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Natural Back in January NCD International
announced the release of the 2005 ProfilePlus Lottery. Each month one
ProfilePlus report – an in-depth analysis of NCD church profiles – will be
given away for free to anyone new subscriber to eNCDine. Meet the first
couple of winners...
 January's winner
of the free ProfilePlus analysis is Dale Dowling. He lives in
Greenley, Colorado (USA). Dale has been a missionary to Romania for 4
years and now serves as Outreach Minister for the Westview Church of
Christ in Greenley. 
Major Brett Allchin, a minister with
The Salvation Army in Melbourne, Australia, is February's winner of the ProfilePlus Lottery. Brett served 12 years as a pastoral minister in
country rural Corps (parish) and 4 years as a manager to an Aged Care
Facility before he became a Planned Giving Consultant.
NCD International talked to Dale and Brett
about their ministries and their experiences with NCD:
NCD International: Dale
and Brett, what ministries are you involved in? What's on your heart?
Dale Dowling: I am involved in
teaching non-Christians about Christ, training lay people how to teach
Christ and to evangelize. My passion is seeing people accept Christ, then
grow and become mature Christians, then help other people.
Brett Allchin: In my role as
consultant, I have the opportunity of visiting and spending time with the
lay and ordained leaders of Corps across Australia, assisting them to
focus on mission, and offering support with programs on Planned Giving,
and as required informing them of other programs such as NCD. I am
passionate about utilising my gifts to assist others to succeed. Whether
individual leaders, a Corps or social program, I am energised when I have
been able to assist others to reach their goal.
NCD: What's been your
experience with NCD so far? How do you feel about NCD?
Brett: I am a trained NCD coach, and
have utilised NCD where appropriate in the Corps where I have been the
senior minister. When I first became aware of the NCD concept, I found it
to be liberating. It makes sense that the God who created the world biotic
would also bless a church that is healthy with growth, provided that the
church continues to give glory and honour to him rather than to itself.
Focusing on the eight characteristics of NCD, and aligning these with the
principles highlighted in the first church in Acts 2:42-47, makes way for
God to bring the growth to his church in the local setting.
Dale: Westview Church of Christ has
undergone one survey process; we are now implementing the results of that
survey. I am amazed with the NCD material because it's practical,
thoroughly useful, easily implemented and enjoyable to teach! Also, there
is enough "meat" to educate our church's Doctors and PHDs, while at the
same time being user friendly so that our average members can learn as
well. Well done!
NCD: In your view, what's
the greatest benefit of NCD for churches?
Dale: Helping the members focus their
energy on the most necessary needs, thus furthering the use of limited
resources.
Brett: The greatest benefit that NCD
has for churches comes with the follow-up reviews and comparisons. In
particular the ProfilePlus report has brought the NCD reports to a new
level. With the ability to track trend, the ProfilePlus report enables you
to see exactly what changes are happening in all eight Quality
Characteristics. NCD is not just about your Minimum Factor, but knowing
your strengths so that they can be celebrated and applied to areas where
the church's health is not as good. Celebrating, that's what the church is
about: Celebrating new life found in Christ, celebrating the new life
found by people who were once lost, celebrating the change that God
through a healthy fellowship brings in ourselves and others.
NCD: What has NCD done
for your church?
Brett: The Corps that I left to enter
ministry, my home church, has benefited greatly from NCD. When I have had
the opportunity to 'come home' to Mooroolbark Salvation Army, I am able to
see and feel the fellowship, the natural interaction of people who are
released to utilise their gifting. I have heard people give testimony to
the difference, when they say after their initial contact, that they had
to come the next week to see if people were really as loving and tolerate
as they were on the first week, or if it was just a con. Doing Church is
sometimes hard, working with people is, but when people are released and
encouraged, when people desire to do Church the biotic way, as God
intended, then it is a place that people do not want to leave at the end
of the day.
Dale: Our profile showed minimum
factors in Need-Oriented Evangelism as well as Gift-Oriented Ministry. As
we have worked through the material (in lectures, class formats, informal
groups, and mentoring), we have experienced an increase in our members'
involvement and satisfaction in their service to Christ. We've also
witnessed the gifted evangelists focusing in on specific evangelistic
ministry, which has encouraged other gifted groups to be involved with
visitors and new people in many exciting opportunities. Great!
NCD: Who's going to
benefit from the free ProfilePlus analysis?
Dale: Our leadership and small group
leaders. Hopefully, the city of Greenley will benefit from our efforts for
Christ!
Brett: The Corps I presently worship
at will have its second NCD survey in a couple months and then benefit
from the free ProfilePlus report.
Thomas Fode
lives in Germany and serves as NCD Coach and Partner Relationship Manager
for NCD International |
