RAND for Vibrant Church Renewal

The RAND Project began in the heart and mind of Dr. Stan Reeder while he was a District Superintendent serving the churches on the Oregon Pacific District. The R.AN.D Project’s mission is to provide the Research (RAND) and Development (RAND) to reach a critical mass of missionally challenged churches in order to establish a Vibrant Church Renewal movement. We believe as a Nazarene movement with 100+ years of celebrated history, we cannot “plant our way to growth.” We must have a holistic strategy for revitalizing existing churches, resourcing them to become healthy churches that multiply leaders. RAND is our strategy for bringing Vibrant Church Renewal to support our mission of “making Christlike disciples” throughout the USA/Canada Region. RAND is normally done without a pastoral transition taking place.

How Did RAND Begin?

Research… (RAND):

The RAND project is founded on research of the 50 largest, growing Nazarene churches in North America, yielding the top 10 characteristics essential for health and growth.  It features continued research and a never-ending commitment to improvement. We aim to provide the best resources available to equip pastors and churches to revitalize their ministry and build a contagious church culture.

… And Development (RAND):

Continued research has woven the top 10 characteristics essential for missional effectiveness into an 20-month curriculum. This resource has been developed and is delivered through reproducible “iClasses” that have been piloted and now operate on dozens of USA/Canada Districts. We are committed to resource plateaued and declining churches, their pastors and leaders to become healthy again by changing the local church culture.

RAND Basics

The RAND Project is designed to help church leaders discover the 10 components for revitalizing an existing church.  These principles flow from Dr. Reeder’s heart and vision for the USA/Canada Region. They include practical information and “next steps” leaders can take to revitalize their local church.  We encourage EVERY church that is READY to make a 20 month commitment to each other and go on the revitalizing journey together.  The long-term aim is always to develop a contagious church culture! The following are the 10 RAND core practices.

1. Self-Leadership (physical health, spiritual health, relational health & financial health)

2. Conflict Resolution  Reading: Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny

3. Leading Complex Change 

4. Establishing a Missional Framework   Reading: Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal

5. Assessment of Present Realities  Reading: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

6. Leadership Development & Delegation  Reading: Who’s Got Your Back by Eddie Estep

7. Evangelism  Reading: Organic Outreach by Kevin Harney

8. The Process of Discipleship 

9. Creating Life-Changing Worship Services  Reading: The Four Pages of a Sermon by Paul Scott Wilson and An Hour on Sunday by Nancy Beach

10. Multiplying Movement Thinking & Leaders 

We want to introduce every leader on the USA/Canada Region to “revitalizing,” both as a study and even more, as a church journey they commit to. The secret is, “don’t go alone…take the journey together in a cohort of other leaders!”  If you are interested in being in a RAND cohort, read the RAND invitation letter by clicking here. To better prepare for revitalizing, you can use the Revitalizing Readiness Assessment with your church leaders.

RAND Books

Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny
Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
Who’s Got Your Back by Eddie Estep
Organic Outreach by Kevin Harney
The Four Pages of a Sermon by Paul Scott Wilson
An Hour on Sunday by Nancy Beach

Local RAND Cohort

What does being in a local cohort mean?  

  • A 20-month project that meets every month for about 90 minutes. The sessions will provide new materials/videos every other month found in the 10 Teaching Sessions. The alternating months are used to assess, envision, reflect, and have further conversation and accountability, while also talking about your church’s “next steps.”

  • There are 10 teaching sessions; the topics are listed above.

  • A commitment to access the reference materials from each of the 10 sessions and accomplish the agreed on assignments.

  • A commitment to the “Local Church RAND Leadership Cohort” (LCRLC) made up of 5-6 leaders from the congregation (at least 2 being from your Church Board).

  • A commitment from the RAND lay leaders, that at the conclusion of the cohort they will select their own group of 5-6 other leaders in the church to continue expanding this leader development program throughout the local church. The GREAT benefit of RAND long-term is, it is a “built-in leader development system” a local church can use with new leaders.

Additional RAND Information

What does a cohort meeting involve? To view the format of the RAND learning cohort, click here.

The iClass cohort uses 10 accountability questions. To view them, click here.

The iClass cohort requires a covenant commitment to each other in the cohort for the time we are together. To view the covenant, click here.

If you have already received training to facilitate a R.AN.D cohort or you want to enter the private R.AN.D website to access R.AN.D resources, click here.