Developing a Healthy Church

Transcription

1 Leadership Ministry Spirituality Organisatin Wrship Dispersin Preaching Develping a Healthy Church B u d D i e n e r C e l l : F a x :

2 Table f Cntents Intrductin 3 The Funding f the Church 4 The Building f the Church 6 The Purpse f the Church 11 The Develpment f the Church 12 The Characteristics f a Healthy Church 14 Characteristic One: Leadership 15 Leadership Questinnaire 17 Characteristic Tw: Ministry 18 Ministry Questinnaire 20 Characteristic Three: Spirituality 22 Spirituality Questinnaire 26 Characteristic Fur: Organisatin 27 Organisatin Questinnaire 29 Characteristic Five: Dispersin/Decentralisatin 30 Dispersin/Decentralisatin Questinnaire 32 Characteristic Six: Wrship 33 Wrship Questinnaire 34 Characteristic Seven: Preaching/Teaching 36 Preaching/Teaching Questinnaire 37 Characteristic Eight: Evangelism 39 Evangelism Questinnaire 40 Identifying the Greatest Need 41 Taking the Next Steps 44 Clsing Thughts 50 Appendix A Ministry Diagnsis 51 Appendix B Gal Setting Wrksheet 60 2

3 Intrductin Many churches thrughut the wrld are caught in a cnditin I call mtin withut mvement. They are active and busy each week with special meetings, wrship services and prayer meetings but they are nt making any prgress tward fulfilling Gd s purpses fr the church. Activity creates mtin but it may be like a muse n a wheel, the pastr and peple are running in place making n mvement tward accmplishment f the purpse fr which Gd funded the church. The rutine f activities cntinues frm Sunday t Wednesday t Sunday t Wednesday. It runs frm Christmas t Easter t Christmas and then t Easter again. Sunday Wednesday Wednesday Sunday Rutine is nt necessarily a bad thing. In the New Testament we see evidence f rutine: Acts 20:7 Luke recrds Paul s gathered with the church in Tras n the first day f the week as a regular ccurrence. 1 Cr. 16:2 Paul speaks f setting aside an ffering n the first day f the week. Heb. 10:23-25 The writer f Hebrews urges believers nt t frsake the assembling tgether f the church as was the habit f sme. Thugh rutine and repetitin is gd (2 Pet. 1:13), it des nt autmatically fllw that a church with a busy rutine will be a healthy church. A rutine in a healthy church will be intentinally leading tward Gd s visin fr the church. Sunday Wednesday Wednesday Sunday 3

4 Gd is interested with the prgress f the church. Lk at hw the apstle Paul uses the language f advancement and prgress: Rm. 8:29, Fr thse whm He freknew, He als predestined t becme cnfrmed t the image f His Sn Eph. 4:12-13, Fr the equipping f the saints fr the wrk f service t the building up f the bdy f Christ; until we all attain t the unity f the faith, and f the knwledge f the Sn f Gd, t a mature man, t the measure f the stature which belngs t the fullness f Christ. Phil. 3:14, I press n tward the gal fr the prize f the upward call f Gd in Christ Jesus. A healthy church will make mvement tward becming like Jesus in bth character and cnduct. Befre we explre in detail the elements f a healthy church, let s first understand the funding f the church, the purpse and building f the church as well as hw the church actually grws and develps. Understanding these essential truths will help prvide a slid biblical fundatin fr ur explratin. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH The funding f the church has been part f the will f Gd frm the very beginning. Eph. 1:9-10, He made knwn t us the mystery f His will, accrding t His kind intentin which He purpsed in Him with a view t an administratin suitable t the fullness f the times that is, the summing up f all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things n the earth Eph. 3:8-10, T me, the very least f all saints this grace was given, t preach t the Gentiles the unfathmable riches f Christ, and t bring t light what is the administratin f the mystery which fr ages has been hidden in Gd wh created all things; s that the manifld wisdm f Gd might nw be made knwn thrugh the church t the rulers and the authrities in the heavenly places. A mystery is a truth that in the Old Testament was hidden but has since been revealed in Christ. That mystery, int which angels lnged t lk (1 Pet. 1:12) is the fact f the redemptin f the lst and the unity bth Jews and Gentiles have in the church. The administratin f Gd (the church) is a reflectin f His will. Gd gave us glimpses in the Old Testament: Gen. 12:3, And I will bless thse wh bless yu, and the ne wh curses yu I will curse. And in yu all the families f the earth will be blessed. 4

