What are the things that characterise healthy churches? Here are some possibilities: Disciples; A Founder; God’s Word; Prayer; Meetings that edify; Fellowship; Breaking bread; Gospel; Leaders; Generosity ... What would you add to this list? What basis in the scriptures would you have for your suggestion?
The idea of a healthy church implies unhealthy ones. But what does healthy mean? It suggests some correspondence between the life of a church and what God intended his church to be like. Just as when we go to the doctor, the doctor has some standard of comparison as to what a healthy person looks like. Otherwise their treatment would be subjective and whimsical (at best) or (possibly) determined by profit.
Churches are different to individuals in that they are more subject to powerful people, currents of opinion, personalities and dysfunctional behaviour. Churches don’t always seek help when they are in trouble. Sometimes preferring denial and nostalgia, sometimes engaged in a struggle amongst those who have different opinions about its state of health and the potential cures.
Do you want to be part of a healthy church? Will it benefit you (the utilitarian’s question)? Is it possible (the pragmatist’s question)? Will it give better honour to Christ? Will it be more healing to unbelievers?
And how healthy do we want to be? Healthy enough to feel comfortable (the cruise ship and hospice question)? Healthy enough to heal? Healthy enough to be anticipating heaven? Healthy enough to evangelise the world?
All of us have opinions about these kinds of things. Sometimes they surface in the form of complaints. Sometimes they surface in our prayers. Sometimes they surface in our actions. In many cases they are only partly thought out and depend on what we are used to and already know about.
So asking the question can help us think about it afresh. Do we want to be part of a healthy church, and what are the things that make a church healthy?
What do you think?
Dale