Healthy Adventist Churches

Imagine...

...if in every New Zealand community there was a Holy Spirit-filled church sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. That thought continues to be the picture we pray for each day as leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Aotearoa. It is also the basis for this page. This page reflects the direction that God has been leading the North New Zealand Conference towards since 2005. It is a dream of churches that are focused on God and their communities.

Firstly, we will introduce ourselves by answering the question, "Who is the North New Zealand Conference?" Secondly, we will quickly review the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of ‘church' as taught in the Bible. Thirdly, we will embark on an overview of what we mean when we say "Healthy Adventist Churches."

The final section of the page looks at how we propose to assist churches to move towards greater health and strength. Our mission is to build godly leaders who grow healthy Adventist churches that serve the world. The foundation of this strategic mission is prayer and spiritual growth.

I love God's church. I believe that local churches led by servant-leader pastors and lay leaders, are the key to taking the hope of God's love to New Zealand. I dream of churches that are healthy and growing, in worship, fellowship, spiritual maturity, service and outreach. I dream of a church that will see thousands of New Zealanders welcome Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Eddie Tupa'i
Lead Pastor

NORTH NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE

The North New Zealand Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is comprised of:

• 85 Congregations
• 13 Schools (including one high school)
• A Rural Ministry Centre (Tui Ridge Park)
• An Aged Care facility (Bethesda)
• A Resource Centre (Adventist Book Centre)

The North New Zealand Conference covers the area of the North Island of New Zealand.

The Conference members appoint an Executive Committee who is responsible for governance of the Conference ministries and administration.

The Conference Leadership:

• Mission is to Grow Healthy Adventist New Zealand Churches by Mentoring, Supporting and Resourcing Leaders
• Vision is to See a Spirit-filled body of Believers sharing Jesus in their Communities
• Focus for 2009 is Healthy Families

We praise God that we are on track to realizing our 2006 goal of seeing 60% of our total congregations healthy, growing and reproducing by 2010.

We have summarized our mission and vision into seven strategic words:

"-> (a) Building Leaders ->(b) Growing Churches ->(c) Serving the World->"

(a) Building Leaders

The first component of the conference strategy and mission is to develop godly leaders.

Mentor Pastors: We have selected three senior pastors to be mentor pastors. One is a full time mentor pastor, while the other two concurrently hold local church pastor positions at reduced levels. We plan to grow this team over the next two years.

The mentor pastors work closely with a selected number of pastors identified by the conference leadership team. Mentor pastors provide one-on-one pastoral support and church health expertise.

Pastoral Clusters: Each pastor belongs to, attends and participates in a monthly pastoral group gathering known as a ‘cluster'. Clusters provide pastors with fellowship, training and accountability. The cluster program has been running for three years. The program was overhauled this year in order to make improvements in the areas of structure, content and accountability.

Ministry Reviews: An annual ministry interview has been instituted for pastors, ministry directors and conference staff members. The two-hour meetings review the goals and events of the past year. The purpose of the review is to establish goals for the coming year, celebrate successes and to provide guidance and support. Progress is reported at monthly cluster meetings (pastors only); quarterly in a written report to the Leadership team; and, annually at the ministry review interview.

The annual ministry review process began in September 2008. The annual reviews are facilitated by, members of the NNZC Leadership team and the Ministerial Secretary.

Leadership Summit: This annual training event for local church leaders has been running for the past three years. After an evaluation process the summit has been re-designed. The new format will be presented at Tui Ridge in October 09 with a renewed focus on healthy local church leadership. To better reflect the conference vision the event is now named ‘Spirit Led'.

Institute of Church Leadership Development ICLD: Pastor Ben Timothy (Administrative Pastor/Coordinator ICLD) has been coordinating the Pastoral Clusters and the Leadership Summit through the ICLD. He has also launched an ICLD website, and will soon open the new ICLD Library and Resource Centre.

(b) Growing Churches

The second component of the conference strategy and mission is to grow healthy Adventist churches.