5 Isa. 42:6, I am the Lrd, I have called yu in righteusness, I will als hld yu by the hand and watch ver yu, and I will appint yu as a cvenant t the peple, as a light t the natins. Isa. 49:6, He says, It is t small a thing that Yu shuld be My Servant t raise up the tribes f Jacb and t restre the preserved nes f Israel; I will als make yu a light f the natins s that My salvatin may reach t the end f the earth. The New Testament gives us a clearer picture as t wh the prphet is referring in: Lk. 2:32, A light f revelatin t the Gentiles, and the glry f Yur peple Israel. Acts 13:47, Fr the Lrd has cmmanded us, I have placed Yu as a light fr the Gentiles, that Yu may bring salvatin t the end f the earth. Acts 26:23, that the Christ was t suffer and that by reasn f His resurrectin frm the dead He wuld be the first t prclaim light bth t the Jewish peple and t the Gentiles. Gal. 3:8, The Scripture, freseeing that Gd wuld justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gspel befrehand t Abraham, saying, All the natins will be blessed in yu. The church has been part f Gd s prgram since Abraham and it is Gd wh funded the church: Acts 2:37-41, 47, Nw when they heard this, they were pierced t the heart, and said t Peter and the rest f the apstles, Brethren what shall we d? Peter said t them, Repent and each f yu be baptized in the name f Jesus Christ fr the frgiveness f yur sins; and yu will receive the gift f the Hly Spirit. Fr this prmise is fr yu and yur children and fr all wh are far ff as many as the Lrd ur Gd will call t Himself. And with many ther wrds he slemnly testified and kept n exhrting them saying, Be saved frm this perverse generatin! S then, thse wh had received his wrd were baptized; and that day there were added abut three thusand suls. Praising Gd and having favur with all the peple. And the Lrd was adding t their number day by day thse wh were being saved. 1 Cr. 1:30-31, But by His ding yu are in Christ Jesus, wh became t us wisdm frm Gd, and righteusness and sanctificatin and redemptin, s that, just as it is written, Let him wh basts, bast in the Lrd. 5

6 THE BUILDING OF THE CHURCH Let us cnsider the teaching f ur Lrd Jesus, as He makes the declaratin abut wh will build the church in Matthew 16: Jesus was just six mnths frm crucifixin and then ascensin His identity is essential t the nature f the church His disciples needed t be taught s that their militant messianic expectatins wuld nt drive them t apprach the church in a way that was incmpatible with its nature. The Church s Fundatin upn this Rck the church cannt be built n any mrtal man Cathlics use this passage t supprt Peter as the first Ppe and initiate f the papal successin If this were true then why Mt. 20:20-21 (James & Jhn) If they knew Peter was the fundatin, they wuld nt have made the request If they misunderstd it, then Jesus wuld have made it clear t them Prtestants quickly bring up the pint abut: Peter petrs little stne Fundatin petra big rck r bedrck While I persnally like this, we d have t cnsider Eph. 2:19-20, S then yu are n lnger strangers and aliens, but yu are fellw citizens with the saints, and are f Gd s husehld, having been built n the fundatin f the apstles and prphets, Christ Jesus Himself being the crnerstne. S, what is the fundatin f the apstles and prphets? 1 Cr. 2:1-2, And when I came t yu, brethren, I did nt cme with superirity f speech r f wisdm, prclaiming t yu the testimny f Gd. Fr I determined t knw nthing amng yu except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Cr. 3:11, Fr n man can lay a fundatin ther than the ne which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 6

7 Acts 2:42 clarifies it even mre, They were cntinually devting themselves t the apstles teaching and t fellwship, t the breaking f bread and t prayer. The key pint here is that it was the teaching r the dctrine f the apstles that prvided the fundatin f the church Heb 1:1-2 talks abut hw Gd spke thrugh the prphets but nw has spken thrugh Jesus Christ (Jhn 1:18 He has explained Him ) Our understanding f the Church s fundatin is critical fr the Church s effectiveness and bedience in the wrld tday The Church s Certainty I will build My church r the assurance Phil. 1:6 The church is nt a crwd it is nt built by gimmicks r methdlgies it is built by Christ. It is Christ wh called us ut f darkness int light (Cl. 1:13-14; 1 Pet. 2:9) it is Christ wh began the gd wrk in us and will perfect it until He cmes The future tense f the verb indicates that Christ will, with certainty, cntinue His svereign wrk f building the church Our gal is nt t build the church, but t wrk with Christ as He builds the church by fllwing His will fr us as utlined in His Wrd The Church s Relatinship I will build My church the church belngs t Christ Acts 20:28 the church f Gd which He purchased with His wn bld. 1 Cr. 6:17 But the ne wh jins himself t the Lrd is ne spirit with Him. Heb. 2:11 fr this reasn He is nt ashamed t call them brethren. In Acts 9:4 when Saul was persecuting the Christians, Jesus said t him n the rad t Damascus, Saul, Saul, why are yu persecuting Me? What yu d t the church yu are ding t Christ. 7

