Bright as Day

This post comes from Logan Imber, a recent Ashland University grad. Logan is currently serving as a missionary with YWAM in Germany. You can read Logan's writing here


Have you ever wondered what God thinks or feels when he looks at you? We live each day, many of us simply by trial and error, hoping we don’t mess anything up too badly. The phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” comes to mind, and many of us jokingly say it while we are secretly crying inside because we often are faking it – but we certainly don’t feel like we are making it. Have you ever wondered why this happens so easily, why believers and non-believers alike have this common posture of uncertainty in their daily lives? In the spirit of a theology teacher and pastor that has greatly influenced my worldview, I would like to submit a thought to you: humans are inherently very good.


For some, this may seem like an unimportant, neutral statement or you may even agree with me; for others, this may seem like blasphemy, and you may be tempted to stop reading here, but please don’t. Consider my thoughts, as I promise I didn’t come to this conclusion without prayer and consideration of Biblical texts. Even if you don’t agree with the resulting theology, hopefully, this can be a reminder of how loved you are and how powerless Satan is in the loving face of Jesus Christ. I will level with you; this (whatever-it-is) is coming from a white, female, Christian, middle-class perspective. I have had hardships of my own, I try to educate myself and listen to others who think differently than me, but I am human and so cannot escape all bias. However, this is a phenomenal concept that has changed my worldview in the past few years. It felt much like the growing pains we all experience as children; obviously painful, but once you’ve grown long enough, you have a whole new perspective. Sitting through those long nights, with your bones aching while your parent tries to soothe the pain in whatever way possible; but it’s inevitable, necessary and can’t be prevented. You wake up one day, and suddenly you’re taller, your arms are longer, and you can do things you were never able to before. A shift in perspective is much like that experience, painful but productive.

A shift in perspective is much like that experience, painful but productive.

I think as humans we will always be experiencing some “spiritual growing pains,” if you will. Some may try to stifle it while others embrace it, but it comes whether or not we acknowledge and live into it’s potential. My growing pains became astutely noticeable around my sophomore year of college, during an extremely difficult religion course about the theology of atonement, which, boiled down means the study of what happened when Jesus died on the cross.


I had already been questioning a lot of things about religion and God. During a retreat the previous year, I fell to my knees sobbing as I watched “The Passion of the Christ.” Those people probably thought I was crazy – I was a slobbering, blubbering mess – but I couldn’t help it. It’s nearly impossible to deny Jesus at the very least as a historical figure that existed, even for non-Christian philosophers and scholars. Therefore, to see any person – let alone Love incarnate – endure such torture and pain was too much for me, especially this being a man known for his love and acceptance of all who walked into his life. While many people fawn and coo and praise over this idea of atonement – as of course I always did in the past – I began to become a little angry; a lot angry. I thought, “what kind of good, loving God let’s such a wonderful, innocent being experience such undeserved pain?” For the first time in my life, the two things didn’t seem to fit together: requiring the murder of an innocent man and the loving Creator of all things. The ideas seemed contradictory, and because of that, my whole world began to fall apart – and thus began the growing pains.


I drifted from those I was closest to at the time, and my questions weren’t exactly welcome; in fact, they were seen as red flags, as a sign that I was somehow becoming less ‘holy’ or less ‘Christian’ or less of something. I’ll tell you how that makes a person feel: not good, dirty and worthless. Feeling worthless is an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, but everyone probably has or will go through it at some point. My particular experience began with not feeling heard. I would wager that many experiences of worthlessness begin with someone not feeling like they are being listened to, but that is a subject for another time. The subject of atonement and my conclusions with that are for another time as well, but it is because of that struggle that I discovered something. I’d heard enough of what humans thought about humans, so I began to explore what God thought about humans. I wanted to know if I was doomed to this self-deprecation disguised as humility and if that was what Jesus meant when he asked his disciples to die to self. “Is there more to our story than whipping our backs for sins we aren’t even sure we committed?” I wondered.

“Is there more to our story than whipping our own backs for sins we aren’t even sure we committed?”