Spiritual Growth Ministries: One of the underpinning principles for healthy Adventist churches in the NNZC is that ‘Prayer and spiritual growth are foundational to long-term church health'.
Pastor Ed Gallagher is Spiritual Growth Pastor for NNZC. He is actively mentoring and coaching pastors and churches in the rudiments of spiritual health.

Healthy Adventist Churches Process: Churches that are developing a clear vision, growing strong spiritual leadership, have a commitment to community, and possess a passion for ministry to the ‘lost' are considered to be moving towards health.
There are three methods that are currently being employed to support churches in their journey towards optimum church health:

1. Church Mentor Process - The church works with a conference appointed mentor, who guides their church health development process.
2. Ministry Mentor Process - The church works with a ministry department mentor who guides their church health development process.
3. Lead Pastor Process - The church works with the local pastor who guides their church health development process.

(c) Serving the World

The third component of the conference strategy and mission is to serve the world.

The focus of 2010 will be to launch this phase of the strategy. It is the dream of seeing every church, small group and member sharing Jesus in their immediate, regional, national and international community. It is the hope that every church will embrace the call to go tell every kindred, nation and tongue the good news of Jesus Christ.

Creation Health

NNZC has established a strategic relationship with Creation Health.

Creation Health is based at Florida Hospital, Orlando, USA. Creation Health is a return to the Garden of Eden and a continuation of the Adventist health message legacy. It is designed to help people live life to the fullest by focusing on the eight universal principles of whole person health that God gave at Creation - Choice, Rest, Environment, Activity, Trust in God, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook and Nutrition.

NNZC has secured the exclusive use of Creation Health materials and resources.

Creation Health is supporting the North New Zealand Conference in the application of the Adventist health message to the Adventist world mission. This is, to take the gospel to all the world in this generation, through the local church.

THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination. It started in the late 1840s in the United States of Americas mid-west and has grown to a membership of over 15 million members. The church name highlights two of its distinguishing teachings, the seventh-day Sabbath and the second advent of Jesus Christ. The church is recognized as a theologically Christian denomination with ministries that are globally known and appreciated.

Below is the summary statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church belief in regards to the Biblical teaching of ‘church.'

Seventh-day Adventists Believe...

The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In continuity with people of God in Old Testament times, we are called out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the Word, for celebration of the Lord's Supper, for service to all mankind, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate Word, and from the Scriptures which are the written Word. The church is God's family; adopted by Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ himself is Head. The church the bride for whom Christ died that He muight sanctify and cleanse her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself as a glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish.

Fundamental Belief 12

The church is a community on a mission. They are to worship, fellowship, receive instruction in the Word, celebrate the Lord's Supper, serve all people and proclaim the gospel. This is what the church is to be and do.

HEALTHY ADVENTIST CHURCHES

From the very outset it has been the express desire and commitment of the North New Zealand Conference Leadership Team to ensure that the Healthy Adventist Churches initiative would fulfill two foundational values. These are that we as a Conference seek to grow churches that are distinctively Adventist and uniquely ‘Kiwi."

The Healthy Adventist Churches initiative is about churches that believe and live the Biblically founded teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The initiative is also determined to be intentionally responsive to the uniqueness of ministry in contemporary New Zealand.

Healthy Adventist Church Principles:

1. Healthy Adventist Churches equally express all five purposes of church life.
   
   These purposes as outlined in the Fundamental Belief #12 of Seventh-day Adventists. They are worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, ministry and outreach. Scripture examples of this teaching are found in Matthew 22:36-40; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47.
2. Healthy Adventist Churches understand that prayer and spiritual growth are foundational to long-term health.
   
   There is a prayer ministry that is embedded into the DNA of the church.
   
   There is a strong spiritual growth development program in place.
   
   Pastor Ed Gallagher is Spiritual Growth Pastor for NNZC. He is actively mentoring and coaching pastors and churches in the rudiments of spiritual health.
   
