What are the vital indicators of a church’s health and where can they be found? The book of Acts gives us these indicators or signs of a healthy church. Many have taken them to be a model and they are. It should be noted that the author recorded what the church was doing and therefore giving us a look at a healthy church. These areas are worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, prayer, and fellowship (see Acts 2:42-47). I believe it is crucial that we begin to take an honest look at our vital signs in order to be as effective as we can for the kingdom of God in the 21st century. Listed below is a brief definition of each area by Dr. Tom Rainer.
Worship is… attributing the honor and giving the devotion to God that He alone deserves. True worship has nothing to do with a particular style of worship or liturgy. It is, instead, a matter of the heart.
Discipleship is… loving obedience. Jesus calls his disciples to follow his teachings through self-denial. This attitude of self-denial is not particularly popular today, but it was not popular during Jesus’ time either. Being a disciple of Christ, however, demands it. While discipleship is not a program, it can be encouraged through special mentoring relationships and training classes. New Christians should have the opportunity to learn how to study the Bible and how to develop a personal devotional life. Older Christians should continue to mature while lending guidance. In this manner, the entire body of Christ will be edified.
Prayer is… drawing near to God through faith in quiet contemplation and with bold requests. Prayer is one of the most underused weapons in our spiritual arsenal. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to put on the armor of God to fight the spiritual battle, but he emphasized above all that prayer be made on all occasions (Ephesians 6:18). Jesus also reminded his followers to pray through his example of often withdrawing to a quiet place to pray (e.g. Matthew 14:23). In many churches prayer has been relegated to a particular meeting or to a particular group of members. Prayer, however, is one of the six primary purposes of the church and as such, should be fundamental to everything that happens in the church.
Evangelism is… “the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so be reconciled to God. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His church, and responsible service to the world.” Evangelism is particularly important to the church that seeks true growth since healthy growth comes primarily through new Christians. Just prior to Jesus ascending, he gave the church a specific task: to be His witnesses beginning in Jerusalem and continuing to the ends of the earth. Since not everyone on earth has heard the good news of Christ, the church must still be involved in fulfilling our assignment through effective evangelism.
Fellowship is… communion with other believers in order to encourage one another’s walk with the Lord. Christian fellowship is unique. It is something that occurs only as we unite ourselves first with Christ and then to other Christians. Indeed, it is only the love of Christ that can unite people from diverse backgrounds and with distinctive personalities so that they are able to call each other “brother” and “sister.”
Ministry is… a Christian using his or her spiritual gifts for the edification of the church and in service to a lost world. God uniquely gifts his people with abilities in order that His Church may advance. Serving and ministering go together in God’s kingdom.
Chuck