So, I prayed. I prayed, cried, lamented, yelled, and sometimes physically slammed my fists on the ground beneath me as I wept. In the midst of this, I heard something say,


“Go back to the beginning.” It was then I found myself reading the first few chapters of Genesis – the literal beginning of all things. There, the seed of the answer already planted within me began to break open through the dirt of my dry soul.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it […] God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Gen. 1:27-28,31

Within the first chapter of Genesis, God uses the phrase “…and it was good” five times until the creation of humans when he finally says, “…it is very good.” (v. 1:31). This is the first of infinite clues to the condition in which God created humanity: God who is holy, powerful, and made of pure Light – at the epitome of creation, the climax of the symphony of all existence decided to create…us. Humans.


The first chapter of any book or work is often used to set up the rest of the story, to set the tone, scenery, introduce characters and give us the proper context within which to read the coming tale. If this is within the first chapter of arguably the most influential religious text of all time, there is a strong case to say that God thinks humans are good – very good. Not only that, but it is actually of the utmost importance to God that we are living our lives through a lens which sees we are born of greatness, of love, and of pure light. Even after the third chapter, when humans are sent out of paradise for sinning, God never reneges his statement – that humans are very good. Does he say there will be consequences for our actions? Of course, this is true, and this can be seen in our daily lives. The commandments given by God are more than an annoying parent trying to take away all the fun; in their truest form, the commandments serve the purpose of keeping us in alignment with God the same way a parent-child relationship is aligned when both are healthy individuals making the healthiest choices for each other and themselves. Therefore, sin is the breaking that parent-child bond, not because God is so disgusted with us but because of how much God cares and wants what’s best for us.


So you see, goodness is quite literally within the DNA of all humanity – despite that we are so easily tempted into the darkness, some more easily or often than others. It is impossible to deny the existence of sin and brokenness in our lives, as stated earlier; we witness the consequences of others and our actions every day. However, being surrounded by darkness is very different than being filled with it. Isn’t that the lie that Satan wishes us to buy into? That certain people are too far-gone that our souls are tinged with dark, sticky ichor that can only be cleansed from our sinful veins when we die? The Old Testament Genesis story tells we are good, and even after we mess up, the New Testament says through Jesus we are new creations and holy, living sacrifices; no longer slaves but friends of God and co-creators with him. The opposing perspective keeps us from serving people on the margins of society, reaching out to people in darkness and may even prevent us from loving ourselves in a way that gives us freedom in the Spirit that God has always intended for us. No statement or image of our irrevocable darkness comes from the Lord that created us; in fact, I see more biblical and experiential proof that he created us as beings of light.



Our mission, should we choose to accept it: look to the Light without (God), accept the light within (Holy spirit) and help others with their growing pains (like Jesus did), so that they may also be able to accept the Goodness and Love with which they were first created. In summary: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself (don’t forget that last bit). In a world full of darkness, remember whom you came from; remember the light that has been planted within you from the beginning of time and know that the darkness has no choice but to flee from it.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
Psalm 139:7-12 

Midwest Pastors Gathering

By Miles Larson • 08 May, 2024
On April 9th, over 20 pastors gathered at North Manchester for a time of encouragement and dialogue about their local ministries in their local Brethren churches. The day started with some simple and intimate worship led by Tom Schiefer, who reminded us that God can hear all of our prayers at once, which is a common way for people in other cultures to pray. Miles Larson then led those gathered through a time of celebrating one another, reminding us that we have a responsibility to encourage one another in the hard work of ministry, both with urgency and consistency, as the writer of Hebrews shares. Before moving into a time of identifying some of the significant local challenges we are all facing, elders shared a meal and discussed resources, books, and other tools that we use to inform our ministry, how we’re continuing our education, and staying committed to sharpening ourselves in ministry. In the final part of the meeting, Steven Cole gave an update on several efforts of The Brethren Church on the national level and many ministry developments to celebrate. Following that, about half of the pastors gathered went to golf on a beautiful spring day in Indiana. Our time together was encouraging and refreshing. There is much to celebrate in the continued efforts of The Brethren Church in the Midwest!

