ARTICLES

A healthy church, like beauty, is not only in “the eye of the beholder.” There are certain patterns of practical behavior that will gradually lead to a healthier church. Here are five ways to have a healthy church.

#1 Healthy Preaching

We are what we eat, and churches become what they are fed. Feed them junk food: they will gradually become junkier. Feed them Christ by his Word: they will gradually become more like Christ.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word…” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

#2 Healthy Praying

Polluted air leads to polluted bodies, and if the air we breathe spiritually is not filled with prayer, it will become filled with other things: complaints, grumbling, worldly agendas. A praying church is, all other things being equal, more likely to lead to an increasingly healthy church.

“pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

#3 Healthy Leadership

The body goes where the brain tells it to go, and if the nerve center of the church, the leadership, is healthy, then the rest of the body will move towards a healthy direction. A church with loving, truth-speaking, wise leadership will gradually become healthier.

“shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3).

#4 Healthy Discipleship

As our bodies will become unhealthy unless they exercise, so will the church body become unhealthy unless it has a culture of mentorship, discipleship, serving and encouraging one another. A church that is discipling each other will gradually become healthier.

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16).

#5 Healthy Evangelism

Human bodies need to grow to be healthy, and the church grows as it shares Christ with its friends and neighbors and with the world. A church that is constantly positioning itself to tell people about Christ will gradually become a healthier church.

“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV).