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| The Church Health Team (top) |
Question: |
How many people can be on the Church Health Team (CHT)?
| | Answer: | A reasonable and workable size would be between 5 and 8 people.
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Question: |
Who should be on the CHT? Specifically Parish Council members?
| | Answer: | While the work of the CHT should, from time to time, be brought before most parish councils to discuss and inform, the CHT is usually a group of people NOT on the council and perhaps even not on any other parish ministry. It is a mix of people who bring their unique gifts and talents to bear in the CHT in order to carry out and implement the ONCD Survey and implementation process during the 12-18 month cycle.
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Question: |
Does the priest have to lead the CHT?
| | Answer: | No, and he probably shouldn't! Father has enough to do, and does not need to lead the CHT - that is usually done by a layman. However, the priest is an integral and key team member of the CHT and his input and participation will be invaluable.
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Question: |
Is a CHT really needed, and if so, when - at what point - should the CHT be formed?
| | Answer: | The CHT is pivotal to accomplishing parish goals and objectives within the ONCD process and cycle. While the work of ONCD will, potentially, affect every parish group and ministry, no one parish ministry encompasses all the work the CHT will do. The CHT therefore performs an overarching role in planning, coordination and communication between all parish groups and ministries and leadership roles. It should be formed early on, preferably before the Survey is taken.
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Question: |
Who should appoint the members of the CHT? The priest, the parish council, or the coach?
| | Answer: | It should be the priest's sole perogative to appoint the members of the CHT, although he will probably welcome input from the parish council and/or other parish ministries.
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| The ONCD Process (top) |
Question: |
How long does the ONCD process take?
| | Answer: | The ONCD process can unfold over a period of time that can range from 12 to - especially in the first cycle - 18 months.
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Question: |
Does the CHT work off by themselves during this time? What interaction do they have with the rest of the parish?
| | Answer: | By no means does the CHT work alone during the ONCD cycle! They will be constantly interacting with parishioners in various group settings on multiple occasions, and other selected parishioners will participate in various planning and deliberative meetings.
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Question: |
I'm worried about my parish having low scores on the Survey. Does that mean we've failed at something?
| | Answer: | Not at all! The Survey does not measure success or failure, but rather the degree of health present in the parish in eight different areas. "Low" scores do not mean the parish (or the priest, or the council, or ministry groups, etc.) is "bad" in something, but rather that there is tremendous room for improvement in increasing parish health - and thereby the potential for growth.
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Is the ONCD process led by the CHT or, if we decide to get one, a coach?
| | Answer: | The process is most definitely led by the CHT, whether or not there is a coach. The coach comes alongside the CHT to work with them, not to lead them.
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Do we have to work on the lowest scoring Quality Characteristic (the "Minimum Factor" or MF) or can we work on some other Quality Characteristic that might be just as important to parish life?
| | Answer: | While the "biggest bang for the buck" is made in working on the parish's MF, the CHT may indeed decide to work on another Quality Characteristic instead of, or in tandem with, the MF.
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Question: |
Why can't we just copy what another successful, growing church is doing? It worked for them, right?
| | Answer: | Right, it worked for them...but it may not work for you! Parishes, as living organisms, are alike in many ways (theological DNA, for example), but different in how the Faith is incarnated in each particular community. Since every church is different in history, ethos, language, clergy, people, facilities, and a myriad of other factors, the elements and processes of a successful program in one parish might not transfer and play out to the same degree of success in another. Each parish must find their own way, and that is exactly what the ONCD process cycle helps a parish do.
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| The ONCD Survey (top) |
Question: |
How many people take the Survey?
| | Answer: | Thirty (30) - including the priest - of the parish's more/most active parishioners: those who attend regularly and lead or are involved in parish ministries.
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Question: |
I have more than 30 active parishioners, so can I make copies of the Survey and pass it out to more people?
| | Answer: | While you could do that, we don't encourage you to do so: if you return more than the 30 surveys we send you, the Survey software will will still randomly pick only 30 surveys to score.
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Question: |
Why are only 30 parishioners needed to take the Survey?
| | Answer: | The research behind NCD since 1991, research augmented by sociologists, statisticians, social scientists and the like, has determined that a statistically accurate and verifiable result can be determined from the group of 30 active parishioners. Remember, many "national" polls conducted by firms like Gallup, ABC, FoxNews and so forth, often include statistical samples of no more than several hundred people - and purports to provide a reasonable profile of the entire nation of over 300 million!
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Question: |
What if I can't come up with 30 people to take the Survey? Will I be unable to participate in the ONCD process?
| | Answer: | Even small parishes with fewer than 30 active parishioners can participate in the ONCD process and take the survey with a reasonable degree of confidence in the results. Contact us at info@oncd.us and we will be happy to discuss this with you further.
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Question: |
How long does it take to complete the Survey? Do I have to sign my name?
| | Answer: | The Orthodox NCD Survey is taken anonymously and contains 91 questions that will take between 20 and 40 minutes to complete. Most people average around 25-30 minutes.
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