Our NCD Team
Living Stones Associates is a network of independent consultants/coaches guided by a common vision, who work together to help churches become healthier and increase ministry effectiveness.
Eddy Hall, Senior Consultant/Coach
With ministry experience that includes directing an inner city ministry,
youth ministry, extensive writing and editing, denominational staff ministry,
and more than 25 years in small group ministry, Eddy began working with
Ray Bowman in 1986, collaborating with Ray on all his articles and books.
In 1996, Eddy joined the consulting team and now devotes full-time to consulting
with churches.
In addition to coauthoring When Not to Build, Eddy has also coauthored When There's No Burning Bush and other books. His articles have appeared in about 120 periodicals including Leadership, Guideposts, Campus Life, and Focus on the Family Magazine.
Eddy leads the team in carrying on Ray's pioneering work in facility utilization and planning. Drawing on his training (a degree in Christian education) and 30 years of varied ministry leadership experience, Eddy has greatly expanded the services the team offers in strategic ministry planning, enhancing church health, and coaching professional and lay leaders. He lives in Goessel, Kansas. He and his wife, Melody, have five children, three still at home.
Gary Diehl, Consultant/Coach
Assuming a broad array of lay leadership responsibilities in his home church
for the last twenty years has given Gary a hands-on perspective of many
ministry functions within the church. With a career in business and a passion
to teach God's Word, Gary is a frequent speaker for churches, business gatherings,
leadership and youth retreats, men's groups, and civic organizations.
A formative ministry experience was working with his congregation's Vision Team as they wrestled with questions about growth, health, buildings, and what God wanted for the church. Gary was introduced to the practical principles of When Not to Build as he served as his church's coordinator for a Living Stones consultation in 1998.
Gary began consulting with churches in 2001 out of a growing conviction that many churches need wise, comprehensive, biblical counsel to become healthy and relevant in the 21st century. He and his wife Nancy live in Alliance, Ohio. They have four children and two grandchildren.
Lavern Holdeman, Consultant/Coach
Lavern Holdeman is a former attorney turned pastor. He currently serves
as executive pastor of Community Convenant Church in Omaha, Nebraska, with
primary responsibilities for church and ministry administration. He has
nearly twenty-five years' experience as a pastor and as an officer and
director of non-profit organizations. He earned his M.A. in Philosophy
of Religion from Denver Seminary and a Juris Doctor degree from the
University of Nebraska School of Law. Lavern has a passion for discipleship
and church health coaching, and has taught courses in philosophy, ethics,
apologetics, comparative religion, and spiritual formation as adjunct
faculty at Denver Seminary and Metro State College of Denver, and at the
Omaha campus of the University of Phoenix.
Lavern has been working with Living Stones since 2001. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife Karen and one daughter, Jamie. His growing family includes two adult daughters and three grandchildren
Mike Hare, Consultant/Coach
Mike Hare has been in pastoral ministry since 1980, serving congregations
in New York, Vermont, Oklahoma, Colorado, and California. He has specialized
in guiding declining and plateaued churches through a turnaround process.
He also served as a conflict resolution team member with the Center for
Conflict Resolution in Pasadena, working with churches and non-profit organizations
in a conflict intervention ministry.
Mike is ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His dissertation focuses on the development of biblical models for redeeming conflict in churches and Christian organizations. He joined the Living Stones team in 2003 in anticipation of an expanded church consulting ministry following the completion of his degree work. Mike, his wife Colleen, and their four children live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Phil Ludeke, Consultant/Coach/Facility Specialist
Phil Ludeke has spent 20 years practicing architecture and planning and 18 years
as a real estate developer and consultant. He is self-employed and holds a
license to practice real estate in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Phil is a
licensed architect in four states, is certified by the National Council of
Architectural Registration Boards, and is a Certified LEED Accredited
Professional with the United States Green Building Council.
Phil is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and has served in a variety of capacities in his home church. He is a trained Equipper in Stephen Ministry's ChristCare Small Group Ministry. He has also served on long range planning committees, chaired a pastor nominating committee, taught Christian education, leads a small men's group, and served on his church's Church Health Team after a consultation with LSA. He has been working with the Living Stones team since 2004. Phil lives with his wife of 38 years, Becky, in Hopewell, NJ. They have three sons, one of whom is still in high school.
What is Natural Church Development (NCD)?
The NCD Survey: What does it measure?
Interpreting Your NCD scores
The Natural Church Development Cycle: Using NCD in Your church
How to Schedule an NCD Survey
Natural Church Development tools
Our NCD coaches
Submit a question to an NCD Coach
Contact us