8 The Church s Identity I will build My church what is the church? The NT gives us many images/pictures t help us understand the identity f the church: The Bride f Christ The Bdy f Christ Eph. 5:22-27, 32 analgy f marriage t Christ and the church. Nthing must ever cmpete with Him fr ur allegiance Eph. 5:30, because we are members f His bdy. 1 Cr. 12:13, 27, Fr by ne Spirit we were all baptized int ne bdy, whether Jews r Greeks, whether slaves r free, and were all made t drink f ne Spirit. Nw yu are Christ s bdy and individually members f it. Rm. 12:4-5, Fr just as we have many members in n bdy and all the members d nt have the same functin, s we, wh are many are ne bdy in Christ, and individually members n f anther. Remember that what happens t us individually happens t us crprately we are as a church, what we are as individuals Cl. 1:18, 24, He is als Head f the bdy, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstbrn frm the dead, s that He Himself will cme t have first place in everything. Eph. 1:22-23, And He put all things in subjectin under His feet, and gave Him as head ver all things t the church, which is His bdy, the fullness f Him wh fills all in all. Eph. 4:12-16, fr the equipping f the saint fr the wrk f service t the building up f the bdy f Christ; until we all attain t the unity f the faith and f the knwledge f the Sn f Gd t a mature man t the measure f the stature which belngs t the fullness f Christ. As a result we are n lnger t be children, tssed here and there by waves and carried abut by every wind f dctrine, by the trickery f men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking 8

9 the truth in lve we are t grw up int all aspects int Him wh is the head, even Christ, frm whm the whle bdy, being fitted and held tgether by that which every jint supplies accrding t the prper wrking f each individual part causes the grwth f the bdy fr the building up f itself in lve. The bdy f Christ is a picture f unity and cnnectedness... The Pillar and Supprt f the Truth 1 Tim. 3:15, But in case I am delayed, I write s that yu will knw hw ne ught t cnduct himself in the husehld f Gd, which is the church f the living Gd the pillar and supprt f the truth. Timthy was the pastr f the church at Ephesus big, difficult church Paul writes him because he was having truble with sme false teachers in the church...he deals with prayer, wmen, elders, and deacns he wanted t cme t him but if delayed, he needed t get this infrmatin t Timthy In ur wrld tday, we find mre and mre f the wrld philsphies finding their way int the church Jude 4 certain persns have crept in unnticed Syncretism is becming the wrd fr the day Evangelicalism has walked away frm the truth f Gd and have mixed itself with the natins Hsea 7:8 Jeremiah 2:13, Fr My peple have cmmitted tw evils: They have frsaken Me, the funtain f living waters, t hew fr themselves cisterns, brken cisterns that can hld n water. The Church s Invincibility and the gates f Hades will nt prevail against it Hades place f the dead r place f departed spirits it is the wrd used in the LXX fr Shel which refers generally t the place f the dead with n specific distinctin between 9

10 righteus r unrighteus. NOTE: the reference in Acts 2:24, 27, 31 general as death r the place f the dead NT in mst cases identifies Hades with trment, and fr the righteus dead, the preferred terms are Paradise and Abraham s bsm. There seems t be a divisin in Hades (Lk. 16:22-23). Hades is separate frm Hell (Rev. 20:13-14). The ntin that Hades is a hlding place is errneus (2 Cr. 5:8). The church Christ is building will face ppsitin but Christ said that the grave will nt verpwer the wrk f life that Christ is ding see 1 Cr. 15:55-57, O death, where is yur victry? O death, where is yur sting? The sting f death is sin, and the pwer f sin is the law; but thanks be t Gd, wh gives us the victry thrugh ur Lrd Jesus Christ. Jhn 11:25-26, Jesus said t her, I am the resurrectin and the life; he wh believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyne wh lives and believes in Me will never die. The battle is spiritual and Satan is always ppsed t the wrk f Gd Paul put it this way in 2 Cr. 10:3-5, Fr thugh we walk in the flesh, we d nt war accrding t the flesh, fr the weapns f ur warfare are nt f the flesh, but divinely pwerful fr the destructin f frtresses. We are destrying speculatins and every lfty thing raised up against the knwledge f Gd, and we are taking every thught captive t the bedience f Christ. We must respnd by destrying speculatins and things that are nt cnsistent with the truth f Gd and His wrd The Church s Authrity I will give yu the keys t the kingdm f heaven Jesus is addressing Peter as the representative f the Twelve abut their authrity t declare what is divinely frbidden r permitted n earth Jhn 20:23 shrtly after Jesus resurrectin He says, If yu frgive the sins f any, their sins have 10

