Thriving Congregations Characteristics23 Characteristics of Thriving
Commentary on the 23 Characteristics Key Research Findings on Thriving Congregations |
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Vibrant Faith’s Thriving Congregations Initiative is guided by a vision of vital and vibrant congregations congregation that is grounded in the Christian tradition and contemporary research on congregational vitality. The characteristics of thriving congregations comprise the vision that Vibrant Faith hopes bring to reality through its work – training, coaching, resourcing, and designing innovative projects – with the churches participating in the Thriving Congregations Initiative.
Characteristics of Thriving Congregations
- We believe the local congregation is where the Church lives—where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the Church's life, and where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth.
- We believe the Church is a hybrid Christian community that lives in both physical and virtual spaces, embodying God’s love and good news, carrying out its mission, engaging in conversation and relationship building, and cultivating and living Christian practices. (See Paul’s description of the “body of Christ” in 1 Cor 12:14-27, Romans 12:1-8, Ephesians 4:1-16.)
- We believe there are five essential biblically-mandated, time-honored, Spirit-infused practices that guide a congregation in living it’s mission: koinonia (belonging, hospitality, community life), mathetes (discipling, lifelong faith formation, wisdom), martyria (witnessing, testimony, vocations), diakonia (serving, compassion, justice), and leitorgia (worshipping, sacraments, prayer). These five practices are rooted in the experience of the early Church as recorded in the Book of Acts, especially Acts 2:43-47, Acts 4:32-35, and Acts 5:12-16.
- We believe these five faithful practices are connected and interdependent, illuminating and nourishing each other; and need to be fully operative if congregations are to flourish and fully live out their mission.
- We believe these five faithful practices require leaders to become bilingual: interpreting the language of biblical world where the gospel originated and the idioms of contemporary cultures.
- We believe spiritually vital congregations are places where people come together for a common purpose of divine origin; that people experience the divine in ways that are transformative; and the common divine purpose and transformative experience compel the people to authentically engage both within the congregation and the world around them.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when churches have a clear identity – who they are, where they have come from, and where they are going – and are focused on living a shared mission in their specific time, place, and situation.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when churches are willing to adapt and innovate to meet new challenges in living their mission.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when the church engages in lifelong faith formation and spiritual growth to help people of all ages grow in their relationship with God, learn how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, grow in faith for a lifetime, and live their Christian faith in daily life.
- We believe vibrant lifelong faith formation can renew and revitalize the faith life of all ages, and that how and what a congregation is learning is critical to building a vital congregation.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when the church intentionally engages in living Christian practices within and outside the congregation; and that the church will find new vitality—visibility, spiritual depth, renewed identity and mission, and often, numerical growth— through an intentional and reflexive engagement with Christian tradition as embodied in the practices of faith.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened through the individual, familial, and communal practice of historic Christian practices: discernment, hospitality, worship, theological reflection, healing, forming diverse communities, testimony, contemplative devotional disciplines, social justice and peacemaking, and beauty (art, music, drama, poetry).
- We believe that people come to faith and grow in faith and in the life of faith by participating in the practices of the Christian community, by learning the practices of the Christian faith, by participating actively in these practices, and by living these practices in the context of their daily lives and their community.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when the church community experiences God’s presence, joy, inspiration, and awe at worship, and when worship and preaching connects Scripture to daily life and inspires Christian living.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when a church cultivates a caring, hospitable, welcoming, and safe community where people of all ages, generations, and diversities can experience belonging and acceptance.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when a church has a strong apostolic culture with a passion to reach uninvolved and unaffiliated people where they live, welcoming and incorporating them into the congregation’s life, and helping them to come to know Jesus and hear the Good News.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when the church is engaged in outreach and service to those in need, locally and globally; addresses the spiritual, human and emotional needs of those who are marginalized, hungry, homeless, hurting, or in need; works and advocates for social justice; and cares for creation.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when the church communicates its identity, mission, and ministries through digital technologies and platforms (website, social media, e-mail, texts); and provides virtual spaces that are interactive and inclusive of all people—involved and uninvolved in the church community.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when pastors and church leadership lead from a clear set of core values and personal principles; and possess a profound sense of being called by God and called to ministry, that is manifested as a deep trust in God and the willingness to act boldly and to take risks.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when pastors and church leadership have the ability to cast a vision, and mobilize and empower people to work toward it—influencing people in ways that will help them achieve their goals.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when pastors and church leadership demonstrate adaptive skill to frame or reframe a congregation’s vision for ministry, and develop innovative ways of giving expression to the vision in the face of the particular challenges the congregation is facing.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when pastors and church leadership create a team approach—investing time and energy in building and sustaining capable teams; and demonstrating skills to work collaboratively and co-responsibly with leaders.
- We believe spiritual vitality is strengthened when pastors and church leadership help people in the congregation discover and utilize their gifts for ministry in the church and world; and engage the gifts of the laity in leadership within the church community.
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Commentary on the Characteristics of Thriving Congregations
The "Commentary" provides descriptions of the theological and research insights behind the 23 Characteristics of Thriving Congregations.
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Key Findings from Research Studies on the Characteristics of Thriving Congregations
Fifteen studies were consulted in preparation for developing the 23 Characteristics of Thriving Congregations. The key findings from each study on "thriving" are presented in the "Research Summary" attached below.
- Open Wide the Doors to Christ - A Study of Catholic Social Innovation for Parish Vitality (2020)
- Flourishing Congregations Research (2019)
- 7 Marks of Congregational Vitality, Presbyterian Church USA (2019)
- Vital Congregations, Faith Communities Today (2018)
- Congregational Vitality Project ELCA (2017)
- Four Essential Practices of Great Catholic Parishes (2016)
- What it Takes to Be a Vital Church (2016)
- Three Marks of Healthy Congregations (2017)
- Characteristics of Congregational Vitality, United Church of Christ (2015)
- 16 Drivers of Vital Congregations, United Methodist Church (2013)
- 44 Faith Assets, Exemplary Youth Ministry Study (2010)
- 10 Strengths of US Congregations, Congregational Life Survey (2008)
- Catholic Parish Vitality Indicators, Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project (2008)
- The Project on Congregations of Intentional Practice (2006)
- Eight Quality Characteristics, Natural Church Development
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The C3 Project and the Thriving Congregations Project are services of Vibrant Faith funded through two grants from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
Vibrant Faith: https://vibrantfaith.org For questions about the Vibrant Faith Projects website contact John Roberto at jroberto@lifelongfaith.com. |