WHAT DOES A HEALTHY CHURCH LOOK LIKE?

 

The dictionary’s definition of “healthy" is free from disease, well-being, prosperous, flourishing, and not small or feeble.

Understanding and evaluating the marks of a healthy church ensure a church that thrives spiritually and fulfills its mission. The simplest way to evaluate the health of a church is to look at Scripture. A thriving church exhibits signs like genuine love for one another (John 13:34-35), a commitment to prayer (Acts 2:42), and a passion for spreading the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).

MEASUREMENTS ARE IMPORTANT SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

Some people like to measure membership while others prefer attendance. Others like to count salvation decisions or baptisms. However, others completely forgo the emphasis on numbers. They say these measurements bear no relation to church health and are therefore meaningless in a health assessment of their church.

They prefer the intuitive and qualitative approach which focuses on the hospitable nature of the church like relationships, attitudes and atmosphere. There are certain characteristics that can be used to measure when assessing the health of a congregation. These characteristics are what sum up to a healthy church.

A healthy church, like any healthy organism, grows and matures. Growth may look different depending on the church’s size and setting, but a steady increase in attendance, baptisms, and spiritual maturity is a common marker.

1. MEMBERSHIP

Stewardship of people is close to the heart of God. In the book of Acts chapter 20, pastors are admonished to keep watch over the flock. This means knowing who attends your church. The total membership of a church should be segmented into three areas: adults, youth, and children.

When we talk about total membership, we are not referring to formal membership but to everyone who attends our church and has attended in the last 6 months.

 

2. ATTENDANCE

Hebrews 10:25 mentions meeting together on a regular basis as greatly important to spiritual development. Sunday worship service attendance should be counted and segmented into three areas: adults, youth, and children. Attendance ratios for these three areas can be an indicator for the health of a church. Normal ranges are 70% adults, 10% youth, and 20% children.

If children and youth numbers are low, the church is in danger of decline and ultimately death as the church members grow older. This can certainly stop the church from growing.

 

3. VISITORS

Counting the visitors makes sense on a whole range of levels. You can track your service visitor numbers against your history and also stop trends that indicate poor health. A lack of visitors is a definitive sign of a church in decline.

Likewise, a good flow of visitors is an indicator of a healthy church, aligning with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Regularly monitoring these numbers helps ensure your church is effectively reaching and engaging with the community, fostering spiritual growth and outreach.

 

4. AVERAGE AGE

    

The church should compare their average age to their region. If your church is older than the surrounding community this should be a red alert wake-up call and probably indicates ill health.

Discovering you are markedly younger means you may have a fruitful decade awaiting you, or it may indicate you are not offering programs to connect with middle-aged and older citizens. This will have an impact on your financial and spiritual health.

Titus 2:4-7 Encourages multi-generational ministry to occur with the older generations pouring into and mentoring the younger. If you don’t have one generation or the other, this valuable relationship is lost.

 

5. BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP

A small or medium size church should aim to have 50% of their adult members involved in regular fellowship. This is vital to developing the health of a church. Proverbs 27:17 encourages a spiritual sharpening of one another, something that happens best in close relationship.

Small churches should consider offering groups for relationships, Biblical discipleship, and overall spiritual growth if they find that the Sunday worship service is not sufficiently meeting their members’ spiritual needs. Strong involvement in groups is a healthy church must.

 

6. SERVING

The health of a church body is closely linked to the ratio of members serving. Philippians 2:3-8 highlights the importance of this service by emphasizing the need to humbly consider others’ needs above our own.

When people make a conscious contribution to a church they not only get more involved and connected they feel more connected. Plus, they gain and develop skills as well as build better relationships with other believers as they serve one another.

All these factors combine to build hope and confidence within the heart of a believer, which in turn yields healthy attitudes and helps the church be healthy. Small and medium size churches should aim to have over 70% of their adults coming together to serve the church in some capacity.

 

7. EVANGELISM

The health of a church can be measured in part by the number of people coming to the Lord. As Christians, it is our responsibility to reach the lost and share with them the life available in Christ (Ephesians 1).

Keeping track of how many baptisms you have in your church help towards assessing the health of your church. If there are very few that is a sign of a church that is not healthy. People coming to Christ and biblically discipled into baptism is one of the indicators of a healthy church.

Healthy churches guide new believers into deeper relationships with Christ. A healthy church makes disciples who make disciples.

8. BAPTISMS

Baptisms are a concrete number that helps ascertain the health of a church. 7% of your church’s average attendance number is considered a mid-range number when it comes to assessing church health.

For instance, if your average attendance is 200 then you would expect to see 14 people baptised in any given year. I think a ratio lower than this number is a sure indicator that a church is not in good health.

Healthy churches make disciples and baptism is a key indicator in that journey. Baptism must be considered a primary number in assessing the health of a church.

 

9. FINANCE

From the days of the early church to modern times, giving to God has been viewed as an act of worship. Giving is another indicator of health. People give when they make a strong connection to the church.

 

10. COMMITMENT TO MISSION

 

Is there a clarity of mission and purpose that is based on the New Testament elements of discipleship and evangelism? If not, then a church will operate in a fog of uncertainty and confusion and health will undoubtedly deteriorate. A sustained focus on implementing the mission is evidence of good health. Unhealthy churches lack alignment around the mission and ministry of the church.

 

11. WARMTH OF RELATIONSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIP

Language reveals the warmth of a church. What does the church look like?

What is the pastor preaching in his sermons?

How do the members treat and talk to each other?

Is the language negative, unbelieving and critical?

Is the language supportive, kind and faith-filled?

Is there laughter, encouragement and prayer or is there a negative atmosphere of discouragement and difficulty?

There’s no doubt joy brings strength and vitality to a church. This is key to growing a healthy church.

 

12. CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Clearly communicating essential information gives people confidence and hope, which impacts church health. Healthy churches regularly communicate with clarity and precision.

 

FIND A WAY TO USE YOUR TALENTS AND GIFTS IN SERVICE TO THE CHURCH

God has given each of us gifts, and talents to use in service to Him and the people around us (I Cor. 12: 4-31). For some this may mean teaching, others witnessing, while for others it may mean taking time to listen to people who are hurting. If we are only on the receiving end of ministry and never use our gifts to give to God and others, we will never know the full joy of Christian fellowship. It’s like a team that wins a big game. The fans enjoy the victory somewhat. But it is the team that has worked and practiced together with each person contributing to the team in some way, who really knows the full joy of victory.