11 been frgiven them; If yu retain the sins f any, they have been retained. In giving instructins fr church discipline Jesus says in Mt. 18:15-18, If yur brther sins, g and shw him his fault in private; if he listens t yu, yu have wn yur brther. But if he des nt listen t yu, take ne r tw mre with yu, s that by the muth f tw r three witnesses every fact may be cnfirmed. If he refuses t listen t them, tell it t the church; and if he refuse t listen even t the church, let him be t yu as a Gentile and a tax cllectr. Truly I say t yu, whatever yu bind n earth shall have been bund in heaven; and whatever yu lse n earth shall have been lsed in heaven. shall have been bund perfect passive participle perfect tense is a cmpleted actin in past time with future and cntinuing implicatins The church s authrity rests n the Wrd f Gd we have the authrity t prclaim n earth, that which has been prclaimed already in heaven In ther wrds, the church has the right t tell an unrepentant brther that he is ut f line with Gd s Wrd Paul illustrates in 1 Cr. 5. THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH The purpse f the church is clear in Scripture: Wrship Our existence as a church praises Gd Eph. 1:4-6, 12, 14 t the praise f His glry. We testify f His great wisdm and excellence Eph. 3:10; 1 Pet. 2:9. We wrship Him in spirit and truth Jhn 4: Prclamatin and Disciple-making Be witnesses fr Christ Acts 1:8; 2:22; 4:20; 5: Seek the lst Lk. 19:10. Teach the saved Mt. 28: Exhrtatin, encuragement, and building up ne anther in hliness The wrk f the ministry Eph. 4: The wrk f encuragement Heb. 10: Build up ne anther Rm. 12:19. The purpse f the church is summarized in 1 Pet. 2:9-12, But yu are a chsen race, a ryal priesthd, a hly natin, a peple fr Gd s wn 11

12 pssessin, s that yu may prclaim the excellencies f Him wh has called yu ut f darkness int His marvellus light; fr yu nce were nt a peple but nw yu are the peple f Gd; yu had nt received mercy, but nw yu have received mercy. Belved, I urge yu as aliens and strangers t abstain frm fleshly lusts which wage war against yur sul. Keep yur behaviur excellent amng the Gentiles, s that in the thing in which they slander yu as evilders, they may because f yur gd deeds, as they bserve them, glrify Gd in the day f visitatin. THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF THE CHURCH Jesus gives us an interesting analgy in Mk. 4: Frm this analgy we may glean a principle f church grwth that is attested t elsewhere in Scripture. Mark 4:26-29, And He was saying, The kingdm f Gd is like a man wh casts seed upn the sil; and he ges t bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed spruts and grws hw, he himself des nt knw. The sil prduces crps by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crp permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has cme. This agricultural analgy prvides us with tw imprtant principles t cnsider: The grwth f the kingdm (church) is nt smething we can knw abut. We see the effects and reap the harvest but the essence f church grwth is unseen. We must nte the existence f the visible church and the invisible church (Mt. 7:21; 13:24-30, 36-43). The visible church is made up f thse wh assciate themselves with a lcal bdy f believers. They attend 12

13 services and may even be invlved in ministry. In the visible church, there are tares and wheat. The invisible church is cmprised f thse wh are true believers. We dn t knw wh they are because we can t see a persn s heart. Entrance int the invisible church is cmpletely the wrk f Gd and is unexplainable t us much in the same way that Nicdemus culd nt understand the cncept f being brn again (Jhn 3:1-8). The grwth f the kingdm (church) happens by itself. The farmer des prepare the sil and plant the seed, but he des nt cause the grwth. Paul attests t this agricultural analgy when he says in 1 Cr. 3:6-7, Aplls planted, I watered, but Gd was causing the grwth. S then neither the ne wh plants nr the ne wh waters is anything, but Gd wh causes the grwth. The farmer is respnsible fr the envirnmental aspects f the crp. The sil must be free frm weeds and rcks; there must be enugh nutrients t prmte healthy grwth and f curse water is a necessity. These envirnmental elements define the task f the farmer. But the farmer des nt make the seed grw. The seed grws all by itself when the cnditins are right. As we apprach the tpic f church grwth we ften reduce ur discussin t issues f mre and bigger. Hwever, given the reality f the visible and invisible church, size is nt an adequate r accurate criterin t determine the health f a church. It is pssible fr a small church t be healthy and a mega-church t be unhealthy. In ther wrds, large gatherings d nt cnstitute health when it cmes t the church. As pastrs and church leaders we are NOT in the business f building the church. Christ has already made it clear that the wrk f building the church belngs t Him. Remember that the church is built when peple are transferred frm the dmain f darkness t the kingdm f Gd. This is nt smething we are human beings can prduce. There is hwever smething we can d. I believe that 90% f all church develpment is the svereignty f Gd; while the ther 10% has t d with ur cperative wrking with Gd t avid hindering His wrk. We cperate with Christ in His cnstructin f the church as we create and establish an envirnment where His wrk may flurish and grw. We have already seen that Christ will build His church as a matter f certainty. If we hinder His wrk in ur lcal church because f envirnmental unhealthiness, Christ will mve t anther place and 13