Northeast Missions & Ministry Day

By Miles Larson • 08 May, 2024
On April 20th, over 25 pastors, leaders, and families journeyed through the picturesque countryside of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, to spend a day of shared experiences, fellowship, prayer, and worship at Raystown Brethren Church. This event marked the Northeast Region’s fourth Missions & Ministry Day, and it was a powerful day for all involved. After a welcome time of coffee and donuts, the parade of awe-inspiring ministries began. Al Chamberlain, pastor of Raystown Brethren Church, started with a devotional word to remind us of the importance of having a vision and trusting God’s voice when we hear from him. Following that, Bryan Miller from Valley Brethren Church talked about how the “Seeds to Harvest” funds that the Northeast has made available to support the starting of new ministries are already proving fruitful in their community. The archery ministry that was started at Valley is blessing the children and adults in the community in surprising and powerful ways. Miles Larson, Director of Pastoral and Congregational Vitality, shared some of the exciting things coming out of the vitality office nationally, including the partnership with web company Postmodern Pulpit, the Brethren Pastors’ Orientation in June, the Certificate in Pastoring Transitions that will launch in September with Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS), and more. After that, Ben Frank, pastor of New Hope Church in State College, told stories of changed lives from their ongoing prayer ministry on Penn State’s campus and how a simple, consistent commitment to obediently position ourselves for service can bring transformation to desperate people. Scott Soden, Global Partners Coordinator, shared about his incredible 24-day trip around the world, traveling to the Philippines and South Africa. During the trip, he and several other Brethren Elders and pastors were able to gather, fellowship, and even ordain the first group of Brethren Elders ever in South Africa. He also unpacked some of the excitement about the new vision statement and how this is already shaping the future of The Brethren Church. Finally, TJ McLaughlin, Northeast Regional Resource Coordinator, and Richard Ringler, Director of Camp Peniel, rounded out our time with some camp updates and regional discussions specific to the Northeast. Perhaps most powerful was the time of worship and prayer after lunch. The Holy Spirit was heavy with the people gathered there as they sang and prayed. The Northeast Region Mission & Ministry Day is just one of the regularly scheduled opportunities people in the Northeast have to gather and fellowship in celebration and support of the works to which God is calling his people.

Camp Bethany "Tent Campers" Gather

By Lynn Mercer • 01 May, 2024
On Saturday, April 20th, beautiful Camp Bethany hosted a reunion of campers who slept there in the tents in Camp Bethany's earliest years! Those in attendance camped way back in 1959, the very first year that Camp Bethany hosted overnight campers. Some of the tent campers were ‘there’ via Zoom! Many brought in photos and other memorabilia from their camping days to share. Everyone had an opportunity to share their name, what Brethren Church they attended when they were campers, and a memory. Of course, much more was shared, tears were shed, and God received all the glory! Reflecting on the day, here’s a text from one of those who attended: “I can’t stop thinking about Saturday and just what a wonderful time I had. It was so very special in every way. . . . When I saw the invitation, . . . I had no idea what a wonderful time was in store for all of us; so many warm memories.” Sherry (Barnhart) Van Duyne and Sherry (Shannon) Fabian led us in singing some of the old camp songs! We remembered the Camp Bethany cooks and enjoyed a delicious lunch made by Paula Strickland. The names of many of those who volunteered as Camp Staff were mentioned. Ken VanDuyne gave a very interesting and informative presentation about Camp Bethany's early history, showing us pictures of the Camp in its earliest days! Following that, the Camp Board provided information about the many ways to support Camp Bethany, including IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, wills or bequests, retirement plans, investment accounts, life insurance, and more. Kenton VanDuyne, Camp Director, served as photographer for the day. We want to acknowledge that the Camp Bethany Board members & the North Central Region Leadership Team of The Brethren Church cooperated together to sponsor this event, and we extend a heartfelt thank you to both Camp Bethany and the North Central RLT. If you have questions, please get in touch with me, Lynn Mercer, who thoroughly enjoyed planning this Reunion (937-441-9771 or class_of73@yahoo.com ). We thank God for bringing each one of us to Camp Bethany when we were younger & we thank God for bringing us together for a great day of celebration! As a promotional article stated prior to the camp's dedication in 1959, “(This is) an ideal place to worship God. . . . We can rest assured that many will find Christ as Savior here.” True! True! True! Lynn Mercer Pastor, First Brethren Church of West Alexandria (OH) North Central Regional Leadership Team

