While there might be other virtues that some would add to this list, as I understand the Scripture, these eight are the essential elements that define a healthy church family. In other words, I don’t think a church can be whole if they lack one or more of these dimensions below.
All of these elements are contained in a set of verses upon which we have built The Brook Church—Acts 2:42-47. I hope this list confirms in your heart what we are pursuing together and reminds us to stay to true to our call to be a biblically-functioning church community.
Inspiring Worship
Worship is more attitude than a Sunday church service. When corporate worship authentically glorifies God, it is based upon a set of other realities. Inspiring worship flows from a church that assumes it is in desperate need of God. There is a sense of awe, life, and God's supernatural activity in transforming people
and answering prayer. This kind of church is a
praying church because it truly believes in its dependence
upon God. They confess that without God's presence and power, they are
nothing. Here then is worship that leads people to discover the amazing power, presence and potential of God in their lives.
A Heart for the Spiritually Lost
Healthy churches feel a great burden to share the gospel of Jesus with people outside the walls of the church. In healthy churches, the good news of Jesus is prominent and is central to the very message of the hope that is shared. Healthy churches reach out to lost people… (1) By proclaiming the central message of the cross throughout all its ministries, (2) By equipping and encouraging their people to share their own story of faith with others in their personal, daily environments (work, recreation, etc.), (3) By selfless acts of service in the community (no strings attached) that validate and bring credibility to the message of the gospel, and (4) by praying for, supporting, and giving financially to those called of God to church planting and missions.
A Hunger for Deeper Faith
Healthy churches seek to take their people from a mere once-per-week, 30-minute session of hearing God's Word on Sunday mornings into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Word. Consequently, they inspire their people to personally read and study the Bible, as well as provide other opportunities in the church for the deeper study of it. This all with the underlying intention of not just knowing God’s Word, but living it.
Acceptance, Belonging, Care
Healthy churches point people to and offer ministries for more intimate “circles of belonging” where individuals find authentic Christian relationships. These kinds of churches believe that Christians do not truly reach their potential spiritually unless they do so in community. This sense of “fellowship” is the truest heart of the church and is discovered in the beauty of people praying for one another, encouraging one another, and belonging to one another as they connect around God’s Word. Corporately, it provides a sense of warmth and love that permeates the church family and creates a loving, welcoming culture.
Generous Hearts
Simply put- a church is not healthy unless its people learn to serve others. For healthy churches, spiritual maturity is defined in serving. That is, we are never more like Jesus than when we serve others. It essentially means the church is comprised more of givers than takers. This expresses itself in financial generosity. It also involves the actual practice of serving and volunteering. The world outside the walls of the church is rather self-seeking and consumer-minded— but the church of God must not be worldly. Possibly the most counter-cultural virtue of Christ’s church is the attitude of giving. Here, people leverage their financial resources as well as their time to ministry. Every member is a minister, people are encouraged to discover their spiritual gifts and passions, and all lend support to the ministries that bless them and their families.
A Structure that Doesn’t Get in the Way
Healthy churches are structured for effectiveness. Sadly, some churches have bureaucratic structures that hold back ministry, slow down decisions, point the church away from mission toward maintenance, or cripple ministries altogether from being effective. Healthy churches instead are permission giving and allow people to be empowered in the ministries they are leading and involved in. This does not mean a free-for-all of course. Yet, within boundaries established by church leadership, people feel they own their ministries and the decisions that accompany them, and are not dependent upon some centralized entity in order to act.
Authentic Leadership
A healthy church is where pastors and leaders model honesty, vulnerability, godly character, courageous leadership and servant hood. The primary criterion for leadership in the church is that potential leaders possess the heart of a servant. This means the willingness to sacrifice and act in the best interest of the church, rather than in the best interest of self.
A Compelling Vision from God
Vision brings purpose and purpose brings unity. Healthy churches have a convicting sense of the vision (i.e., the compelling future) to which God has called them. With clear, concise and compelling vision, these churches have greater unity and life, as well as a reduction in conflict and self-centered agendas. When all in the church believe in and submit to the vision of God for their church family, a common and compelling sense of unique destiny results. In this lies a “sense of shared future” that provides a power and life like no other.
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