14 cntinue the wrk f building His church. The image I want t give yu is ne f a water pipe. The larger the pipe (healthy church) the greater the flw f water thrugh the pipe, but if the pipe is restricted (unhealthy church) the flw will be diminished. The Bible is clear abut the characteristics which are essential fr a healthy church. In the remaining pages f this wrkshp we will examine thse characteristics and explre the ways we can help establish an envirnment where the church will effectively accmplish the purpses fr which it is being built by Christ. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH These are nt gimmicks r methds guaranteeing numerical grwth when blindly implemented in yur lcal church. They are biblical principles f a healthy church. A healthy church glrifies Gd. That must be ur verall desire as pastrs and church leaders (1 Cr. 10:31). One imprtant nte befre we lk clsely at these characteristics; fr a church t be healthy, all characteristics must be present. Tw analgies will help us understand this: When a farmer plants his crps, he cannt expect grwth if there is n water. Every ther necessity may be present, but if water is nt, there will be n harvest. We have already seen that the Bible refers t the church as the Bdy f Christ. The bdy is made up f many different systems all necessary fr health. If just ne f thse systems are unhealthy the whle bdy will be unhealthy and pssibly wrse. Paul, in 1 Cr. 12 tells us that all the parts f the bdy are imprtant and when ne hurts the whle bdy hurts. One final pint f intrductin; maybe yu have heard the expressin, A chain is nly as strng as its weakest link. This expressin hlds true fr a 14

15 healthy church. The weakest characteristic will determine the relative health f the church. Of the eight characteristics, yur church may be fairly healthy in seven, but if it is unhealthy in just ne, it will impact the degree thrugh which Christ can wrk in yur lcal assembly. This is illustrated ften in ur wn lives when therwise healthy peple experienced diminished prductivity simply because they hurt their big te. It seems small, but the impact is big. Why? Because there is a symbitic relatinship that all the parts f the bdy share tgether and when ne f the intercnnected parts are hurt, it hurts the verall effectiveness f the bdy. We will apprach each characteristic with biblical teaching and descriptin, then after each characteristic, yu will be asked t cmplete a brief questinnaire that will help identify the relative health f each characteristic. We will use these results t set gals and develp a plan t imprve the health f yur church fr the glry f Gd. CHARACTERISTIC ONE: LEADERSHIP Clarifying questin: T what extent is the ministry f the leaders fcused n equipping ther believers t serve in ministry? There are many ppular viewpints cncerning leadership. Mst f the prevailing perspectives reduce leadership dwn t a set f steps r a t d list that give the impressin that leadership is a science f bservable and tangible realities. Hwever, the essence f leadership is very intangible. It is nt uncmmn t see a man r wman with great leadership influence wh, upn clser inspectin, des nt fit the prfile f an effective leader. The Old Testament is filled with examples f unlikely leaders. Mses had a speech impediment; David was the yungest and wasn t even cnsidered by his father as a candidate fr leadership; Jseph was a dreamer and a prisn resident; Daniel was a captive; and Giden was the least ne in the smallest f tribes, yet they all demnstrated great influence and effective leadership. In the envirnment f a healthy church, the essential qualities r practices f leaders include cncepts like investment, example, discipleship/mentring, delegatin, and equipping. We must understand these frm a biblical perspective if we are t establish a healthy envirnment in the church. Investment Mt. 25:14-30; 1 Thess. 2: The idea f investment is illustrated by the parable f the talents frm Mt. 25. Tw f the servants invested the masters 15

16 mney and it earned mre mney, but the third slave was afraid (thugh the master called him a wicked and lazy slave), instead f investing, he simply saved the mney and gave it back t the master withut any gain. 2. The principle seems bvius. When yu save, yu nly get back what yu give. The limits f return are already defined withut variable. S it is when a leader des nt invest himself int the lives f thers. He/she has already limited the return t n mre than what he r she has t ffer frm their wn strength. The investr, thugh taking a risk, als pens up the ptential fr unlimited gain. S is the leader wh invests in thers. The ministry return is multiplied as thers are equipped and cmmissined t d the wrk f the ministry. 3. As leaders, we must invest in the lives f thers thrugh equipping and character impartatin (als knwn as discipleship/mentring). Equipping Eph. 4:11-16 the rle f leaders in the church is t equip the saints fr the wrk f service fr the building up f the bdy f Christ. Discipling/mentring 2 Tim. 2:2 there is a fur generatinal transfer and ministry successin implied by this passage. Paul ften exhrts peple t fllw his example r imitate his faith (1 Cr. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17). Delegatin Ex. 18:17-27; 2 Tim. 4:9-22 Equipping leadership des nt simply train, but als emplys peple in the wrk f ministry. The abve passages shw the need and impact f delegatin. Frm the life f Jesus we will see the hw t f effective delegatin. 1. Often called the Jethr principle, Ex. 18:17-27 recrds hw Mses father-in-law recgnised the need fr Mses t delegate significant respnsibilities t thers. The Bible even tells us here that Mses current plan was nt gd because it wuld wear bth Mses and the peple dwn (vv ). By lack f delegatin many leaders actually equip/train their peple hypcritically, thus wearing the leaders dwn and the peple wh shuld be in ministry. 2. In 2 Tim. 4:9-22 we see a lng list f peple wh Paul had put int significant ministry. Paul understd the necessity f equipping and cmmissining thers fr the ministry. It is interesting that we ntice many successful delegatins but als a cuple failures. Such is the reality f wrking with flawed human beings. 16

