7 Traits of Healthy Churches

Not long ago one of my favorite authors, Thom Rainer, wrote about various character traits of healthy churches.  Rainer studied some 30 churches that were having great ministry impact, whose members regularly had Gospel conversations, and whose leaders faithfully preached the Word with power every week.  As a result of that study Rainer identified nearly 50 different traits that made those churches rise above the others.  He then summarized those traits into seven categories that I’ll now share.

1.     They truly believe in the power of the Gospel.  Many church members and leaders would certainly affirm their own belief in the power of the Gospel.  However, few would actually act on that belief and allow it to dictate their days.  Few members would seek to share the Gospel with others throughout their week.  Sadly enough, for most churches, it’s lip service only.  But not so for these healthy churches.  These churches were driven for the sake of the Gospel.

2.     They have courageous leaders. They could be called “Joshua leaders” who step out in great faith.  They are ready to lead the people into the community and storm the gates of hell. They remind the members to be courageous, even as they themselves are courageous.  They have pastors who lead with great vision.

3.     They embrace change.  Most church members, and some church leaders, fiercely resist change. They idolize the past, the way we’ve always done it. The healthy churches on Rainer’s watch list embrace change as long as it does not go counter to Biblical truth. These churches don’t spend their energies and resources trying to convince people to move forward. They are ready to go! 

4.     They are not nostalgic. These church members honor and respect the past but they don’t live there (or worship the past).  According to Rainer, they are constantly anticipating what God will do in the present and the future. They don’t have time to be nostalgic, because they are too busy moving forward for the sake of the Gospel.

5.     They see reality. It is reported that these churches make highly intentional efforts to see reality more clearly.  They may have secret guests evaluate their churches and allow them the freedom to share where the church might be dropping the ball. They use tools to help them improve and do not feel threatened by them.  They don’t fear finding something negative with their churches, because those findings become areas for improvement.

6.     They intentionally intersect their lives with non-Christians.  They see their weekday vocation as a mission field; each member serves in full-time ministry right where God has planted them. They see their neighborhoods as their own Jerusalem.  They intentionally work and do business with non-Christians in order to share the Gospel. They are highly intentional about inviting people to church.

7.     They accept responsibility.  Healthy churches see the changes in culture as opportunities and not barriers.  Healthy churches accept their own responsibility for impacting the community.  Healthy churches realize the fields are truly white unto harvest.  They believe other churches are partners in mission, not competitors.

In essence, Rainer reports that healthy churches understand that it is the entire churches’ responsibility to take the Gospel forward to the lost even though it demands their own preferences being set aside.  These churches are churches that are consumed with the Gospel for the glory of God.