Healthy Churches

Biblical Church growth is concerned with the planting, multiplying, nurturing, and renewing of healthy churches.

However, while no one desires to be a part of a church that is unhealthy, we must ask the question, Can a church be healthy if it doesn’t grow?

In some situations, it may be possible, especially in locations where the church is highly persecuted. Yet even in countries where the church is not free to assemble publicly, an underground church often experiences numerical growth. In the great majority of church situations, it would be difficult to think a church could honestly be labeled “healthy” if it was not growing by making countable disciples. Not only did Jesus Christ categorically state that he would build his church (Matt 16:18), thereby sovereignly guaranteeing church growth, but he left us with a command to “make disciples,” thereby sovereignly giving us a part in church growth. The desire to have a healthy church is normal, but numerical growth must be seen as one indication of such health.

Church growth is the point!

Healthy churches demonstrate both numerical and spiritual growth. Leaders who desire to see biblical church growth in their church must be careful not to allow an inward focus on renewing the health of their church to become an excuse for a lack of numerical growth.

Why?
Centripetal vs Centrifugal
An overemphasis on renewing the spiritual health of a church can actually make the church “sick.” When a church focuses on spiritual renewal for too long, it becomes self-centered and loses a sense of mission. This happens because it develops a centripetal (inward) momentum that seeks to turn ever more inward. A centripetal church may maintain a vibrant life for a time, but without an outward focus, it will eventually collapse in on itself in selfish introspection.

In contrast, churches that pursue biblical church growth develop a centrifugal (outward) force that focuses on making disciples. The challenge of winning new people to Christ forces church members to pray for open doors for the gospel and to seek answers to real-life questions that non-believers wrestle with. An outward focus drives members into a closer and deeper relationship to Jesus Christ.

While it might be argued that a church could focus outwardly too much, this also would not be healthy. While this is indeed a distinct possibility, it is seen infrequently. A historical analysis of churches shows that the greatest danger is too much of an inward focus.