CHAPTER SIX EVALUATION OF THE ACTIVE PROJECTS

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CHAPTER SIX

EVALUATION OF THE ACTIVE PROJECTS

The Methodology of Evaluation

Evaluation by Community and Congregation Leaders

This project proclaims, “Mission can promote social transformation.” There are three practical projects, those mentioned in Chapter Five, that have been developed in order to realize this theological statement. Those three practical projects are: 1.) The New Paradigm ERMI of Taiwan Rural Cooperative Mission to Empower the Regional Congregations, 2.) The Church Redevelopment Program (CRP) to Empower the Local Churches, and 3.) The Human Growth and Development Program to Empower the People.

These three practical projects had different terms of practice in different areas or churches. They also had different effects and results. Furthermore, those practical churches or areas involved were also affected by these projects. In order to evaluate the effects of the practical projects, we have interviewed the community and congregational leaders. Those leaders include the clergy, laypersons, and community leaders. We integrated their opinions into four categories: 1.) The Feasibility of the Project, 2.) Defects and Blind Spots of the Project, 3.) Difficulties of encountered in the implementation of the Project, and 4.) Theological Reflection and New Insight.

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Questionnaire and Interviews

Interview of the Erlin Rural Mission Institute Project

This questionnaire was done by interview. Those who were interviewed were mainly the clergy, church leaders, and laypersons of ERMI. Others were members of the evangelism committee of Chang-Hua Presbytery and PCT General Assembly. The questionnaire asked the following:

(1). What do you think about joining the programs of ERMI? Does it help your ministry and church? What kind of help is it? Why and how? Please describe your perspectives and ideas.

(2). Were there any changes and transformations after you joined ERMI? What kind? Why and how?

(3). What was the image of Erlin district you had, before the ERMI was set up?

(4). What is the most important meaning or significance of setting up ERMI? Why and what?

(5). What is the most important deficiency or weakness about the project in your mind, especially during the process of setting up ERMI?

(6). Where or what was the most resistance you think that occurred during the process of setting up ERMI?

(7). What kind of ministries and help do you expect that ERMI can offer the local churches?

(8). What is your expectation for ERMI in the future (the next 5-10 years)?

(9). What kinds of suggestion do you have for ERMI?

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Questionnaire of the church redevelopment training project (CRP)

This questionnaire was done by the interview. Those who were interviewed were the attendants of CRP conference. Ninty-seven copies of the first questionnaires were sent out with a rate of return of 55 or 57%, which is quite good for a survey mailing of this kind. Seventy-nine copies of the second questionnaires were sent out, with a rate of return of 59 or 74%, which is outstanding. The questionnaire asked the following:

 Do you think CRP can help your ministry or church?

 Is it possible for you to promote “the Church Redevelopment Project” in your own community?

 How much expectation do you have after the CRP conference? How much effect do you think CRP will realize in your community?

 What kind of difficulty do you anticipate when your congregation promotes CRP in the future? What causes the most resistance when people promote CRP?

 What is the most difficult task in realizing the goals of CRP?

 What kinds of suggestions can you offer to the CRP training committee?

 Is there any concrete or specific planning for you to do in the near future when you return to your community?

Interviews evaluating of the human growth and development program

We evaluated various types of Project III “Promote the Life Education Program and the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program,” using interview, because there are many different kinds of Life-Education in it. They include,

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“Life Education in Elementary School,” “Champion in Junior High School,” “Growth Camps in the Community,” “Sustainable Human Development for Foreign Marriage Families,” “Nursery Program for Children of Single Parent Family after School,” “Training Program and Shelter Factory,” and “Training Programs of Taiwan Urban Rural Mission.”

It should be noted that there are not many Taiwanese churches partaking in the ministry of Life-Education. So it will not be as helpful for our evaluation to be done by the questionnaire. Therefore, we decided to evaluate Project III by interview. And the persons who accepted our invitation to be interviewed were those who partaken in the Life-Education programs before, the members of ERMI, and some scholars who were members promoting Life-Education in Taiwan. The interview questions asked were as follows:

(1). Does your church promote Life-Education or sustainable education now? What kinds are they?

