Thursday, January 24, 2008

A Healthy Church

As a minister, I am often asked how I would define a "successful church". The current trend is moving from judging by attendance numbers to reflecting on the health of the church. I support this transition of the standard by which churches are measured, but I also know that different people will have different ideas of what a "Healthy Church" looks like.

So, I am going to throw in my two cents about how I believe the health of a church can be somewhat defined. Some of these items are measurable, others are much more abstract and will probably only be completely known in eternity. As much as I can, I want to stick to the measurable things that will let my church judge how spiritually healthy we are.

  1. A Healthy Church Manifests the Work of the Holy Spirit.
    1. Lives Changing
    1. Spiritual Gifts Being Used By the Entire Body
    1. Supernatural Activity
  1. A Healthy Church Knows Why it Exists.
    1. A Clear Understanding of the Scriptural Purpose for the Church.
    1. A Clear Plan of Action to Fulfill Our Purpose.
    1. A United Heart of Passion to Carry Out Our Purpose.
  1. A Healthy Church Is Grounded in Scriptural Truth.
    1. A Definite Contextual Proof of Purpose.
    1. A Willingness and Passion to Study and Know the Scriptures.
    1. Scripturally Solid Teachers With God’s Agenda at Heart.
  1. A Healthy Church Lives Outside As They Do Inside the Church Building.
    1. A Heart of Compassion for the Community
    1. A Positive Reputation Among the Community
    1. A Solid Discipleship Training That Changes Lives and Lifestyles
This is a spring board for the coming writings over the next few weeks. I want to take this list point-by-point and give deeper insight into what I am claiming here, and why. As always, I will appreciate any constructive input any of you may have.

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