17 3. Jesus life demnstrates a simple three step methd f delegatin: Watch Jesus d it early ministry, fllw me, and be with me Mk. 3:13-15; Mt. 4:23; Lk. 8:1. They d, Jesus gives instructins, watches and gives feedback Mt. 10:1-23; Lk. 10: They d, and thers watch Acts Take a few minutes t cmplete the fllwing questinnaire abut the leadership health in yur church. Leadership Questinnaire 1. My church cnsistently teaches/preaches abut the need fr believers t be equipped fr ministry. 2. In my church, there is a clear and accessible pathway fr leadership develpment. 3. New leaders are being cmmissined fr ministry n a regular basis. 4. My church s missin/visin is cnsistently being cmmunicated by ministry persnnel ther than the pastral staff r elders. 5. I can clearly identify my church s leaders. 6. I knw with certainty the rle f the leaders in my church. 7. I knw that each f the leaders is actively and intentinally mentring/equipping thers t step int significant ministry rles. 17

18 8. I have seen secnd and third generatin disciples be equipped fr and mve int significant leadership functins r ministry rles. 9. The leaders visin is clear and I knw what my rle is in helping t accmplish that visin. 10. I have been challenged by the leaders t be prepared/equipped fr a ministry rle r leadership functin. Add up and recrd the sum f all yur respnses. Ttal CHARACTERISTIC TWO: MINISTRY Clarifying questin: T what extent are the tasks in the church distributed and perfrmed accrding t the spiritual gifts f individual believers? There are tw majr appraches t ministry invlvement. The first apprach views the pen psitins as the mtivating factr fr recruitment f wrkers. This apprach cnsiders success as n empty psitins, s the primary fcus is nt wh fills the psitin, nly that the psitin is filled. The secnd apprach first cnsiders hw Gd has designed and gifted each believer and then seeks t match them with an apprpriate ministry that uses their spiritual gifts. Every believer has a unique spiritual prfile. Understanding the elements f that prfile will help the church becme healthy in terms f the service rendered t Gd by the believers wh make up that lcal bdy. Rm. 12:3-8 gives us sme infrmatin, but 1 Cr. 12:4-7 gives the fllwing instructin, Nw there are varieties f gifts but the same Spirit. And there are varieties f ministries and the same Lrd. There are varieties f 18

19 effects, but the same Gd wh wrks all things in all persns. But t each ne is given the manifestatin f the Spirit fr the cmmn gd. varieties f gifts The wrd varieties is rendered diversities in the King James Versin which, in this case, mre accurately cnveys the meaning f the Greek wrd. The riginal wrd literally means divisin. It can als mean apprtinment r distributin. The idea is that Gd gave t each ne the manifestatin f the Spirit fr the cmmn gd (1 Cr.12:7). This manifestatin f the Spirit has been divided and apprtined t us in many different ways, thus giving us a multiplicity f spiritual gifts. Rmans 12:6 als indicates that we have gifts that differ accrding t the grace given t us. Nw the grace given t us by the Hly Spirit is nt measurably defined by the spiritual gift yu pssess. Everyne has the same amunt f the Hly Spirit. The difference is fund in the expressin f the Hly Spirit s manifestatin in the life f every believer. The wrd translated gifts is charismatn, which is a divine endwment the Spirit cnfers n His chsen peple. It is the same rt wrd as grace (charis) and carries the cnntatin f being freely given by the will f Gd, nt n the basis f an earned wage r any quality pssessed by the recipient f that grace that wuld make them mre wrthy t receive the gift. varieties f ministries The wrd fr ministries is diakns which literally means service r waiting tables. Paul is saying that there is ne Lrd f the church (the Head; Christ cf. Eph. 4:15), but within the wrk f the church there are divisins f the ministry. There are many different areas f ministry that ne culd serve in. All f these ministries are imprtant and when serving in them prperly, they bring glry t Gd. Sme ministries will mtivate us while thers will nt. As we lk at the church, sme peple especially want t help thse wh are sick, while thers want t minister t wmen, r men, r children, r teens. Gd will give us a burden n ur heart t help direct us t the particular ministry He wants t use us in 19

