How a Denomination Benefits from NCD Insights

Dave Wetzler

What is the practical value of NCD Insights from a denominational point of view? An interview with Dale Cohen, Director of Congregational Development in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Dave Wetzler: How are you using NCD Insights?

Dale Cohen: In our conference we are using NCD Insights as a way of fine-tuning the three key reasons why a church's minimum factor is their minimum factor. Once a church has worked through focus groups and they narrow down their key reasons to five to seven reasons, we introduce the NCD Insights Report and focus on the five highest categories and the five lowest categories for digging deeper into the potential reasons behind the minimum factor. NCD Insights helps us narrow it down to the three key reasons.

Wetzler: Do you use NCD Insights in conjunction with the CoachNet Evaluation Questions?

Cohen: We use the CoachNet Evaluation Questions around all four Insights categories in the minimum factor area and then use the questions tied with the five lowest Insights categories as a framework for discussion to assist in narrowing down to three key reasons. Then we re-visit these questions as we begin work on the action plan.

Wetzler: How do the leaders respond to the interactive, self-discovery process of identifying their 3-5 causal issues for their minimum factor?

Cohen: Again, we begin with the focus groups as a way of gathering information that will be compiled by the Church Health Team to begin to list the three key reasons behind the minimum factor. In most churches, there is a spirit of respect for this step as people understand how important it is to listen to people in the congregation who can help identify these reasons. The five lowest Insights categories is then introduced once the focus group results have been processed and people on the Church Health Team seem to appreciate the way the Insights report can bring an even narrower focus to the key reasons.

Wetzler: Do you see leaders "owning" the problems that must be addressed? Are you encountering a lot of resistance or denial?

Cohen: For the most part, leaders are willing to take responsibility for the problems that are identified. Most of our churches have been plateaued or in decline for so long that they are looking for a solution. As hard as it is in the beginning, they eventually get around to naming the elephant in the room and begin to address it.

Wetzler: What do you see as the strengths of this product?

Cohen: I love the Insights report because, although we have few churches that have done enough surveys for a meaningful comparison, the potential of being able to track minute changes in each of the eight quality characteristics and in the individual Insights categories is a powerful way of looking "into" what's really going on in the church. This objective vantage point is priceless because whenever people tell me the results are wrong, my standard reply is that the only way the results could be wrong is if they lied when they filled out the survey!

Wetzler: Do you have suggestions for others on how to utilize the NCD Insights tool more effectively?

Cohen: Don't share the results of the Insights report until the church has had an opportunity to process through focus groups. I really see the value of this as a means of sharpening the focus from what is uncovered in the focus groups.

Wetzler: Do you have suggestions on how the tool could be improved?

Cohen: I've yet to exhaust its usefulness as it is so I haven't thought about potential changes.

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For more information on NCD Insights:

• What is NCD Insights? (process, sample report, evaluation questions, focus group worksheet)
• Walking through the NCD Insights Process (Case Study)

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The interview was conducted by Dave Wetzler, NCD's National Partner in the United States of America.