The clergy of Bunbury Diocese spent time at their recent Conference (16-18 Nov.) in learning about Natural Church Development, with training given by Ralph Bowles from Brisbane Diocese. Along with Tasmania and Brisbane, this now makes 3 Australian Dioceses that are taking NCD seriously at a Diocesan level for church mission and development.

10 Brisbane Diocese parishes have now joined the new NCD project, and there have been expressions of interest from over twice that many. The target number is 30 parishes, and this seems likely to be met and probably exceeded.

I am now working as NCD Project Officer at the Parishes and Other Mission Agencies Commission at Milton in Brisbane. My main job at present is to convey information about NCD to church leadership teams. But the coaching part is continuing and slowly expanding! You can phone me on 07 3514 7434 or 0429 565 856, or email m (ncd_pmc@anglicanbrisbane.org.au).

Some news of interest to Anglicans using NCD in Australia: the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane has launched an NCD Project, aimed at taking a group of parishes (target number of 30) through 3 full NCD cycles over 4 years with coaching. The project has just started (6 July 2009).

I have been appointed as the NCD Project Officer for this work - and already parishes are enrolling in the journey to healthier, more fruitful church life in God's ways.

I am available to talk with you about NCD and your church or Diocese. My office is at the PMC (Parishes and other Mission agencies Commission), 07 3514434; mobile 0429 565 856; ncd_pmc@anglicanbrisbane.org.au.

Ralph Bowles

The current average Australian Anglican NCD Minimum Factor in church health is PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY (at 43.5). Looking deeper into this low area, we find that the weakest link within PS is the issue of faith and expectation (scoring only 40.5): "I firmly believe that God will work even more powerfully in our church in the coming years."

The other bad news about this issue is that unlike other aspects of PS, it doesn't shift at all in the average of the first 3 NCD cycles. We are up against something that is cultural and embedded in our churches.

Anglicans, we have a problem with faith and hope in God. What might be causing this weakness in Anglican parishes?

• It may be disappointment with the church.
• Does our Anglican preference for formal worship and controlled prayer lead to the quenching of the Holy Spirit?
• Anglicans are proverbial for disliking change - perhaps we don't want even God to do new things, let alone the Rector or Parish Council.
• If our spirituality is always safe  with little "faith" risks, we may not see God work when we have to trust him. How can Anglicans learn to live by faith?
• What is lacking in the practical theology of prayer taught in our churches?
• Are people seeing God's answers to prayers?
• We are probably not seeing the fruits of evangelism in our churches.

My initial hunch is that the deficiency is in our experience of the power of the Holy Spirit, who is after all, the Spirit of prayer, of mission, the giver of faith and hope. The great Anglican missionary Roland Allen knew what made the early church so powerful and confident in God: " They were invited to enter the society in which the Spirit manifested Himself and in which they would share in the communication of his life." (Missionary Methods, St Paul's or Ours?)

Let's start a conversation together about how Anglicans can grow in faith and hope in God.