20 varieties f effects The Greek wrd here talks abut that which is accmplished, r the effect prduced by smething. This is the wrd frm which we get ur English wrd energy. The effect f each spiritual gift varies greatly with the persn wh pssesses that gift. Sme peple feel mre cmfrtable talking t strangers than thers are. Still thers are mre rganised, while sme are mre sensitive t relatinships. All these different persnality traits shuld be cnsidered when yu are seeking t serve Christ in the church. It is als essential in a healthy church that each believer understands the necessity f using their gifts fr the sake f the bdy fr the glry f Gd. Lk at these verses: Rm. 12:4-7, Fr just as we have many members in ne bdy and all the members d nt have the same functin, s we, wh are many, are ne bdy in Christ and individually members ne f anther. Since we have gifts that differ accrding t the grace given t us, each f us is t exercise them accrdingly: if prphecy accrding t the prprtin f his faith; if service, in his serving; r he wh teaches, in his teaching; 1 Pet. 4:10-11, As each ne has received a special gift, emply it in serving ne anther as gd stewards f the manifld grace f Gd. Whever speaks, is t d s as ne wh is speaking the utterances f Gd; whever serves is t d s as ne wh is serving by the strength which Gd supplies; s that in all things Gd may be glrified thrugh Jesus Christ t whm belngs the glry and dminin frever and ever. Amen. As leaders we must establish an envirnment where peple are free and equipped t discver, use and develp their spiritual gifts fr ministry in the bdy f Christ. Ministry Questinnaire 1. My church cnsistently teaches/preaches that the Hly Spirit has given gifts t each believer that must be used in the bdy. 2. My church has an nging strategy and methd fr helping peple discver and use their spiritual gifts. 20

21 3. Persnal spiritual giftedness is the primary cnsideratin befre enlisting a believer t be invlved in a ministry. 4. I can cnfidently tell yu what spiritual gifts I have been given by the Lrd. 5. The ministry in which I nw serve is an excellent match fr my spiritual gifts. 6. My church cnfirms and evaluates my spiritual gifts regularly. 7. I have received biblical teaching n the definitin and use f my spiritual gifts. 8. When ministry needs are annunced in my church, the spiritual gifts needed t fulfil that ministry are als mentined. 9. There is a sense f cmplete freedm t serve in my gifted area even if it means saying n t ther pprtunities nt suited t my spiritual giftedness. 10. Generally speaking the believers in my church feel fruitful and fulfilled in ministry because they are serving in areas that match their giftedness. Add up and recrd the sum f all yur respnses. Ttal 21

22 CHARACTERISTIC THREE: SPIRITUALITY Clarifying questin: T what extent is the spiritual life f the believers in the church characterised by prayer, discipline, and enthusiastic hliness? In the Sermn n the Munt (Mt. 5-7) Jesus tells us that unless ur righteusness surpasses that f the Scribes and the Pharisees, we will nt enter the kingdm f heaven (vs. 5:20). He ges n t illustrate that the righteusness f the Pharisees is ne f external cmpliance nly. They avided murder, but were angry with their brthers which is the surce f murder; they avided the physical act f adultery, but by their lustful leering f ther wmen they were infidels in their hearts; they avided making false vws, but t d this they develped an elabrate system f lphles and escapes s that they culd manipulate and deceive; they prayed and gave t the pr, but their utward acts f piety were nthing mre than calculated hypcrisy s as t appear hly in the presence f thers. Jesus said f them in Mt. 15:8, Yu hypcrites, rightly did Isaiah prphesy f yu; This peple hnurs me with their lips, but their heart is far away frm Me. In cntrast t the Pharisees, Jesus summarizes the Law and the Prphets when He is speaking with a lawyer in Mt. 22:37-40, And He said t him, Yu shall lve the Lrd yu Gd with all yur heart, and with all yur sul, and with all yur mind. This is the great and fremst cmmandment. The secnd is like it, Yu shall lve yur neighbur as yurself. On these tw cmmandments depend the whle Law and the Prphets. In a healthy church, the leaders establish an envirnment where the acceptable nrm f Christianity is cnsistent prayer, discipline fr the purpse f gdliness and enthusiastic passinate hliness. It must be remembered that the essence f spirituality is nt crrect dctrine alne, but hearts that are in lve with Gd. PRAYER Sincere Prayer Mt. 6:5-15 recrds the practice f the Pharisees wh used t pray in public using meaningless repetitin s as t be nticed by men, but Jesus instructs His disciples t pray privately and the Lrd, wh sees in private, will reward them with His presence and prvisin. Prayer in a healthy church, whether public r private is always sincere and real. The leaders are the nes wh set the tne fr the prayer culture in the church. Everyne s prayer shuld be unique because they are unique individuals wh are ging befre their Father Wh is in heaven 22

