Rev Bill

I haven’t linked to Todd Rhoades from Monday Morning Insight in a while, but I came across this post today where he is talking about a new book — What Is Your Church’s Personality? by Philip Douglass.

Douglass writes about 8 different Church personalities —

1. Fellowship Churches are conscientious, hardworking, orderly, and sensitive to the needs of the people in general, but especially those who are members of their church. These churches bring out the best in people by helping them work toward personally meaningful goals in an organized manner.

2. Inspirational Churches are encouraging and supportive to their people and conscientious about putting personal relationships ahead of ministry tasks. Because these churches focus on the way individuals feel, they closely monitor how people interact with one another, as well as the ways their ministry efforts impact people positively and negatively.

3. Relational Churches focus on personal connections, values, opinions, and people interactions. They actively strive to bond with one another, create harmony, and cooperate — making sure that everyone is involved and positive about the church.

4. Entrepreneurial Churches are drawn to opportunities that require them to anticipate the future and create new approaches because they see every need as an opportunity for trying something different. They regularly scan the community to find connections with people and ministries that already exist so they can become involved.

5. Strategizer Churches develop creative ideas and insights to initiate innovative transformation in the surrounding community by encouraging their people to develop their giftedness and give themselves sacrificially to ministry. These churches are willing to take time to consider the facts and new ideas in the context of past experiences to better enable them to discern the Lord’s direction for the future.

6. Organizer Churches like to solve complex problems in a methodical manner by using logical analysis to critique their ministry programs, spot flaws, and make necessary changes that complete their ministry tasks efficiently. They’re organized and competent, priding themselves in getting the most accomplished in the least time.

7. Adventurous Churches respond quickly to issues in their midst and in the community around them by being action oriented. Because they’re at their best in emergency situations, they see problems as an adventure and an opportunity for ministry.

8. Expressive Churches are friendly and outgoing in communicating their love for people as a means of motivating them to join in the fellowship. These churches like to be at the center of the action because they’re comprised of easygoing, optimistic, and considerate people who enjoy talking, laughing, and sharing their lives with newcomers.

This raises 4 questions for me:

What is your church’s personality?

What personality do you see in church’s that are growing?

Do you think the personality of your church invites growth?

Can we be change agents for God to help a church change a church’s personality — and how do we go about doing that?

(I know — that’s really 5 questions!)

So — what do you think?

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