Skilled Brethren Community-Builders

By Stephen Longenecker • 01 May, 2024
Brethren excel at community. Traditionally, Brethren emphasized a tight-knit community as an alternative to the corrupt world. During Threefold Communion, or Love Feast, the height of the Brethren church year, members demonstrated their commitment to the faith community, especially through feetwashing. The early Brethren were an intense, intimate community. The old Brethren, however, did little to enhance community in the larger society, which they considered soaked in sin and best avoided. They even steered clear of the temperance and abolition movements although they philosophically agreed with them. But later generations of Brethren became more active in the world. The branch of the German Baptists that evolved into The Brethren Church pushed the Dunker envelope on contributing to the global community, especially through temperance, mission, and, later, disaster relief. Enhancing the larger community became part of the faith journey. Thus, the old Brethren built community from within, and newer Brethren added an outward, activist perspective. Combining the two gives Brethren a special talent for community-building. Contemporary society needs the Brethren sense of community. The strains on our social fabric are painfully obvious. Pessimism, for example, has often become the default response, especially among young people. They are gloomy about their future, think that society is stacked against them, and consider success increasingly unattainable, often because outside forces suppress their aspirations. They feel alone, and whatever community they recognize, they consider hostile. From another perspective, we have become a society of angry, aggrieved minorities. Almost everybody, even many white people, regard themselves as a member of an oppressed subgroup. Some define Americanism so narrowly that they exclude numerous groups, while others come close to rejecting the concept completely. Surely, many minorities have legitimate concerns, but a countervailing commitment to American society has all but disappeared. On and on. Everybody has their favorite instances of an unraveling society. I hesitate to offer more examples, for surely almost every one will offend someone. The challenge, then, is to bring the Brethren sense of community to the larger society. True, we cannot change the world by ourselves, but normally that is a positive. When powerful individuals send seismic shocks through society, it’s usually bad -see Vladimir Putin. The call, then, is not for individual Brethren to single-handedly change the social trajectory but to keep their little corner of it clean and orderly. Do what we can in our own way. A friend has been organizing Sunday afternoon community programs at a public library for over ten years. She reasons that “if I can get my neighbors together once a month to talk and enjoy a program together, maybe it will help us see our community and neighbors as ‘people of value.’” Recently, a prominent liberal pundit (Mara Liasson) and a well-known conservative (Jonah Goldberg) appeared shoulder-to-shoulder at my home institution, Bridgewater College, to make the point that we can disagree with civility. But rather than supply quick suggestions, let me challenge Brethren to develop their own strategies. Pastors, give your congregants a list of concrete steps they can take to heal our society. Along with basic theology be specific. No bromides. We may not get Congress to work, but we can brighten the corner where we are. In sum, society needs us. Admittedly, the inward-looking old Brethren are a poor blueprint for ministering to the world, but their skilled community-building nevertheless inspires us. They treated all within the fellowship with love, respect, and equanimity. Later generations more aggressively applied this to the larger society. Hence, with a deep tradition—first inward, then outward—Brethren know community. May we share it with a world that needs us. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA).

A New Library Developed in Pucusana, Peru

By Scott Soden • 01 May, 2024
Last Christmas, Your partners in Pucusana, Peru, began working on a new project that would not only update the building but also add more opportunities for children and their parents in the surrounding areas to work on their education and discover a love for reading and exploration. Thanks to an investment on your behalf, the library has been completely renovated and updated with new shelves, tables, desks, and more books. This Christmas gift for the community will impact not only families today but also families yet to be a part of this incredible ministry. Elena, Isaac, Alli, and Topher are thrilled to offer the library as a resource for children. While the kids are busy discovering all new worlds in the pages of so many new books, their parents are discovering better parenting strategies in specialized classes and learning to cook as Isaac takes groups of adults through the basics and beyond. These small things create real impact and transformation, bringing hope and love throughout the region. Your donations to the Brethren Church and Brethren Global Partners continue to have the real-world effects seen and felt for the kingdom each and every day! Thank you for making this happen! Please continue to pray for your partners in Pucusana and around the world! Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Philippine Brethren Launch New Church in Caypombo