   Adventist churches are often strong on Biblical knowledge and information. A focus on spiritual growth moves their doctrinal strength to spiritual health and maturity.
3. The Adventist ‘Health Message' is applied to the life and mission of the church.
   
   Adventists believe that God gave the life principles and teachings of whole person health to the early Adventist church. Much of these truths are recorded in the writings of Ellen G White, a pioneer of the church.
   
   The application of these teachings to the life and ministry of the church are threefold.
   
   Firstly, there is obedience to health principles that will promote individual physical health. Secondly, there is the sharing of health principles through medical missionary work. Thirdly there is the application of these same principles to the body of Christ, the church.
   
   It is the third application that the North New Zealand Conference believes is key to the development of a Healthy Adventist Church. This is the application of the Adventist health message to the Adventist world mission of proclaiming the gospel to all nations.
4. Healthy Adventist Churches have an absolute commitment to Adventist heritage and identity.
   
   
5. Healthy Adventist Churches understand that long-lasting health requires time, persistence and resilience.
   
   Crash diets, fad diets and the like do not work in the physical health realm. Long-lasting optimum health is attained slowly and carefully. It requires determination and discipline. It requires the willingness to get up again and again.
   
   The same is true for church health. The Healthy Adventist Church initiative is not a wonder drug. It is a process that is committed to faithfulness to the gospel commission. It is also willing to be held accountable for results that are expected from someone who truly obeys the rules of healthy living.
6. Healthy Adventist Churches may not look alike.
   
   Just as the early New Testament churches differed in almost every way - size, style, language, tradition, issues... - Healthy Adventist Churches may not look alike. The focus will be health rather than growth. The Adventist beliefs will be the same, but the expression of that Adventist experience may not look the same from church to church.
7. Healthy Adventist Churches are led by healthy Adventist leaders.
   
   Movement towards health requires leadership - healthy leadership. The need for leadership cannot be understated. All throughout scripture God called forward leaders to move people from sin to salvation, from spiritual sickness to spiritual health, from disease to deliverance.
   
   The first component of the conference strategy and mission is to develop godly leaders.
   
   Pastor Ben Timothy coordinates the conference ‘Institute for Church Leadership Development'. It is based on the premise that ‘learning leaders lead.'
   
   All North New Zealand Conference Pastors are expected to be healthy leaders. They are healthy ethically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally and intellectually.
8. Healthy Adventist Churches are missional; they are outwardly focused. They are committed to effectively reaching and impacting the people whom God has called them to reach.
   
   The ultimate goal of the Healthy Adventist Church process is to successfully move a church from an inward concentration to an outward focus.
   
   The conference strategy is to move the every conference entity towards an outward focus. This process is both cyclical and sequential: build leaders - grow churches - serve the world...build leaders - grow churches - serve the world...
9. Healthy Adventist Churches (i) Pray for a vision, (ii) are clear on their direction, (iii) know their purpose, (iv) are true to their values (v) and have a plan.
   
   "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Prov. 29:18 (KJV)
   
   "I've labored to no purpose. I've spent my strength in vain and for nothing." Isa. 49:4
   
   "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step." 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NLT)
10. Healthy Adventist Churches are willing to forsake comfort for mission.
    
    Movement toward health can be summarized in one word - CHANGE!
    
    To say yes to health is to say to change. In order for a yes to be truly yes there needs to be a clear resounding no. It has been said that behind every yes are a thousand nos!
    
    What will require a ‘no', in order for your church to move towards health?

OPTIONS FOR MOVING CHURCHES TOWARDS HEALTH

Healthy Adventist Churches Process: Churches that are developing a clear vision, growing strong spiritual leadership, have a commitment to community, and possess a passion for ministry to the ‘lost' are considered to be moving towards health.

There are three methods that are currently being used in the North New Zealand Conference to support churches in their journey towards optimum church health:

1. Church Mentor Process - The church works with a conference appointed mentor, who guides their church health development process.
2. Ministry Mentor Process - The church works with a conference ministry mentor who guides their church health development process.
3. Lead Pastor Process - The church works with their local pastor who guides their church health development process.

