Congregational analysis: A theological and ministerial approach

Abstract

The research problem concerned is: What criteria should be used when congregations are analysed? Congregations as faith communities are defi ned differently. Identifying the local congregation as a defi ned and as an empirical subject plays a major role in answering the research question. The theological points of departure taken are that any measure of a local congregation has to deal with issues such as faithfulness to the gospel and the missional identity and integrity of the congregation as a contextual faith community. The hypothesis is that theologically informed and motivated congregations can and should be analysed in the process of continuing reformation. While the fi rst article described the approach and outcome of empirical research, this article focuses mainly on understanding the church as intermediary in its ministerial role-fulfi lment. Ministries are modes by which God is coming to his own and through them to his world. Eventually a case is made for congregational analysis as a test of faithfulness to this understanding of ministry.

Practical theology: Can it really help the local congregation?

“…The St John's experience in conjunction with Nel's (2009aNel's ( , 2009b two recent papers would seem to indicate that practical theology has a vital role to play in building up the local congregation in a hoUstic manner. It provides the theoretical foundation that enables many methods and research findings to be integrated used in an analytical and strategic manner.…”

“…It follows from Nel's (2009b) observations that because of the differences between each local congregation, no one method wül work and be effective for all either in part or in total. It is the experience of the author, from 36 years in the ministry of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (UPCSA), that many ministers and church leaders are looking for the 'magic bullet'.…”

Father absence and adolescents as a challenge to youth ministry

“…Adolescents with absent or uninvolved fathers may be one of the missing parts of the whole body in local churches. The metaphor of the body of Christ expresses the importance of the corpus of members being the plan and making the plan work in unity (Nel 2009). Nel (2000) defines youth ministry as:…”

Perspectives on preaching (in building up missional churches)

“…To begin, it is necessary to briefly state my understanding of a missional church, even though I have done so recently elsewhere (Nel 2009(Nel , 2011. Since Guder et al, 'missional' is widely accepted as a new concept in and of itself, not only as a synonym for missionary, becoming the preferred term over missionary (cf.…”