A Training Programme for Promoting Church Growth in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, New Brighton, Port Elizabeth in Terms of Schwarz’s Model of a Healthy Church

Abstract

This study is an attempt to develop a training programme for promoting church growth in the Ebenezer Baptist Church,New Brighton, Port Elizabeth based on the Schwarz model of a healthy church. Firstly, the study provides a literature review of the Church Growth Movement. This includes a historical overview and a critical evaluation of the main principles of the Church Growth Movement, as well as a summary of Healthy Church Surveys, including a review of Christian Schwarz‘s book,Natural Church Development. Secondly, the study presents the Biblical and theological foundations of church growth, including a Biblical perspective of Schwarz‘s eight characteristics of a healthy church. Thirdly, an empirical survey is conducted amongst the members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth to determine their perceptionsregarding the main obstacles to church growthin theirchurch, based on Schwarz‘s eight ―Quality Characteristics‖of a healthy church. Finally, basedon the research findings, a training programme is developed for promoting church growth in the Ebenezer Baptist Church based on the Schwarz‘s model of a healthy church.

This study is an attempt to develop a training programme for promoting church growth in the Ebenezer Baptist Church,New Brighton, Port Elizabeth based on the Schwarz model of a healthy church. Firstly, the study provides a literature review of the Church Growth Movement. This includes a historical overview and a critical evaluation of the main principles of the Church Growth Movement, as well as a summary of Healthy Church Surveys, including a review of Christian Schwarz‘s book,Natural Church Development. Secondly, the study presents the Biblical and theological foundations of church growth, including a Biblical perspective of Schwarz‘s eight characteristics of a healthy church. Thirdly, an empirical survey is conducted amongst the members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth to determine their perceptionsregarding the main obstacles to church growthin theirchurch, based on Schwarz‘s eight ―Quality Characteristics‖of a healthy church. Finally, basedon the research findings, a training programme is developed for promoting church growth in the Ebenezer Baptist Church based on the Schwarz‘s model of a healthy church.