I was asked to compile a list of characteristics of a healthy church. Many of them overlap my earlier post, but I wanted to focus on the positive side of a strong, healthy and vibrant church.
Signs of a healthy church
1. A vibrant youth department is the greatest indicator of a healthy church. Young people who not only are excited about attending, but who are replicating the message of the church. Older established people will hang on long after a church has ceased to be a spiritually healthy place. Young people want something real. Young people have no problem stating "the emperor is naked." If the youth of a church are vibrant, involved, connected, and display the signs of discipleship, Mark it down that is a healthy church.
2. A healthy church will attract people who have already been discipled. You can not stop people from coming , across town or across the nation, as people hear of an abundance of bread. Every healthy growing church will have a mixture of home grown and moved in saints.
3. A healthy church is friendly to outsiders. Be they unchurched or from across town. A spiritually strong church loves the sinner and the saint. It's world view is bigger than " us four and no more." A healthy church makes everyone feel welcome. There are no strangers in a healthy church, just people that they have never met.
4. In a healthy church the focus of services is upon the mission, not the structure. The message, the finances, and the culture propel the mission. You can hear it in the halls, over the pulpit and watch it displayed during the week as people excitedly share their faith with the unchurched.
What ever you shine the light on it will grow... A healthy church constantly is shining the light on the harvest. And the need for more labors.
5. Leadership... Everything rises and falls on leadership . How connected the leadership is to the individuals in the church is a sign of a healthy church. A church leader who no longer gets his sense of self worth from the congregation he pastors is in trouble. In a healthy church, the pastor may preach out, but his highest calling and greatest satisfaction comes from and in pastoring his local church.
6. In a healthy church, people feel welcome, wanted and needed. There is room for ministry and growth for everyone who wishes to be involved. In a healthy church there are many areas for active involvement no matter your stature within the congregation.
7. Dis agreements can be peacefully resolved...
If I could choose one moment, one sliver of time, that would tell the story on a church, and allow me to decide on the health-status of any congregation, it would be: How they handle a conflict. ( see the world is watching )
8. When, Members linger for fellowship long after church is over, this is a healthy church. When people are connected to each other, church takes on the feel of a family and not a social organization. When people mix and mingle long after the service has been concluded, mark it down, these people like each other and approve of what is happening.
9. When the vision is articulated and exemplified in the lives of the people, this is a healthy church. When what is preached is joyfully exhibited in the daily living of the members, it moves from doctrine to experience. Doctrine experienced in the lives of the believers is what keeps faith alive, and people coming back for more.
10. Growth. Financial growth, spiritual growth and numerical growth are accurate indicators of a healthy church body. What is living will reproduce, what is alive and healthy will grow.
I left out prayer and word based churches.
Many praying churches are not healthy churches....
Many bible believing churches are not healthy churches...
Monastery, are full of prayer and bible reading, but they are shrines to a past experience, not welcoming to outsiders and could never be considered growing churches.
As always thank you for reading, your comments are always welcome.
Lm
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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