm for thinking about church growth. It is thinking which forms the basis of NCD and is reinforced by the international research and his experience.. Tightly argued, clearly presented and in an easy-to-read style. For those interested in the theological foundations of NCD.

This book offers an NCD approach to identifying and developing your spiritual gifts. It contains the 3 Color Gift Test which assesses both manifest and latent gifts. Thirty gifts are outlined, including definitions, Scripture references, possible tasks, tips for training, and questions. The gifts are grouped according to the Trinitarian foundation that is an essential part of NCD.

It is excellent for individual believers seeking a more balanced approach to using their gifts; churches who regularly run a gifts discovery program; and churches whose NCD Survey results show a Minimum Factor of Gift-based Ministry.

This book is about the NCD quality characteristic Loving Relationships. It focuses on understanding and experiencing a fully biblical concept of love based on the character of God Himself. Christian Schwarz says, “it is empirically demonstrable that there is no better church growth method than love,” making it essential for every believer to learn and practice the different dimensions of God’s love as part of their spiritual growth.

With a solid biblical foundation, a Fruit of the Spirit Test and practical exercises, it is an essential book for all churches, especially those with a Minimum Factor of Loving Relationships.

Please note that since NCD is based on universal growth principles, NCD-based resources are not the only ones suitable for addressing issues raised in your NCD Surveys. The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada offers a wide range of resources that you may find beneficial in addressing one or more of the NCD Quality Characteristics.

Always ensure that you evaluate all resources in the context of addressing the specific and unique issues facing your church, and adapt accordingly.

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