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5 More Signs of a Healthy Christian Church (Part 2)

5 More Signs of a Healthy Christian Church, Part 2

Last week we discussed 5 Signs of a Healthy Christian Church in an effort to take the pulse of our churches and discern whether they are healthy or suffering from dysfunction: toxic dynamics, wrong teaching, or unbalanced leadership.

This series is not intended to determine metrics for church growth. It serves more as a checklist to measure the heart, practice, and biblical integrity of our individual Christian churches.

Be sure to revisit our starting point in last week’s blog post, but here’s a quick recap of the first five points covered:

Christ is the center of conversations, preaching, teaching, programs, prayer, worship, and all decisions.

Conviction (repentance) and grace are both present.

The church welcomes and includes children, individuals with special needs and disabilities, and the mentally ill. This takes place from the top down.

There are sinners, still working through their sanctification, in the church.

The pastor is not a solo act. He is accountable to his denomination and/or affiliation.

Picking up where we left off, let’s examine five more signs of a healthy church. How is your church doing? Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Bonnie Lyn Smith on June 10, 2016 in Drawing Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Church Life, Ministry Moments

Tags: Body of Christ, church dysfunction, church elders, church health, church leadership, dysfunctional church, gossip, healthy church, healthy churches, miracles, partiality, pastoral accountability, pastoral care, pastoral humility, pastoral transparency, safe churches, servant leader

5 Signs of a Healthy Christian Church, Part 1

03 Jun

5 Signs of a Healthy Christian Church, Part 1 I think from time to time it’s good to do a “wellness check” on our churches. Over decades of church participation, I’ve been able to reflect on unhealthy congregations from the vantage point of safe, healthy ones.

With some regularity, I watch hurting folks crawl out of churches, still strong in their faith, but damaged and limping from the psychology of unhealthy leadership. Twice in my life, I, too, had to detox from churches that damage.

Why is that? How did well intentioned, theologically sound, God-fearing pastors and ministers of the Word end up being instruments of harm?

And really, no church is going to be perfect, so what’s the big deal?

To be clear, I do not have a theology degree. I do not currently have a paid staff position of ministry (although I have in the past). I have been merely an observer of brokenness within the church and have studied what it is that leads faith-filled, humble people to run for the exit ramp after years of trying to make it work.

I prefer to take it from the positive side. If you find your church has most of these elements, then I would say Read the rest of this entry »