The Conference will support whichever method the church chooses to follow. The church will be encouraged to assess and understand the value of intentionally planning for health. During the early stages the church will be encouraged to seek a high level of support from their membership.

An outline of each option follows.

CHURCH MENTOR PROCESS

1. The church undergoes a spiritual focus campaign.
   The church is encouraged to enter into a time of coming before God to seek His will for each member and for the church. This maybe in the form of a prayer focus; fasting; week of spiritual emphasis; a series of revival messages; daily devotions or small group Bible study.
2. The church completes a Church Information Survey.
   The church administration team (most commonly this is the Pastor, Church Clerk and Church Treasurer) supplies to the conference current factual information about the church from its present records. This survey seeks to take a ‘snap shot' of the current state of the church affairs.
3. The church completes a Church Perceptions Survey.
   A cross section of the church members is randomly selected by the Conference to complete a Church Perceptions Survey. This survey seeks to discover what member's perceptions are of their church's current state of life and ministry.
4. The church participates in Focus Group discussions.
   A Conference Review Team will meet with groups of church leaders to discuss perceptions and understanding that they have of their church life and ministry. These groups can include church elders, the church board and ministry teams. These discussions seek to better understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement that the church has.
5. The Conference Review Team presents recommendations to the Church.
   The Conference Review Team at the completion of the Focus Group discussions will write a Church Review Report. The report will highlight strengths that the church exhibits. It will also reflect concerns that the team noted consistently rose to the surface in the surveys and discussions. The report will then share with the church:
   
   • a list of recommendations that address the concerns with expected timeframes
   • a time period for discussion and acceptance/rejection of the report
   • a recommendation of a mentor to work with the pastor and church over a period of 24 months to address the recommendations.

MINISTRY MENTOR PROCESS

1. The church identifies a community need.
   The church identifies a strength they have that matches a community need. They request for the corresponding Conference Ministry Director (Ministry Mentor) to work with them to strengthen their ability to effectively meet the identified community need.
2. The church completes a Church Information Survey.
   The church administration team (most commonly this is the Pastor, Church Clerk and Church Treasurer) supplies to the conference current factual information about the church from its present records. This survey seeks to take a ‘snap shot' of the current state of the church affairs.
3. The church completes a Church Perceptions Survey.
   A cross section of the church members is randomly selected by the Conference to complete a Church Perceptions Survey. This survey seeks to discover what member's perceptions are of their church's current state of life and ministry.
4. The Conference Ministry Mentor presents recommendations to the Church.
   The Conference Ministry Mentor will write a Church Review Report. The report will highlight strengths that the church exhibits. The report will then share with the church:
   
   • a list of recommendations that address the concerns with expected timeframes

LEAD PASTOR PROCESS

1. The church undergoes a spiritual focus campaign.
   The church is encouraged to enter into a time of coming before God to seek His will for each member and for the church. This maybe in the form of a prayer focus; fasting; week of spiritual emphasis; a series of revival messages; daily devotions or small group Bible study.
2. The church leadership team decides to intentionally move their church towards health.
   The church leadership team decides to intentionally move their church towards health. The church informs the conference and begins to plan their strategy.
3. The church pastor reports regularly to the conference.
   The church pastor will report monthly to the conference on how the process is progressing.
4. The church participates in Focus Group discussions.
   A Conference Review Team will meet with groups of church leaders to discuss perceptions and understanding that they have of their church life and ministry. These groups can include church elders, the church board and ministry teams. These discussions seek to better understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement that the church has.
   
5. The Conference Review Team presents recommendations to the Church.
   The Conference Review Team at the completion of the Focus Group discussions will write a Church Review Report. The report will highlight strengths that the church exhibits. It will also reflect concerns that the team noted consistently rose to the surface in the surveys and discussions. The report will then share with the church:
   
   • a list of recommendations that address the concerns with expected timeframes