Top Ten Signs of a Healthy Church

#10

Developing Gifts (especially leadership)– Many churches teach spiritual gifts, some even use a test of some type. A healthy church has a process in place for staff (paid & unpaid) and the congregation to develop these God given gifts. A special emphasis should be placed on the gift of leadership because it is so important for our churches.

#9

Teaching– There are many areas of faith development and growth included here. (Sunday school, small groups, Bible study classes, etc…) Healthy churches understand the needs of those both in the church and in the community and are providing opportunities for them to learn and grow. A key question to ask would be, “What does this church provide for people at different stages of their spiritual journey?”

#8

Focus on Children– Want to know the quickest way to tell if a church is healthy? Visit the kid’s areas! Are they clean? Good lighting? Well staffed? Toys and materials that look new, not hand-me-downs? Is there a professional check-in system of some type and a strong sense of security? Are the kids learning about God AND having fun? If all these are in place then it is very likely these kids are inviting their friends to church.

#7

Attendance– This may seem like a simple sign, but many churches are afraid to talk about it. The truth is that when a church is being the most faithful to God…He will continue to bring them new families and people. Some churches will hide behind other measurements such as membership, but the number of people attending weekend services is important. A quick look at the past 10 years or so of attendance figures will quickly revel the health of a church. The total number is not as important as growth.

#6

Outstanding Worship– The style of worship is not as important as how it is done. Any style can be done well…and any style can be done poorly. The weekend worship experience is typically the first thing a new family will encounter with a church. A healthy church knows this and spends time planning out each service, minimizing distractions, and practicing to ensure the best possible experience for everyone. All parts of the service (music, sermon, scripture, etc..) should go together and combine to create a passionate worship of our creator.

#5

Inviting– Ask the people of the church how they got there. The healthier the church, the more likely you are to find a large number of people there from invitation. Not everyone is gifted with the spiritual gift of evangelism, but everyone has family/friends/neighbors/coworkers who are not attending a church somewhere. When the Spirit is moving in a church people cannot wait to tell others.

#4

Stewardship– Not a focus on giving to meet a budget or pay down a dept, but Biblical teaching on a regular basis as part of growing as a disciple of Christ. Healthy churches are not afraid to talk about money, but they also do not focus on it every week. One key place to look is the membership class of the church. Are they teaching new members about giving? What is the expectation? Church finances are not something to hide, but they should be more for members and not something a new person encounters on their first visit.

#3

Service– How are the members of the congregation serving others? When we follow Christ’s example of serving others, wonderful things begin to happen in our churches, in our community, and in our world. Many churches support missions, but too few of them are on mission. There is a big difference. Not everyone, and not every church can go overseas to work in mission…but everyone and every church can help to feed and clothe those in need around the block.

#2

Vision– While all Christian churches have the same mission (see Matthew 28:19-20) each church is unique and should have a vision all their own. Too often the church has no clear vision, or if they do…no one can tell you what that vision is or what it means. Having a statement printed on the wall is not as important as having a vision that can guide the church and help them determine which programs are needed, which ones are not, and most importantly…how are they doing? A healthy church says “no” to more programs than they say “yes” in order to stay true to the vision.

#1

Prayer– We should never take for granted the power of prayer in a healthy church or assume that it is in place. Prayer should surround the programs/ministries of the church; each gathering/meeting should begin with prayer; prayer should be taught by the pastor and modeled by the leaders. Listen to what and for whom the church is praying. Are they only praying for themselves (those who are sick or in need), or are they also praying for the lost and the hurting all around them? A healthy church will lean more toward praying for those outside than those inside.