People Spots
Online
Produced by James W.
Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries
Characteristics of a Healthy Church
Part 4
by James W. Moss, Sr.
Back to Part 3
8. A Healthy Church Develops What It Does Best
Each church has a self-image. Only people who have positive feelings about their congregation will reach into the community and invite other people to come. St. Barnabas Chapel developed a compassion and ministry for the children of unchurched families in the vicinity of the building. It was located in a previously rural setting that had recently been developed. Nice homes had been built, and couples in their mid-thirties moved in. Most of them were unchurched and averaged from two to five children.
St. Barnabas designed a ministry to touch those children and youth. Many of them attended worship, Sunday school, the youth program, daily vacation Bible school, and the denomination's camps and seminars. More than ten percent of the St. Barnabas' budget was committed to this effort. This church became known across the community for their ministry with those children and youth. They felt good about themselves. This ministry was developed to its fullest. The ministry was extended by then reaching out to the parents by offering support and training.
A church needs to become good at something. This is extremely important. Being good at something assists in developing a positive self-image. A positive self-image builds confidence to act. A confident church conducting meaningful ministry constructs a community reputation for quality. Exercise: Identify that aspect of ministry that your church does best. Brainstorm: What could be done to strengthen and expand that ministry? A church that attempts to develop ministries it neither has the skills or financial resources to do is planning to fail. Each new failure adds to the poor self-image. It is better to do fewer programs competently than many programs poorly.
9. A Healthy Church Tolerates Individual Differences
Rev. Thomas Hebron is the tremendously successful pastor of Hempfield church. One of his most important skills was the capacity to identify gifts in people and set them free. He could see gifts in the most unusual people. Michael Johnson is a rather course man seriously lacking in sophistication. Most would not have given Michael a second glance. Instead he was nurtured and trained. A week of evangelistic services was being conducted at Hempfield Church. Michael took a bus into another valley and brought an average attendance of forty-eight per night for eight nights. I have preached weeks of such services that didn't average forty-eight in attendance.
Each person is a unique creation. That uniqueness must be appreciated and cultivated. God did not call us to use a cookie cutter to produce Christians that all look alike. The common bond must be a commitment to the mission of Jesus Christ as Lord. Then skills and gifts must be identified. Such skills must be matched to tasks being done or yet to do. Then people must be set free to function in ministry.
10. The Healthy Church Prays Together
The relationship of God to a local church must be understood. The Holy Spirit is involved in the life of a Christian congregation. Many churches assess the task in front of them and evaluate available human and physical resources and conclude the mission is impossible.
Prayer must be an important part of what the church does. The prayer should not be just a simple generic "Lord bless our church." Pray specifically. Share with the Lord the deepest longings for the well being of people, program, finances, and building for the Kingdom's sake. Exercise: Describe the corporate prayer life of your church. Describe the individual prayer life of the pastor and leadership of the church. Brainstorm a minimum of ten ways to improve corporate and individual prayer life.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 NIV. A father and mother were debating about a birthday gift for their teen-age son. He wanted a camera. He had the ability to be a good photographer. They bought an expensive camera for him; however, there was a problem. The son had shown a lack of responsibility. Last year they gave him an expensive bicycle for his birthday. In two weeks it was totally destroyed. That was not unusual in his pattern of behavior. The parents debated. When the boy's birthday arrived they said to him, "Son we love you very much. We have purchased the good camera that you wanted. However, we are going to keep it until you have shown sufficient responsibility to care for it."
The full impact of this encounter did not strike the father until he knelt to pray that night. He asked himself, "What does my heavenly father want to give me that I'm not yet ready to receive?" What does God in his strength want to give you or your church that you are not ready to receive? God will lead us down a path that will involve a variety of risks. To be faithful means personal risk. Our own personal ambitions and desires will be at risk. In the normal human state they are not always consistent with God's wishes for us. Some very cherished longings may have to be replaced with God's will. In the end obedience to God will improve the quality of life.
God's call may not always lead us to bigger and better churches and more salary. When we listen carefully, God may call us to risk planting a mission church, to a smaller congregation, or to a tent-making ministry. For laity it may mean a change in careers where more meaningful activity occurs. To be faithful means a career risk. The kind of house we live in, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear are not so important compared to the real values of life. Obedience to God's leading and compassion for humanity will dictate significant changes in lifestyle. To be faithful means a material risk. Significant achievement occurs when quality risks are taken within the context of God's will. What are you or your church doing that would utterly fail if God were not involved?
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July 29, 1999. Volume 2, Issue 10. People Spots Online is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org. Articles may be duplicated and reproduced in any way. A new article is produced about every two weeks. To be added to a list to receive these messages directly by e-mail, send a request to churchconsultants@yahoo.com.