Natural Church Development / By Christian. A. Schwarz. / Ann's Review / Probational Pastor Training Course (2013)

New Zealand / West Side                            Priscilla

 

Natural Church

 Development

/  By Christian. A. Schwarz.

 

/ Ann's Review

/ Probational Pastor 

Training Course

(2013) 

 

 

/ By  Priscilla

 

 

This book written by Christian. 

A. Schwarz contains a theory

of church development 

 

 

 

with an emphasis on

fundamental 

methodologies.

 

 

 

This book is written as an 

attempt to suggest 

something 

 

 

 

and give a solution 

to the readers, 

 

 

 

especially pastors, 

who are deceived by 

the mirage-like church

development theory. 

 

 

 

A summary of the 

   book is as follows:

 

 

 

He says the first thing 

we need to do is make 

good soil, and then 

 

 

 

we need to plant 

trees to bear fruit.

 

 

 

And he says that then 

all we need to do is reap.

 

 

 

Because this requires

patience, he emphasizes 

that the ministry 

of planting trees 

 

 

 

unconditionally 

should be avoided.

 

 

 

So, what should we

do to make good soil?  

 

 

 

As we read this book, we 

can discover two laws.

 

 

 

1. Get out of the 

method-oriented mindset 

and use God's method.

 

 

 

2. Discover our 

biological potential.  

 

 

 

This is a rediscovery 

of the principle of life 

(Biotic) 

 

 

 

and helping natural 

development take place.

 

 

 

 "And why do you

worry about clothes? 

 

 

See how the lilies 

of the field grow. 

 

 

They do not

labor or spin. 

(Matt 6:28)

 

 

 

Therefore, this book

presents the readers

with a guide for the 

eight qualities necessary

for a healthy church. 

 

 

 

It deals with learning,

observing, researching 

 

 

 

and investigating 

the contents of these 

practically within 

the church.

 

 

 

“The church must have

the following eight 

elements at the 

same time.  

 

 

 

So look at the harmonious 

interaction of the eight 

qualitative characteristics,”

 

 

 

He says.

 

 

 

1) Leadership that 

   raises ministers: 

 

 

 

This is the pillar of church

development.

 

 

 

2) Gift-centered ministry:

 

 

 

There is a strong connection

between God-given 

natural development

 

 

and qualitative and 

spiritual development.

 

 

 

3) Dynamic Spirituality: 

 

 

 

Faith is life and means 

a true relationship 

with Jesus Christ.  

 

 

(Reading the Bible and

prayer life...etc.)

 

 

 

4) Functional organization

5) Inspired worship services 

6) Holistic small group

 

 

 

 7) Need-Centered Evangelism

 

 

 

 8) Relationship of love: 

 

 

 

It is used as  each gift.

 

 

 

None of these 

characteristics should

be neglected.  

 

 

 

If there are qualitative 

contents in the church, 

there is bound to be

spiritual growth.  

 

 

 

Church quality leads to 

increased worship 

attendance.

 

 

 

What is Natural 

Church Development?

 

 

 

Natural church development 

is the growth of God's 

own church, 

 

 

 

that is, instilling the 

potential for natural

development.

 

 

 

The church should recognize 

the importance of loving 

relationships, not method

-oriented mindset.

 

 

 

The Church of Jesus Christ 

is a complex organism 

with many interrelated 

parts according to

God's plan.

 

 

 

(Example) Farming: 

 

 

 

Just as a big harvest

can be achieved by 

supplying nutrients based 

on the weakest in farming, 

 

 

 

 

the church must restore 

the health of the church 

by compensating for

 

 

 

weaknesses before 

pursuing growth with 

strong manure.

 

 

 

Therefore, it is important 

to use strengths in order 

to improve the weakest 

element of the church.

 

 

 

To this end, the church

must invest strength 

and energy in order to 

harmonize with God's 

principles 

 

 

 

in the institutional aspects

of the church's ministry 

 

 

 

so that 

the organic aspects 

may grow healthy

and undisturbed.

 

 

 

Therefore, for this, 

the church must learn

to think biologically,

 

 

 

breaking away from 

the existing method-

oriented way of thinking.

 

 

 

Traditionally, we have aimed

at artificially harvesting

fruit based on the mindset

of short-term growth 

 

 

 

for the success of church

 development, while 

natural church growth

 has a new paradigm 

 

 

 

such as qualitative 

characteristics, 

minimum factors, 

and principles of life. 

 

 

 

It focuses on the 

realization of the following:

 

 

 

1) Create a spiritual opportunity

 2) Find the minimum factor.

 3) Set qualitative goals

 4) Identify obstacles

 

 

 

 5) Application of the 

principle of life (Biotic) 

 

 

 

 6) Take advantage of

your strengths...etc.

 

 

 

For this purpose, 

it is desirable to build 

a new church by using 

data based on the 

principle of life, 

 

 

 

checking the efficiency, 

and paying attention to 

the new minimum factor.

 

 

 

In conclusion, if you want 

true church development, 

you will eventually come 

to realize that it is desirable

 

 

 

to pursue the natural

development that God 

desires, not the

 

 

 

methodological program 

pursued humanly.

 

 

 

You will come to know

that the development 

of the church in the power 

of the Holy Spirit is 

the principle of God. 

 

 

 

And you will know that

that principle is the most 

beautiful and harmonious

healthy development

used in the church.

 

 

 

In addition, 

I thank God once again

for this book as an opportunity 

to re-aware the importance

of natural church development.

 

 

 

In addition, I sincerely 

long for the church 

to which I belong now 

to achieve natural church

development, 

 

 

 

which is not achieved 

through human effort 

but only through the grace

 of the Holy Spirit that 

comes down from above.

 

 

 

So he said to me, 

 

 

 

"This is the word 

of the LORD 

to Zerubbabel: 

 

 

 

'Not by might nor by power, 

but by my Spirit,' says the

LORD Almighty.

(Zec 4:6)

 

 

Amen

 

/ Probational Pastor Training

 Course (2013)Review

 

 

 

- The End -

 

 

2022/05/09

 

/ By  Priscilla