Next Steps Toward A New “Normal”:Dover District SLT Diagnostic Make Disciples: Transform the World! The Dover District SLT is a proactive, caring system, that provides coaching, resourcing, guiding, accountability, and partnership with the local church. SLT Vision: A proactive, caring ministry of the Dover District that provides coaching, resourcing, and guidance to churches. •

The Discipline of Why? - We must ask church leaders to ask the right questions in the right order: “Why?” precedes “Who?” which precedes “What?” which precedes “How?”

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Biblical definitions: Why is a church?________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Who Is a church?________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ What is a church?_______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ What does the church do?_________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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Qualitative Questions: Are you a Church? How do you know? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Have you established and communicated the biblical standards by which you can answer these questions? How? ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Is there any accountability to this standard for church leaders and members? How? ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Are you producing disciples? How do you know? How is this being measured and defined? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Have you developed and communicated core values and competencies for your church members? This is what a growing disciple must be, know, and do? _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Have you developed a method of teaching and given practical opportunity for these to be achieved? How?_________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you understand the answer to “Why?” and “Who?” Why are you here, right now in this place? Who are you? Who are you supposed to be? Personal (self-assessment for leaders): ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Corporate (for the congregation): ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Who is your community? _________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ What is the difference between your congregation and your community? ____________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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Quantitative Questions: Quantitative issues are usually symptoms of qualitative issues. Exceptions to this are usually external not internal. How many? How much? Past: Who has the church and community been and what has the church been doing? Past ten years of church history, statistics and activity: Present: Who are the church and community now and what is the church doing? Current programs and projects Current church demographics, interviews, surveys Current community demographics Physical observations

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Create and communicate an honest current profile based on this assessment This is why we really are:_________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ This is who we really are:_________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ This is where we really are:________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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Vision Development: Now we can address…Who should we be? What should we know? What should we do? How do you bridge your community and church?_______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How does this guide your teaching and action? Your weekly schedule? _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Must develop core competencies & ministry opportunities = Vision Development = How your church is going to contextually fulfill the Mission. What are the needed specific biblical actions in this specific place for this specific time?______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Include programming, events, budgets, personnel, etc.

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Core Competency Development: Be, Know, Do

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What does a growing disciple at your church need to… Be?___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Know?________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do?___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ UMC: Being, Knowing and Doing goals for… Prayer: Being:_________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Presence: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Service: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Gifts: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Witness: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Acts 2:42-27: Reaching Up: Worship & Prayer: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Reaching In: Discipleship & Fellowship: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Reaching Out: Evangelism and Ministry: Being:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Knowing:______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing:________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do not simply chase resources from others. Develop contextual pathways.