Abstract
The research problem of concern here is: What criteria should be used when congregations are analysed? Congregations as faith communities are defined variously. Discerning the local congregation as a defined and as an empirical subject plays a major role in answering the research question. The theological points of departure are that any measure of a local congregation has to deal with issues like faithfulness to the gospel and the missional identity and integrity of the congregation as a contextual faith community. The hypothesis is that, when theologically informed and motivated, congregations can and should be analysed in the process of continuing reformation. This article describes a number of approaches to and outcomes of empirical research related to congregational analysis. Follow-up research to be submitted for publication will deal with the missional identity, the ministerial role-fulfilment of the congregation, and a proposal to analyse these in a way that is theologically faithful and contextually relevant.
Highlights
As Runia says: What I mean, is a renewal of the church today, taking into full account the situation and the problems of this day and trying to find new ways to make the church again what it ought to be according to the New Testament. (Runia 1986:277)
The working formula I suggested for this approach, and from which this article departs, is: Building up a missional local church is a ministry whereby the Triune God is at work and his congregation, under his care, is being trained and guided to:
The prophets were good at this
Summary
The working formula I suggested for this approach, and from which this article departs, is: Building up a missional local church is a ministry whereby the Triune God is at work and his congregation, under his care, is being trained and guided to:. Those familiar patterns often blind congregations to the change in the first place.’ This is the reason for my strong emphasis on motivation and unfreezing as first and continuous phase in building up missional local churches (Nel 2005:149– 175). Follow-up research will deal with a few theological and ecclesiological markers, the essence of ministerial role-fulfilment It will conclude with a specific suggestion for a theologically informed approach to congregational analysis as an analysis of ministries. This will be argued for against the backdrop of the empirical approaches below
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