Signs of a Healthy Church

Signs of a Healthy Church

What are the signs we should be looking for? As we make our decisions, what should we be trying to develop? What is our goal – our mission – our strategy?

► God’s empowering presence. We must remember that the ultimate goal is to seek His face and worship Him.

James 4:8-10 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

· Psalm 145:18-19 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?
Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.
1 Peter 1:17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth.

► Investment in inspiring, God-exalting, genuine worship. The services should exhibit a “revival” atmosphere. A pervading spirit of joy and enthusiasm.

Luke 4:8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.’”
2 Chronicles 5:13 The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!”

· Psalm 42:4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks— it was the sound of a great celebration!

► A healthy pursuit of excellence.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. A healthy dedication to excellence.

· Philippians 1:9-10 And this I pray, that your love may abound (i.e., excel) still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

· 2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you—make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.

· 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound (excel) in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

· 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may excel still more. (NASB)

· 1 Thessalonians 4:10 For indeed you do practice it (love) toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more (NASB)

· 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (NET)

· Matthew 23:37-38 Jesus said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

► Indigenous worship. The worship should reflect and appeal to our local culture. There should be cultural relevance or connectedness.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.

► Passionate spirituality.

· Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him?

► Strong Christology. Experientially focused on Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
John 14:6-7 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is.^ From now on you know him and have seen him!”

► Trust in God evidenced by a strong, vital prayer life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Keep on praying.
Ephesians 6:18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
1 Timothy 2:8 So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

► An appetite for the Word. Strong emphasis on biblically accurate teaching.

· Psalm 119:131 I open my mouth, panting expectantly, longing for your commands.

► Biblical priorities. A desire to do what the Scriptures command – no more, no less. If the Scriptures and broad and vague, then let our interpretation be equally broad. But if the Scriptures are specific and detailed, then the application should be specific and detailed.

· Psalm 119:21 You rebuke those cursed proud ones who wander from your commands.

► Kingdom orientation. We must keep in mind that we are here to build the kingdom of God. Not to build a building or a large congregation. We must understand what “building the kingdom” means.

Matthew 6:32b-33 Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

► An outward focus.

Philippians 2:3-4 Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

► Service to the needy people of our community.

James 1:27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
1 Timothy 5:3 The church should care for any widow who has no one else to care for her.
1 John 3:17-18 But if anyone has enough money to live well, and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.

► Clearly defined mission/purpose. Specific, concrete mission objectives. A clear sense of mission.

Proverbs 1316: Wise people think before they act; fools don’t and even brag about it!
Proverbs 14:8 The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves.
Proverbs 21:5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Proverbs 22:3 A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

► A broadly owned vision. The people have caught the vision and are excited and running with it.

Exodus 36:5-7 “We have more than enough materials on hand now to complete the job the Lord has given us to do!” they exclaimed. So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Bring no more materials! You have already given more than enough.” So the people stopped bringing their offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

► Reproduction. People are being saved.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

► Discipleship. Strategically building the believers. Getting our people involved in systematic theological growth. Incorporation of newcomers.

Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

► A growing attendance and membership.

Proverbs 14:28 A growing population is a king’s glory; a dwindling nation is his doom.

► Gift-oriented ministry development. The exercise of spiritual gifts. A growing number of people involved in weekly ministry. Ongoing equipping of the workers. Lay mobilization.

Romans 12:6-8 God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Ephesians 4:11-14 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ,

Note: We tend to think of elders as “professional Christians” who are to do the work of the church. They are the “hired men” whom we pay to service us. But the biblical view is that the elders are to equip the PEOPLE to do the work of the church.

► Effective generation focused ministry. Several competent programs and activities.

1 Corinthians 9:20-23 When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.

Note: We must make sure that the Gospel is presented in a way that is appropriate to each generation and class of people.

Luke 17:1-2 He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Note: We must make sure that there is nothing standing in the way of communication of the Gospel including complexity of language or concepts.

Luke 18:16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Note: We must make sure that there is nothing hindering people (including children) from coming to Christ.

► A preference for providing abundant resources to enhance ministry over facilities.

2 Chronicles 2:5-6 This will be a magnificent Temple because our God is an awesome God, greater than any other. But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?

Note: There is nothing wrong with beautiful, grand buildings. But we must recognize that their primary purpose is simply a place to come worship.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!

