February 2023

We have completed the Readiness 360 congregational survey. The overview is printed below, and greater detail is available by clicking here.

The TOS team will be attending an all-day workshop in Silver Spring this month and their next project will involve interviews in the local community. Please keep the team in your prayers.

“Congratulations for being willing to engage in a serious conversation about your readiness to reach new people in new ways! Through the Tending Our Soil program, Christ Church Durham engaged the Readiness 360 survey and consultation process. The survey many of you took assesses your church’s spiritual and practical readiness for faithful and effective ministry in the 21st century. 33 persons took the Readiness 360, a mix of staff, key leaders, and active ministry participants.

Readiness 360 assesses four critical capacities for multiplying thriving ministries: Spiritual Intensity, Dynamic Relationships, Missional Alignment, and Cultural Openness. Your church’s overall score of 290 out of 360 is just about average. Old Durham is strongest in terms of Spiritual Intensity and is most challenged in terms of Cultural Openness.

Spiritual Intensity (76%). There is some fire in people’s hearts at Old Durham, but it isn’t burning as brightly as it should. Old Durham has some work to do in strengthening the personal connection between your people and God and God’s mission for you in the world. It would be wise to spend some time reconnecting with God through renewing spiritual practices both personally and as a church body.

Dynamic Relationships (72%). In some respects, your church has seen some amazing relationships and friendships across the years. However, the DNA of these relationships is not currently indicative of the church as a whole. You have some work to do in terms of cultivating trust within the church and relating effectively to folks who are different from the majority of the members.

Missional Alignment (71%). Many folks at your church have a good sense of where God is calling you to go, but others are not aligned with this point of view. There is seldom enough personnel or financial resources to run in many directions at once. Now is a time for serious conversation about Old Durham’s priorities.

Cultural Openness (71%). On one hand, many in the church want to reach diverse people, but many in the church still have great apprehension about what this might mean in terms of changing the face of Old Durham. There may be some limitations in terms of how far the church is able to reach toward different kinds of people in the next few years. Open communication will be critical.”