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General Superintendent Growth Award

“I planted ... God made it grow” (1 Cor. 3.6)

The purpose of the General Superintendents’ Growth Award (GSGA) is to give prominence to those practices that are central to the local and worldwide advancement of the church; specifically, new Nazarenes, significant involvement in sponsoring a new church, and 100% participation in fund allocations.

Scott Stearman was specially commissioned to sculpture “The Sower.” This symbol was chosen because it represents the prerequisites of harvesting. It recalls the words of the Psalmist, “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6) It draws directly from Paul’s analogy, in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”

  • Churches that win people to Christ are healthy.
  • Starting new churches is the most effective means of evangelism known to the church.
  • Fund allocations are essential to the cooperative ministries of the Church ofthe Nazarene.

New Nazarenes requirements are based on 10% of attendance for the current year.

The meaning of “significant involvement in sponsoring a new church” is very specific and is spelled out in the Sponsorship Criteria Worksheet. This worksheet is available online with the Local Forms packet.

Full participation in fund allocations includes district assignment, educational support, pensions (applicable to US only), and World Evangelism Fund.

  • The requirements for receiving this award are intentionally high—it is special recognition by the Board of General Superintendents.
  • It is not based on attendance or membership.
  • This award is not intended to replace all awards. Other Global Ministry Center entities will continue to offer their respective awards. Districts will continue to offer their awards.

This award is given in recognition of outstanding accomplishment in essential practices of the expansion of the kingdom of God through the Church of the Nazarene. The presentation of this unique and beautiful sculpture is intended to say “Thank You” to the receiving pastor and church, and to elevate in the consciousness of our people the compelling importance of winning people to Christ, starting new churches, and supporting the organizational structures that make possible evangelism around the world.

GENERAL SUPERINTENDENTS’ GROWTH AWARD WORKSHEET

If a church met all three criteria, please notify the District Secretary as quickly as possible. It is recommended that the District Secretary order the awards three weeks prior to the district assembly. The church will then be recognized at the upcoming district assembly, and an award presentation is planned.

  • I. New Nazarene Criteria

    10% of attendance for the current year

  • II. Financial Criteria

    Did you achieve your denominational funded goals?

  • III. Sponsorship Criteria

    On the Sponsorship Criteria worksheet, the church calculates whether it is a New Church Sponsor this year. This determines whether the sponsored church should be counted on the Annual Report, Line 3.

    Is this church a New Church Sponsor this year? If so, see the final instruction line; if not, then the church is not eligible for the General Superintendent’s Growth Award this year.

  • If you are ready to fill out the Growth Award form Click here: 

New Church Sponsorship Criteria
Church of the Nazarene

A church that devotes substantial amounts of evangelistic energy and resources into new church sponsorship will receive special notation in the Assembly Journals and within computerized data systems at the Global Ministry Center.

Church sponsorship is understood to be a local church taking the initiative in starting and at least partially supporting the formation of a congregation that has the goal of becoming a fully organized church. Also, a church may be granted sponsorship status by positively responding to the district’s appeal for support.

Sponsorship status will be conferred on churches meeting at least one of the following sets of criteria, and may be recorded on the Pastor’s Report form and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

  • 1) Core Group sponsorship: A number of lay people equal to at least 10% of the previous year’s average worship attendance is “given” to the new church. (The minimum requirement would be 6 adults; the maximum requirement would be 100.) This confers sponsorship status for the assembly year in which the people are transferred to the new work and the following assembly year, and may be recorded on the Pastor’s Report form and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

  • 2) Financial sponsorship: Actual cash is provided, either directly to the new congregation or as payment of the new group’s obligations (including new church leadership), equal to 2% of the previous year’s Total Church Income. This confers sponsorship status for each year that these criteria are met, and may be recorded on the Pastor’s Report form and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

  • 3) Gifts in Kind sponsorship: Documentable support* is provided to the new congregation equal to 3% of the previous years Total Church Income. This support may be the contribution and/or use of church equipment (chairs, vans, buses, hymnals) or church facilities (often done in multi-congregational settings) or any other means that provides tangible help to the new group or to the pastoral family (food poundings, clothing, etc.) This confers sponsorship status for each year that these criteria are met, and may be recorded on the Pastor’s Report form and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

    * Maintain a list of all Gifts in Kind with an estimated value for each item

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  • Sponsorship Criteria Worksheet

If line (b) is at least 100, the church is a Core Group Sponsor. If so, place a check mark on the line before Core Group Sponsorship above.

If line (b) was less than 100 but included at least 6 adults, continue.

If your church qualified as a Core Group Sponsor last assembly year, place a check mark on the Second Year Core Group Sponsorship line above, and record on the Pastor’s Report form and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

If line (f) is greater than or equal to line (e), the church is a Financial Sponsor. If so, place a check mark on the line before Financial Sponsorship above, and count the sponsored church or churches on the Annual Pastor’s Report, line 3, and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.

(2009 income would have been located on line A on the 2009 APR)

If line (i) is greater than or equal to line (h), the church is a Gifts in Kind Sponsor. If so, place a check mark on the line before Gifts in Kind Sponsorship above, and count the sponsored church or churches on the Annual Pastor’s Report, line 3, and on the Church Directory Sheet for the district journal.