Note: We cannot vest a lot of importance in any given building because God does not reside in buildings.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.

Note: People are the temple of God. Therefore if we are to invest, the lion’s share should be in people, in ministry – not facilities.

► Holistic small groups. An emphasis on developing significant relationships within the congregation. A commitment to loving/caring relationships. A growing number of people connected to one another in discipleship groups.

Proverbs 27:6, 9, 17 Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy… The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense…As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.

Note: We all need the mutual accountability that is simply impossible in a large group setting. The small groups allow for intimacy and relationship building that can lead to this important discipline.

► Proper balance of the dynamic relationship between the congregation and the cell groups.

The people are to…

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

But the leaders are to…

1 Peter 5:2-3 Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example.

And all are to…

1 Corinthians 1:10, 12 Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose…Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Can Christ be divided into pieces? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul?

Note: We must not follow men, but the Scriptures; the Spirit rather than tradition.

► Positive attitudes. Relating positively to one’s environment.

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

► Openness to change. A teachable spirit. Learning and growing in community.

Proverbs 18:15 Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them.

· Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.

► Empowering servant-leadership. A positive eldership.

Ephesians 4:11-14 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.
Titus 1:9 He must have a strong and steadfast belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with right teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.

► Pastoral and lay visitation.

· 1 Timothy 3:2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach.

· Titus 1:8 He (the elder) must enjoy having guests in his home and must love all that is good. He must live wisely and be fair. He must live a devout and disciplined life.

· Acts 2:45-46 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity

► Corporate and segment multiplication of shepherds. A reliance on multiplicity of leadership rather than centralization of power.

Acts 11:30 This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders (plural) of the church in Jerusalem.
Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders (plural) in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust.
Acts 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders (plural). They reported on what God had been doing through their ministry.
Proverbs 11:14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.

► Strong, strategic leadership.

Proverbs 14:34 Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Note: Leadership must encourage godliness in the people. That means honesty, justice, honor, keeping our word etc.

Proverbs 14:35 A king rejoices in servants who know what they are doing; he is angry with those who cause trouble.

Note: Leadership needs to look for competent people and promote them. It needs to develop and train the people so that the overall quality and excellence improves with time. It needs to discourage incompetence and trouble making.

Proverbs 16:10 The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

Note: If the leadership speaks, it must not be with the wisdom or philosophies of men, but of God. We must be known for judging fairly

Proverbs 16:12 A king despises wrongdoing, for his rule depends on his justice.

Note: The leadership must develop a distaste for wrongdoing both in itself and in our people. Particularly in an all-volunteer organization like a church leadership must be based on justice.

Proverbs 20:26 A wise king finds the wicked, lays them out like wheat, then runs the crushing wheel over them.

Note: Deliberate obtuseness and incompetence, divisiveness and self-seeking must not be tolerated.

Proverbs 21:5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Note: You just can’t beat the basics: plan your work, then work your plan. Don’t be tempted to use shortcuts and half measures. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

► Wise administration and mutual accountability.

Proverbs 11:14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.

Note: Wise leadership is necessary for an organization to succeed. Wise leadership includes the input of many wise counselors.

► Stewardship and generosity. Holistic stewardship practices. Solid financial resources.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.” For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.
Matthew 25:29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.

► Organized to facilitate highly effective ministry. Streamlined, functional structures that encourage solid, participatory decision making.

Exodus 18:18-23 You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing him their questions to be decided. You should tell them God’s decisions, teach them God’s laws and instructions, and show them how to conduct their lives. But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases. Anything that is too important or too complicated can be brought to you. But they can take care of the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.

► Dedication to equipping individuals and families to minister to themselves. Emphasis on teaching and developing personal spiritual disciplines.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Corinthians 12:7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.
Ephesians 6:4 And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.

► Collaboration and partnership. Networking with the regional Body of Christ.

Churches can collaborate on matters of theological import. (Acts 15)
Churches can collaborate on matters of financial aid. (Acts 11:29-30)
Churches can collaborate on matters of practical import. (1 Corinthians 11:16)

► Adequate facilities:

Adequate space and facilities for the ministries to function.
Open accessibility
High visibility
Adequate parking
Room to expand
Appropriately attractive landscaping and décor.