Signs Your Church Might Be Unhealthy
I often find myself pondering the spiritual health of our churches. It's easy to get caught up in the focus on the week-to-week gathering, especially because that is what most visible. But when was the last time we truly assessed the spiritual vitality of my own church and those that make up the church?
I firmly believe that a healthy church comprehends its purpose and actively seeks to live this out it in all facets of church life. Aligning with Christ's mission and seeing missional fruit, such as conversions or growth in love for Christ is paramount. After all, we're entrusted with Christ’s mission to reach the nations and teach them to obey his commands, an honour that carries immense responsibility.
Sadly, it is so easy for church communities to veer off course, becoming insular and self-serving rather than outwardly focused on God's mission. We must avoid the temptation of pleasing those in the congregation and constantly measure our church against Christ’s mission if we are to avoid resembling mere social clubs (who satisfy members who pay for the service?).
This sounds easy, however with the constant feedback from members focussed on what they like (or don’t like) this is a task that takes constant work and wisdom.
When asked recently for a few indicators of spiritual health the follow were developed (and borrowed) for examination. You might find them helpful indicators to consider for your church:
Treatment of God's Word: Do we treat it well, with respect and authority? How we treat the Word of God and the authority of Scripture can reveal a lot about a church’s heart.
Approach to Prayer and Thankfulness: Do our prayers reflect a true understanding of God's sovereignty and a desire for His kingdom to advance? Does our prayer honour and recognise the Almighty? Are our prayers solely for our benefit or are they also for His Kingdom to come?
Inclusion of Outsiders: Are we genuinely a church that wants to see the growth of Christ’s kingdom (or do we just want the numbers of ‘people like us’ to increase)? How many people are inviting friends to church? Are they comfortable to invite a friend? Actually inviting others into our community, is a positive demonstration of a genuine desire for conversions and growth in faith?
Concern for Spiritual Growth: Do we genuinely care about the spiritual development of each individual, seeking to disciple and encourage one another? Do we expect our brothers in sisters to grow? A great question to ask each other is simply “are you growing in your faith?” or “how are you growing?”. I believe this concern starts with the expectation that Christians should be growing in their love and devotion to Christ.
Stewardship of Resources: How a church uses their available time and resources is a good indicator of priorities. How do we utilize our time, talents, and finances? Are they aligned with God's mission and pleasing to Him?
If my church appears ailing, what can I do?
It's remarkable how the Holy Spirit will use a single individual's passion for the Lord to ignite transformative change within a community. A passion to engage with others about their faith, offering spiritual encouragement, and reminding people of the enormous blessing we have in Christ.
Initiating change isn't always straightforward, but it starts by reminding ourselves of the purpose and destination in Christ.
Let me encourage you to remind yourself weekly (even daily) of the reason why God appointed you to lead a church. His mission is the mission.. powered by the Spirit of the one true God of all the universe.
I reckon this is where church health starts.