How Is A Model Different From Principles?

How often have we been asked to follow a model because the model works?

A student with excellent scores or a worker with rapid promotion may sell their model for excellent grades or fast upward mobility respectively.
Likewise, a fast growing church may challenge other churches to adopt their model after all their growth is a testimony that their model works.

What is wrong with this kind of logic?

A church, a student or a worker may do well not just because they adopt one particular model or strategy but because there are a number of things they have done right to achieve those results.

A church may claim that they are growing because they are praying more, or they have great worship, leadership or cell group model or G12 model or move in the power of the Holy Spirit or belong to a certain denomination.

And sometimes it seem that the model does produce growth.
But in actuality, it is not the model itself that is producing the growth but the principles behind the model - the principles they have employed - that is producing the results for the model.

And these principles are universal and will apply to all churches whereas not every aspect of a model is universally applicable.

A top student may achieve excellent results by listening to rock music whilst he studies because he may be blessed with high IQ and multi-tasking and his teachers have already prepared him well for his exams. But the top student's model of listening to rock music whilst he studies may not apply to every student who wants to top the class.
What are the principles behind his achievement of excellent results?
We need to determine these principles and factors for they are the principles and factors that are universal and will help all other students achieve excellent results.

Likewise for a church to grow, there are certain principles that are involved rather than models.

Christian A. Schwarz, in his book Natural Church Development, sought to ascertain "What church growth principles are true, regardless of culture and theological persuasion?"

He analyzed 4.2 million responses from more than a thousand churches from 32 countries over the six continents and came out with 8 Quality Characteristics / Principles that all healthy, growing churches possess.
These are universal principles and apply to all churches.
And after reading these principles, we realize why churches that employ the cell group model or G12 model are really growing.

All healthy, growing churches will have a high rating in these 8 Quality Characteristics:

1. EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP
2. GIFT-BASED MINISTRY
3. PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY
4. EFFECTIVE STRUCTURES
5. INSPIRING WORSHIP SERVICE
6. NEED - ORIENTED EVANGELISM
7. LOVING RELATIONSHIPS
8. HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS

Thus, when churches grow healthily, they have an integrated holistic approach whereby all eight of the above qualities are nurtured.
The cell church model which I am familiar with - can be so successful or will be very successful because plainly all eight characteristics have been carefully cultivated.
On the other hand, if any characteristic is under-developed or hampered, then whatever model is adopted will not exactly produce a healthily, growing church.

My experience supports much of the findings of Christian Schwarz.

What are your experiences? What do you think?