The Eight Essentials for a
Healthy and Thriving Congregation

Small Group Study

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Nancy J. Horvath Zurn
Published by UFMCC

Introduction

Welcome to a unique new study with one purpose in mind—to help your church become a healthy and thriving congregation.

The Eight Essentials for a Healthy and Thriving Congregation is a result of my own experiences as a UFMCC pastor over the past fifteen years. Through trial and error, challenges and celebrations, these eight essentials have survived the tests of time. It is my hope that you will find them to be a blessing to your congregation.

The eight individual studies are designed to be flexible. Although you can use them in any order that seems best for your church or study group you will find that some of them reference others. It is therefore best to take them in the order they are presented. These studies are ideal for Sunday-school classes, small groups and any type of leadership training.

They are written to be studied one lesson at a time over the course of eight weeks. Each study intentionally focuses on one essential. It is suggested that participants read the material and write out their answers for the questions for reflection before coming to the study each week. During the study it will be helpful to re-read the material as a group. Once the material is read, look over the questions leaving plenty of time for everyone to share. These questions are not set up for right and wrong answers; they are set up to initiate conversation. It is my hope that this conversation will lead your church on a journey to becoming a healthy and thriving congregation.

*This study is meant to be used in conjunction with The Eight Essentials for a Healthy and Thriving Congregation: Developing a Strategy for Success to be released March 26, 2006.
 

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Resource Copyright © 2005 Nancy J. Horvath-Zurn, MDiv.
Published by UFMCC

Webpage Copyright © 2006 UFMCC