by Pastor Tony

A few years back, Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources wrote two articles for "Outreach" magazine (www.outreachmagazine.com) in which he described the seven secrets of healthy churches. These “secrets” are just as applicable today as they were in 2007, so I’m summarizing them below:

1. The church's leadership and laity have a high view of Scripture: This means that that Bible is authoritative for faith and life. Generally speaking, the congregation takes a conservative view of the Word, accepts it literally, interprets it in context, and believes in verbal (every word) plenary (entire Scripture) inspiration by God. The Bible is not twisted to match existing behavior; rather, existing behavior is changed to conform with Scripture.

2. The church and its leaders try to actively connect with non-members: This means that the congregation does not form itself as a private club and hide behind the four walls of the sanctuary. Another way to describe the church is that it is conservative in theology and liberal in servanthood. When one method of reaching out does not work, the church immediately moves on to another way. Everything about the church - from worship to fellowship - effectively communicates that visitors are welcome.

3. The church's leaders hold to the primacy of preaching: This means that the pastor leads his flock from the pulpit, and the sheep follow and support their shepherd in this crucial ministry. God's Word must be proclaimed in its truth and purity, applying both law and Gospel to the brokenness of the human condition.

4. The church has a healthy small group structure: This means that multiple small-group opportunities for immersion in God's Word are offered, and parishioners are encouraged to attend. Rainer writes, "The churches that emphasized moving as many members as possible into a small group assimilated those members five times better than those who attended only worship services." Small groups include Sunday school, home Bible studies, church Bible studies, and any other group that gathers around the Word outside of regular worship.

5. The church emphasizes corporate prayer and church prayer ministries: This means that every member of the congregation is encouraged to enter into group and individual prayer as a natural part of Christian life. A common element of healthy churches is that members are encouraged to pray for non- Christians by name. Rainer writes, "They are unashamed and unafraid to be vocal about the greatest need any person could have: salvation through Jesus Christ."

6. The church takes membership seriously: This means the membership rolls are regularly updated and people who are no longer in regular attendance are contacted. Members are held to levels of Christian accountability well above those of casual attendees or visitors. Everyone is encouraged to explore a deeper relationship with Christ and is challenged to walk more closely with him.

7. The church is highly intentional about outreach: This means the congregation deliberately engages in ministries, programs and events that reach out with the Gospel to unchurched people throughout the community.

Note that a healthy church's outreach is not just feel-good fluff; healthy churches talk about Law and Gospel, good and evil, heaven and hell. Rainer writes, "Their evangelism is thus motivated not only by the good news of the Gospel, but the bad news of rejecting the Gospel." Rainer shares even more information about healthy churches in his book, called "Simple Church" (B&H Publishing Group), written with co-author Eric Geiger.