What if our church does not want to be on any "track" of growth?
Consultation should not be "forced" by a few leaders on the congregation as a whole, but should be supported by the core leadership of the church (including such leaders as the staff, board, program and outreach leaders, etc.) Any church can grow in God's mission...no matter what the resources or membership...provided that they desire to grow.

What if our church is a blend of more than one track?
This is normal, because every congregation is unique. However, you can use the exercise chart provided to gain a consensus among your core leaders as to which "track" describes the church best. This is the starting point to customize a consultation that is right for you.

What if our leaders and our members belong in different tracks?
Consultation moves a congregation from one track to the next track, but is rarely effective in helping a congregation to leap over intermediate steps to an advanced track. Leaders may well be one step ahead of the membership...but "track 3" leaders in "track 1" churches will probably have difficulty agreeing about change.

What if our goal is to merge or amalgamate churches?
Merging assets for mission may occur in any track, or between tracks, but will only be successful if driven by vision rather than survival. Vision-driven amalgamations can be part of the "out of the box" or "beyond the box" thinking of track 2 and 3 churches...while survival-driven amalgamations are tactics often considered in track 1 churches and are never recommended by the consultant.

Are there special characteristics in consulting with African-American churches?
We work in close conversation with the cultural context of the church and community. The issues and recommendations around leadership authority and authenticity for clergy may be different than established white churches.

Are there special characteristics in consulting with Asian-American churches?
We work in close conversation with the cultural context of the church and community. Issues of worship design, language, and liturgy may vary from first, second, and third generation Christians.

Are there special characteristics in consulting with Hispanic churches?
We work in close conversation with the cultural context of the church and community, and try to communicate in Spanish as well as English. We are especially sensitive to Protestant and Roman Catholic perspectives within extended families.

What is the cost of consultation?
The cost of consultation is negotiated with each client. Our partners and associates have benchmarks to guide the discussion, but are more than ready to adapt the cost for small churches, emerging churches among immigrant communities, and church plants. We will do all in our power to adapt our mission costs to meet your mission resources.

Can we combine a consultation with a regional or cluster training event?
Yes, by all means! Often a cluster event can help pay the cost of consultation, and the partnerships generated help congregations support one another in future change.

Can I participate in more than one track of leadership forum?
Yes, certainly. However, we urge you to respect the general topical focus of each forum. Bill and Tom monitor the forums, and will intercede in behalf of the forum if conversation drifts from its primary focus.

Can the consultant walk with us in implementing recommendations from the consultation?
Yes. This is usually done by establishing an exclusive internet forum through the EBA web server for three to six months. This can also be done by scheduling follow-up, on-site, visits with an EBA partner or associate...or by sending a congregational team to participate in a future seminar on a topic of special relevance.

Can regional denominational judicatories be involved in a congregational consultation?
Yes, but only if they are invited by the client congregation. Our final reports and recommendation will not be automatically shared with a judicatory unless the congregation requests it.

How do you measure "success" after a consultation?
We establish clear goals for each consultation, and these vary from context to context. Generally speaking, measure success by asking:

• Are more publics connecting with the life and mission of the church?
• Are more adults going deeper into faith?
• Are more leaders getting personally involved in mission and outreach?
• Are more people making local and global mission relationships?
• Is our primary mission field different because the church lived this week?