By Scott Soden • 24 Apr, 2024
Praise God for all the fantastic blessings he pours down on his people! Sunday, March 24 th, marks a significant day of praise and celebration as the Brethren Church in the Philippines officially launched a brand new church plant in the community of Caypombo! Pastors Rolly and Efren both set up new leadership in their previous churches so they could concentrate on this rapidly growing community. In fact, the church launched in Pastor Rolly’s own covered garage area. The opening day began with the inaugural message by The Brethren Church in the Philippines Executive Director, Gary Castro. It was punctuated by tons of praise, laughter, and joy as families gathered to participate in this new ministry! Our new church is not just a building but a community filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The people and the community are being transformed, and it's not hard to imagine that they will quickly outgrow their current location. Let us all pray that the spirit continues to use them to impact the lives of the community for Christ in miraculous ways!  By Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Season of Lent and Easter Lead to Baptisms in India

By Scott Soden • 17 Apr, 2024
Easter is such a critical time for the church. Not only do we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus for our sins, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to share our faith with the world around us. In India, the season of Lent begins a 40-day period of significant prayer and fasting, during which many lift the needs of their neighbors, friends, and the world before the throne of grace. Each morning, groups of men and women come to churches throughout the region to pray and hear the word proclaimed. Lent is a serious time for your brothers and sisters, too. They pray for you and lift you in prayer as well. Each year during this season, many are convinced that Jesus is Lord and make a significant decision for themselves that will have profound implications here on earth and in eternity. This is especially important to note because once a Hindu chooses to profess faith in God and God alone through Jesus, his son, they take all other idols out of home and heart. This can lead to shunning, persecution, and even death, especially when their statement of faith is followed by entering into the waters of baptism. A decision to follow Jesus is never taken lightly. This year, we have the profound joy of announcing that at least 21 new brothers and sisters have joined the family! On Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, the services of your partners at the churches in Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam, India, served not only as a call to the world that Jesus Christ is King but also marked that fact with baptisms. Hallelujah! Praise God! Please keep your partners in India in prayer as they continue to serve the Lord with unwavering dedication and perseverance. They are witnessing lives being transformed daily through the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit. Despite the high levels of persecution in the country, their spirit remains unquenched, serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration for us all. By Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Southeast Region Gathers at Maurertown Brethren

By Gail Heiston • 17 Apr, 2024
On Saturday, April 13th, Brethren from across the Southeast Region, representing Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, gathered for the Southeast Region Annual Meeting. This year, the meeting was hosted by Maurertown Brethren Church of Maurertown, Virginia. Approximately seventy people were in attendance for a day of worship, teaching, fellowship, and service.  Our morning began with corporate worship and messages from Steven Cole, Executive Director of the Brethren Church; Gail Heiston, Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator, and Pat Gravatt, Chair of the Southeast Regional Leadership Team. Scott Soden and Miles Larson sent video updates on Brethren Global Partners and Brethren Church Vitality, respectively. Everence spoke of the partnership and opportunities for congregations, and Nate Riddle from Mt. Olive Brethren Church invited others to participate in a mission trip to Riverside, Kentucky, this coming June. After lunch, various breakout sessions were held. The sessions focused on regional networking and collaboration, church health, and church planting with the GSE (Gatherer-Shepherd-Elder) principles of Vision USA. This year, for the first time in many years, we invited our youth to attend. They were certainly busy, decorating cookies for our lunch, hosting a Jesus-themed egg hunt, and even undertaking a service project. The project was to package cake supplies and a card to be taken to local churches to be distributed to those in need in their local communities. Some of the youth spoke at the end of the day and did a wonderful job sharing about their morning. We appreciate those who attended for the morning; it was great seeing each and every one of you and those who came to share. And thank you to Maurertown Brethren Church for their warm welcome, generous hospitality, and delicious lunch. Gail Heiston Pastor, Bethlehem Brethren Church Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator

