Evidence of a healthy church

Amen, People need to take note in verse 2:47 of Acts were the bible tells us that the "Lord added to the church". God does it not us. If a church focuses on the instructions in verse 2:42, and the members obediently witness and invite people, the Lord will add. In my opinion to many churches feel they have to reinvent the church in order to add. While I am sure it is of the best intentions, I believe if we focus more on entertaining to increase rather than focusing on being a biblical healthy church and leave the adding to the Lord as scripture tells us, we could find ourselves moving away from were God would like us to be.

 

I don't numbers alone shows a healthly church - it is only one many indicators of a healthy church.

There are plenty of huge churches that are no more than country club and plenty of small churches that are country clubs as well.

I think the signs of a healthy Bible preaching church are these:

1. The Bible is held in the highest esteem and preached from the and in the classrooms.
2. The Pastor functions as Shepard and guide, not as Lord and master.
3. The people demonstrate a self initiative(fueled by The Holy Spirit of couse) to where the Pastor does not have to think of everything and do everything around the church.
4. The people understand the difference between the Pastor's opinion on the issues of the day and what the Scriptures actually say. I find it very dangerous when I see a church where the Pastor's opinion is thought of on the same level as the authority of the Scriptures.
5. The church is constantly re-evaluating its various ministries and programs for their effectiveness. If the program is not effective, is put aside for a new program.
6. The church keeps its focus on the fact that it is there to glorify God. It realizes it has two important ministries in its effort to glorify God, one is evangelism, the other is discipleship. Too many churches focus either on one or the other - they need an equal focus on both.
7. The church realizes the culture it exists within, and evangelizes its community with that in mind. The evangelistic program that works in a small town in the mid-west might not work for inner-city church. What works in Brazil, might not work here.
8. Ultimately a church realizes that it is God who does the saving and not man. We are only commanded to proclaim God's Gospel, not to force people to say a prayer so we can have our quota for the week.
9. Church can become an obession just like anything else. The church realizes and respects the balance a Christian family must have between work, family and church responsibilties.

IFBReformer

 

I agree. We need also remember that many are called and few are chosen. There are fewer true believers than we are willing to believe. We get in a hurry to fil the roles and we fill the pews with goats. Large numbers are sooner a sign of a dead church than a living one.

 

amen!

and someone asked if there are really churches like this? There are, Ive been in them. But its the responsibility of each of us to make our own church as close to this as we can.

 

[tongue in cheek]

Oh, Bapmom, you're so deceived...it's the Pastor's job to handle all that stuff!

[\tongue in cheek]

:laugh:

 

Hear, hear! :applause:

 

:laugh: :laugh:

That's a laugh!!!

The largest SBC church in Tennessee---Bellevue----has more problems than you can "shake a stick" at!!!

Of course, Pastor Greg doesn't really believe what he posted---does he???

 

:laugh: aint that the truth of how some think! :godisgood:

 

Yes! I attend one!

I would add to the list - giving to missions.

 

This is what one pastor preached last week -
A healthy church should be growing in the Spirit, growing souls, and growing the kingdom. It's not about attendance. They should not be shrinking though.
He said that when you go to a healthy church, you should be able to tell what Jesus means to the people who go there. In other words, who Jesus is, should be reflected in that church.
What is important to that church? The color of the carpet, or the souls dying and going to hell?
He said there should not be indifference, passiveness, or worldliness.
He also said, that a healthy church will have hostility from hell. As a church grows, it will face opposition.

One other comment, that I liked, he said that if a church is growing in attendance, but it is sickly, then Jesus must not be building the church.

Just my two cents worth.

 

OK we have the opposite problem. We are planning a Youth Mission trip for 2008 and we keep having to tell the adults in the church that beyond the chaperones the spots are reserved for the kids. Of course if the kids back out on me it's good to know I won't have a problem filling the spots.


Bill :godisgood:

 

I feel some signs of a healthy church are:

When the pastor and other leaders are open and transparent in all the functions of the church.

When the pastor is able to delegate responsibilities and actually trust the people and let them do their job.

When the congregation is able to joyfully sing the songs in the service and are able to give their tithes and offerings with the same joy.

 

Ditto here, Bill!

We have a youth group going to Romania this month and the adults are jealous. :laugh:

Brent (the g/son who lives with me) won't be going as we are just not able to afford it right now - maybe next year... :godisgood:

 

I went on a mission trip to Romania. Your young folks should be prepared for Baptist culture shock.

They don't play church over there. I found some churches require a 2-year probation period before giving full membership privileges to new converts.

Church attendance can often be twice the membership roll.

Church services start at two hours

Most Romanian churches do not give invitations or altar calls.

Every church we were in had an organ, and none had a piano.

Baptists are harrassed by the established Orthodox church as heretics and "sheep stealers."

Evangelical denominations are less than 10% of the population.

That mission trip can be a life-changing (and theology-changing) experience.

 

I went through that when I joined the BB. :laugh:

The missionaries they are going to visit in Romania were sent out from our church 10 years ago. It will be very interesting and enlightening for the teens.