(2). What kind of influence or results do you observe, when your church promotes Life-Education or sustainable education? Why and How?

(3). Is it important for the church to promote Life-Education or sustainable education? Does it help the people, especially those people who live in the rural area? Why and How?

(4). Do you think it is meaningful and important for the church to promote Life-Education or Sustainable Education for the people? Why?

(5). What is the greatest difficulty or obstacle that the church faces in promoting Life-Education or Sustainable Education? Why? What is your experience?

(6). Is it important for the people to have the sustainable education program?

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Why and how?

(7). What kind of needs do you see in your community that could be addressed by Life-Education and Sustainable Education?

(8). What are your suggestions for Life-Education and Sustainable Education?

Evaluation By Community and Congregation Leaders

Evaluation of the New Paradigm of Taiwan Rural Cooperative Mission—ERMI

The feasibility of the project

a. All the churches of ERMI approve the feasibility of ERMI project. There are eleven churches in Erlin district, but there are eight churches that have joined the ERMI project. Those ERMI churches approve the meaning and help of the ERMI project. ERMI helps the churches in sharing resources, cooperative ministry, and church redevelopment.

b. Chang-Hua Presbytery and PCT Head office approve the feasibility of ERMI.1

c. ERMI has successfully formed a partnership with other Christian Organizations, both local and overseas. Those Christian Organizations include Erlin Joyce Home, Chang-Hua Christian Hospital, and Eden Welfare Foundation in Seoul. This partnership also approves the feasibility of ERMI. Moreover, this partnership can improve to the missionary alliances in the future.

Defects and blind spots of the project

a. The motivation to join ERMI comes from the identity and motivation of ERMI

1Dr. Rev. Hung, Po-Ho invited Rev. Chng, Hau-Sheng to write the proposal of ERMI to share as a paradigm of missionary project for PCT. Dr. Hung serves as dean of Research and Development Center of PCT, and before, served as the President of Tainan Theological Seminary. Moreover, the following Church leaders Rev. Hsu, Hsinte (the former secretary of Evangelism Committee of PCT), Rev. Wu, Ho-Long (the former moderator of PCT, Rev. Wang, and Chin-Long (the former moderator of Chang-Hwa Presbytery), approve the feasibility of ERMI.

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churches themselves. Therefore, there is no substantial authority and constraint on the ERMI churches. As a result, it is very difficult to attract and maintain the enthusiasm of ERMI churches.

b. The leadership transformation in ERMI is affected when the member churches change ministers. The new minister has his/ her own understanding and makes his/her own decision, including a decision necessary to have to join the ERMI project.

c. It is very difficult to sustain the enthusiasm of ERMI churches: Because of budget limitations, the volunteers do all the ministries. Without a clear vision and strong identification with ERMI, people and ministers find it difficult to keep their enthusiasm.

d. ERMI has adopted collective leadership. There is no key person who is the leader, with the result that the leadership of ERMI committee is obscure.

e. The clergy organizes the committee of ERMI now, and as a consequence, the enthusiasm of lay ministry is reduced.

f. People criticize or compare themselves or others with the ERMI ministers, which has caused tension among the ministers: Because of ERMI ministries, ERMI churches have more opportunity to recognize other ministers. Sometimes they will compare the ministers in terms of their personality and gift, and the unsuited will criticize or compare and the result is tension among the ministers.

Difficulties in implementation of the project

a. The identity, enthusiasm, open mind, and commitment of the ministers will influence laity’s attitudes to be either active or passive.

b. Leadership Issue: There is no substantial authority and constraint on the ERMI churches, so it is very difficult to sustain enthusiasm of the ERMI churches.

c. The sectarian churches resisted ERMI, because some local churches did not want

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to open up their churches and share their resources.

d. The transfer of minister’s issue: Every time a ERMI church changes their minister, ERMI is confronted with the problem of no or little support from the new minister.

e. The missiology issue: Because of different understandings of missiology, the churches may have different concerns. Some churches are very active and open-minded, but some are passive and closed. The conservative churches often resisted ERMI and transformation.

f. Some conservative churches misunderstood the ERMI as a charismatic church. Therefore they forbade members from the congregation from attending all the programs of the ERMI.

g. The amount of new ministries has become a serious issue for the clergy. Some ministers are concerned about their ministerial work overload and therefore have reduced their enthusiasm and participation in ERMI activity.

h. Clergy burnout and the need for renewal: Because ERMI is still a team of volunteers without a full time minister, all the ministries were done by teams of volunteers, as a consequence, the ministries will increase the burden of the ministers of ERMI. How to provide relief and renewal to the ministers of ERMI is a difficult and important issue.

Theological reflection and new insights

a. Church union and team ministry can strengthen the rural ministry.

b. ERMI churches can have better training programs than other rural churches because of their church union and resource sharing.

c. We can expect that ERMI will nurture and support powerful cooperative churches through church union and mission together.

d. ERMI is a sustainable and stimulating project for small rural churches,

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especially through resource sharing.

e. The ERMI project can break through the isolation of small rural churches through church union.

f. The ERMI project can inspire small rural churches through their experience of new mission possibilities. Moreover, the small rural churches can break through the barrier of low esteem.

g. The ERMI project can inspire the young ministers who were sent to serve the small rural churches. They proclaim that the team ministry of ERMI helped them to improve their pastoral care and mission.

h. The members of ERMI hope that ERMI will have a full time minister in the near future and have their own ERMI building.

Evaluation of The Church Redevelopment Program (CRP)

The feasibility of the project

a. CRP’s feasibility was endorsed by most of the attendants of CRP Conference. Most of the attendants were ministers and elders. Therefore, their assent is a great inspiration for the CRP training committee. Nearly 93% of the attendants at the first CRP Conference agreed that CRP is helpful for their mission and ministry in the local community. And 97% of the attendants of the second CRP Conference agreed that CRP is helpful.

b. CRP is an effective project of mission and church redevelopment: Most who attended the CRP Conference, 79%, think that if they practice CRP in their local community, it will be very effective and practical.

c. Most of the attendants were inspired by the CRP Conference and were willing to try when they went back to their parish.

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Defects and blind spots of the project

a. Some attendants of CRP Conference considered Part III of CRP handbook, “The Mission Design Plan,” not clear and not concrete enough. It should be revised and expanded.

b. PCT had chosen four practical churches of CRP in the initial stage. They became the paradigm churches of CRP. Most of the attendants of CRP Conference wish that these churches had contributed more concrete and practical experience for all the churches.

c. Some attendants of CRP Conference indicated that there was no CRP consultant in their Presbytery during the initial stage, which in turn made it more difficult for the churches to practice CRP.

Difficulties in implementation of the project

a. The divergence of missiology and the commitment of the church leaders were very important factors impacting the vitality of the church.

b. The views of church leaders were a very important factor, which can cause varying results in the implementation of the CRP program. Nearly 29% of the attendants at the CRP Conference considered the views of church leaders as a key factor in the difficulty their churches experienced in bringing CRP to the congregations.

c. Furthermore, the mobilization of the congregation is another important factor, which can spell success or failure. Twenty percent of the attendants at the CRP Conference thought difficulties in mobilization of the congregation constituted another barrier in implementing CRP.

d. Moreover, the financial issue is also a main reason why CRP will succeed or fail. Nearly 14% of the attendants at the CRP Conferences thought their difficulty came because of their financial problems.

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e. The congregation’s history and relationship with local community is another factor, which can cause success or failure. Twelve percent of the attendants at the CRP Conferences thought their difficulty in implementing CRP was due to a lack of good and strong relationships with local community.

f. Some ministers, 11.7% of the attendants at the CRP Conferences, indicated their concern about the lack of a co-worker to practice the CRP.

g. Only 4.5% of the attendants worried about the lack of an adviser or consultant.

h. Only 3.9% of the attendants thought that their community already had too many ministries.

Theological reflection and new insights

a. CRP is a project, which can enable church revival and promote the church as an effective missional congregation.

b. CRP tries to provide a concrete methodology and practical tools to help those congregations that desire revival and doing mission in their own community.

c. CRP can provide concrete tools to help those churches evaluate their own church and ministry. PCT recognizes that to evaluate the church is a new beginning in church redevelopment.

d. We expect that every Presbytery can train their own consultants and CPR trainers.

e. We expect that CRP can bring another missional movement of the PCT.