Bethlehem Brethren Celebrates Easter, New Members, and Baptisms

By Gail Heiston • 17 Apr, 2024
March and April were truly months of celebration for Bethlehem Brethren Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. As our family grows at Bethlehem, we had the joy of celebrating Easter together, both longstanding members of our church as well as new families we've been blessed to have added recently. Resurrection Sunday was filled with flowers and singing from our Bethlehem Kids. God's message of His death, burial, and resurrection over 2000 years ago resonated with us, reminding us of His continued work in our midst today. We were blessed to celebrate two baptisms in March! Praise God! What a moment of joy to welcome these souls to God's family! Thanks to the portable baptismal provided by the region for our regional churches, we were able to baptize in the church. Ten people were received into membership the following Sunday, and two Sundays ago we received three more people into membership! Three young boys were dedicated to the Lord in March as well. The week before Easter, we held an egg hunt and breakfast. Most of those attending were from our surrounding community. We had a packed house for breakfast, and the egg hunt (which we had to move indoors due to the weather) was a success as those children collected over 640 eggs in about ten minutes! We are grateful to God for how He is moving in our midst and look forward to what He has in the future! Gail Heiston Pastor, Bethlehem Brethren Church Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator

Everyone Needs a Good Doctor - Even a Church!

By Dan Acker • 09 Apr, 2024
I have a friend who says that every person needs to have a good barber/hairdresser and a good mechanic. Let me expand that advice to also include a good doctor. I thought about this piece of advice after having recently attended the Natural Church Development (NCD) training in Orlando, Florida. Finding a doctor is not fun. After all, who enjoys having to endure the tedious repetition of going from one doctor’s office to another, trying to find a doctor that is right for you? Answer: No One! And when you do find a doctor, it is often not a rip-roaring good time to go! However, it is necessary for our health and longevity. We need someone in our lives to share with us what we are doing well and what we could improve. Even if we are healthy, an occasional check-up is still a good thing. I believe this is also good for a local church to do. The local church needs a way to assess what it is doing well and what it could improve. Like people, churches can struggle with being healthy. As one author observed, “People do not drift towards holiness, and churches do not drift towards good health.” While there are certainly many church assessments to choose from, I want to share with you some compelling reasons why I believe Natural Church Development is a valuable tool for your church's health assessment. It is used extensively. NCD has been around for over 20 years and has been used in over 70,000 churches on six continents in 84 countries. Put simply: That’s a lot of churches in a lot of places! That means NCD has a track record and extensive data by which to effectively measure church health with a great deal of accuracy and reliability. It measures church health, not church growth. It is easy to equate church growth with church health, and along with it, assumptions such as if your church is growing you must be healthy, and if you're not growing, then you must not be healthy. NCD does not focus on church growth measurements but health measurements. Think of it like health vitals for the church. Here are the vitals the NCD measures: ● Empowering leadership: How well does church leadership empower others to become all that God wants them to be? ● Gift-based ministry: How well are people matched with their gifts to ministries in which they can use their gifts? ● Passionate spirituality: How well are people's faith actually lived out with commitment, fire and enthusiasm? ● Effective structures: How effective is the way your church is structured at achieving your church’s purpose? ● Inspiring worship service: Is the worship service an inspiring experience for those who attend? ● Holistic small groups: How well are people involved in groups where the Bible is studied and applied to everyday situations? ● Need-oriented evangelism: How well does your church identify and help meet the needs of pre-Christians? ● Loving relationships: How well do people in your church practically love one another? It is more than an assessment. Yes, the NCD is known most notably as a tool to measure church health, but it also offers much more. In addition to the church health assessment, Natural Church Development digs deeper into many of the eight factors described above. The NCD offers such things as a spiritual gift assessment, leadership assessment and practical ideas and ways to incorporate each factor into your church. My church has used it. What good would a recommendation be if my church didn’t use the NCD. My church has used the NCD assessment several times, and each time we have found it helpful in assessing our church health, including areas where we need to improve and areas where we are doing well. Recently, we have decided to utilize NCD more fully in helping us achieve our purpose. As I shared at the beginning, we all need a good doctor, and so does the church. It’s not always fun to see a doctor but it is oh so necessary for our health. We often find a doctor on the recommendation of a friend or family member. So, as a fellow church leader and co-laborer, let me recommend Natural Church Development. No doctor is perfect and neither is the NCD. However, I believe the NCD is a great option to help measure the health of your church!
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