In a recent issue of Outreach, I wrote about the seven sins of dying churches. The response to the article was significant, but one response was recurring: "Thom, now that we've heard about the characteristics of dying churches, can you tell us about the characteristics of healthy churches?" I went back to my research of over 2,000 healthy churches in America to find unifying features, and I am excited to share them with you.
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Let me offer a few disclaimers. First, I'm not going to bore you with all the data we have. Second, my list of principles is by no means exhaustive. I am sure you'll wonder why some were not included. My research team and I did the best we could to determine seven of the major principles that healthy churches follow, but some were likely omitted. Finally, these "secrets" are not really secrets. It just sounded good in the title.
Secret #1:
The church's leadership and the laity hold to a high view of Scripture. While holding to a conservative and evangelical perspective of the Bible does not guarantee health in a church, we don't find health in congregations where Scripture is not held as authoritative. This so-called secret has been revealed by many researchers beyond our own work.
Secret #2:
The churches and their leaders seek to be relevant. It's a dangerous word in today's churches. "Relevant" carries with it a multitude of meanings, and the meaning is positive or negative depending on one's perspective and philosophy of ministry. I should clarify at this point that relevancy does not and cannot mean biblical compromise.
Many church leaders long for the day when church members will be first concerned about biblical fidelity and reaching a growing unchurched world with the Gospel. Sadly, too many members are more concerned about their own comforts than making the necessary sacrifices to be relevant and reach out to those who are not followers of Christ. Most of the church conflicts I have witnessed or heard reported dealt with peripheral issues: the style of music, the length of the sermons, the physical facilities.
Secret #3:
The churches and their leaders hold to the primacy of preaching. In some churches, preaching has lost its power and emphasis. It is perceived to be an irrelevant ministry and style of communication. Or it may be a central part of the worship service, but the time and study involved in sermon preparation is lacking. There is preaching, but it has little power.
Among the churches we studied, preaching was primary for those with healthy conversion growth and meaningful discipleship ministries. Pastors who preached each week spent five times as much time in sermon preparation as those who preached in unhealthy churches. There is a powerful correlation between sermon study time and health of the church.
Of course, if the preachers are to spend significant time in the preparation of sermons, the church members must give them the time to do so. There cannot be an expectation that they attend every meeting, meet every pastoral care need, visit everyone, and provide hours of counseling. The members must give the preacher time to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). In other words, the laity must be unleashed to do much of the ministry of the church.
Source: ChurchLeaders.com
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay.com). He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books include Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, The Unexpected Journey, and Breakout Churches. Visit: www.LifeWay.com
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