The Evaluation of the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program

All the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Programs are as follows: “Life Education in Elementary School,” “Champion in Junior High School,” “Growth Camps in the Community,” “Sustainable Human Development for Foreign Marriage Families,” “Nursery Program for Children of Single Parent Family After-School,” “Training Program and Shelter Factory,” and “Training Programs of

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Taiwan Urban Rural Mission.”

The feasibility of the project

a. It is possible and feasible to promote the SHGDP in the community. There are 70% of the churches of Erlin areas that have Life-Education ministry. Moreover, some churches have promoted “the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program.”

b. Another profitable reason is that PCT has edited all the Life-Education material. Therefore, those churches who want to execute Life-Education can easily use these materials.

c. Good effect and universality of Life-Education: There are 55.7% of the junior high schools (and more than 100,000 students yearly) that have accepted the Champion material as part of their Life-Education. Ninety-five percent of the students feel the program is helpful, 93% students feel the program is interesting, and 98% teachers approved this program as helpful to their students.

Defects and blind spots of the project

a. The curriculum is not attractive enough: The curriculum of Life-Education for the adolescent, which has been edited by the PCT Education Committee, is not attractive enough. The clergy wrote maybe most of the curricula; therefore, the Life theology is strong enough, but perhaps too advanced for the youth. We suggest the need of a professional writer who knows how to write for and speak to the children and youth to write subsequent curricula.

b. Life Education Project needs the dynamics of a Mission-Oriented Movement (or Mission-Driven Movement): The Education Committee of PCT spent a great deal of time editing the curriculum and training the trainer. But only a few churches recognized the meaning and importance of promoting Life-Education. However, the other example, Reverend Steven Wayne Long

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carried out the Champion, adolescent life education program, without the help of any specific denomination since 1991. But there are 55.7% of the junior high schools (and more than one hundred thousand students yearly) who accept the Champion program as part of their Life-Education. Comparing these two projects, we claim a new insight that is, “The Life Education Project needs to incorporate the dynamics of a Mission-Oriented Movement.”

c. “The Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program” can become a missional movement: Even though most of the churches have recognized the meaning and importance of promoting “the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program,” most of them are waiting to begin because they do not know how to start. Who will be the organizer or leader to promote the SHGDP as a mission-oriented movement?

Difficulties in implementation of the project

a. “The Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program” is a new ministry for PCT. It is also a special outreach ministry, which is very different from a church’s usual ministry. Therefore, it will cause tension for those churches, some of which are comfortable with their tradition; as a consequence, SHGDP is not easy to put into action in those churches.

b. The willingness of local churches to serve the community with “the Sustainable Human Growth and Development Program” is not popular and not strong enough, because their knowledge about SHGDP is insufficient to convince them to serve the community.

c. The missiology of the ministers is an important indicator of the willingness (or unwillingness) of churches to serve the community.

d. The gap between church and community is a significant factor in determining churches’ willingness to serve the community. Normally the churches are

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isolated because Christians are the minority in the rural society. Moreover, the community’s people or society does not easily accept the church, because the Christian religion is different from the Taiwanese folk-religions.

e. The lack of the human resources is another main reason why the rural church has not found it easy to serve the people with SHGDP. Most of the rural churches are dealing with declining membership, lack of young leadership, and lack of good training or education.

f. Moreover, the financial crisis is another difficulty: The migration of members to the city and a lower profit of crops compared to other businesses, created a financial crisis. The average age of members in the rural church being older, and their income being lower, also contributed to the financial crisis. One last factor was a decrease in the offering income. Therefore, the rural churches exhibit little enthusiasm for mission or ministry in the SHGDP.

Theological reflection and new insights

a. SHGDP will be a powerful outreach program of PCT to realize the mission of the kingdom of God.

b. SHGDP can enable and empower the people. Therefore, SHGDP can help to sponsor social transformation.

c. The Life-Education of SHGDP can help adolescents and early youth to develop their moral, value, and life philosophy. It can also help to sponsor social transformation.

d. SHGDP can enable and empower the disadvantaged to be self-supporting persons.

TURM can empower community leaders.