23 Persnal/Private Prayer A healthy church is an envirnment where the leaders exhrt, reprve and encurage peple t engage in cnsistent, private, persnal prayer with Gd. It is in these times that Gd des sme f His greatest wrk in the hearts f His peple. Jesus prvides us with an example f the pririty f persnal (private) prayer. Mk. 1:35, In the early mrning, while it was still dark, Jesus gt up, left the huse and went away t a secluded place, and was praying there. early mrning refers t the last watch f the night which was frm 03h00-06h00. was praying this is in the imperfect tense in the Greek which indicates an uncmpleted cntinuing actin. cf. Isa. 50:4, The Lrd Gd has given me the tngue f disciples, that I may knw hw t sustain the weary ne with a wrd. He awakens Me mrning by mrning, He awakens My ear t listen as a disciple. Lk. 4:42, When day came, Jesus left and went t a secluded place; and the crwed were searching fr Him, and came t Him and tried t keep Him frm ging away frm them. Lk. 5:16, But Jesus Himself wuld ften slip away t the wilderness and pray. Mt. 14:23, After He had sent the crwds away, He went up n the muntain by Himself t pray; and when it was evening, He was there alne. Persistent Prayer Eph. 6:18, With all prayer and petitin pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be n the alert with all perseverance and petitin fr all the saints. pray at all times means t pray n every ccasin. in the Spirit t pray in the Spirit is t pray in cncert with r in unin with the Hly Spirit as nted by the Greek prepsitin en. Here Paul is bringing back previus Hly Spirit invlvement in the church: Eph. 2:18, fr thrugh Him we bth have ur access in ne Spirit t the Father. Eph. 4:3-4, being diligent t preserve the unity f the Spirit in the bnd f peace. There is ne bdy and ne Spirit, just as als yu were called in ne hpe f yur calling. 23

24 Eph. 5:18, And d nt get drunk with wine, fr that is dissipatin, but be filled with the Spirit. Mre than likely, Paul als has in mind his earlier instructin n the rle f the Hly Spirit in prayer frm Rm. 8:24-27, Fr in hpe we have been saved, but hpe that is seen is nt hpe; fr wh hpes fr what he already sees? But if we hpe fr what we d nt see, with perseverance we wait eagerly fr it. In the same way the Spirit als helps ur weaknesses; fr we d nt knw hw t pray as we shuld, but the Spirit Himself intercedes fr us with granings t deep fr wrds; and He wh searches the hearts knws what the mind f the Spirit is, because He intercedes fr the saints accrding t the will f Gd. The Hly Spirit intercedes fr us, knwing ur hearts even thugh in ur feeble weakness we d nt pray as we ught (cf. Heb. 7:25, Jesus daily makes intercessin fr us). The purpse f the Hly Spirit is t bring ur requests befre Gd in a way that is cnsistent with His will (cf. 1 Jhn 5:14-15). 1 Thess. 5:17, pray withut ceasing. this des nt mean t pray withut a break, but t pray persistently (cf. Lk. 11:1-13; 18:1-3), with devtin (cf. Cl. 4:2, 12), and in everything (cf. Phil. 4:6). T put it anther way; in a healthy church prayer is the first apprach rather than the last resrt. It is taught frm the pulpit and mdelled by the leaders. It is relied n and expected as a natural vital part f the churches spiritual life. DISCIPLINE Paul makes the cncept f discipline very clear in 1 Tim. 4:7, But have nthing t d with wrldly fables fit nly fr ld wmen. On the ther hand, discipline yurself fr the purpse f gdliness. discipline literally means t make neself bey, r idimatically t cmmand ne s heart. gdliness the Greek wrd is a cmpund wrd which literally means t wrship rightly; t have apprpriate beliefs 24

25 and devut practice as it relates t Gd; t live as Gd has tld us we shuld live. Titus 2:11-12, Fr the grace f Gd has appeared bringing salvatin t all men, instructing us t deny ungdliness and wrldly desires and t live sensibly, righteusly and gdly in the present age. The details f hw we achieve this can be fund in Eph. 4:22-24 which says, that in reference t yur frmer manner f life, yu lay aside the ld self, which is being crrupted in accrdance with the lusts f deceit, and that yu be renewed in the spirit f yur mind, and put n the new self which in the likeness f Gd has been created in righteusness and hliness f the truth. This is the picture f discipline fr the purpse f gdliness. It invlves the physical aspects f stpping ur sin and starting t live fr Gd, but there is als the essential element f being renewed in the spirit f the mind, which in the healthy church (which we will address later) cmes thrugh the strng, clear prclamatin f truth. HOLINESS The wrd fr hliness is the same rt wrd frm which we als get sanctificatin. It means t be set apart, dedicated fr special use. The spirituality f a healthy church includes a passinate enthusiastic hliness. There is a significant difference between the church and the wrld. Lk at the cmmands and descriptins in the fllwing passages. Heb. 12:14, Pursue peace with all men and the sanctificatin withut which n ne will see the Lrd. 1 Pet. 1:14-16, As bedient children, d nt be cnfrmed t the frmer lusts which were yur in yur ignrance, but like the Hly One wh called yu, be hly yurselves als in all yur behaviur; because it is written, Yu shall be hly fr I am hly. 2 Cr. 6:14-17, D nt be bund tgether with unbelievers; fr what partnership have righteusness and lawlessness r what fellwship has light with darkness? Or what harmny has Christ with Belial, r what has a believer in cmmn with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple f Gd with idls? Fr we are the temple f the living Gd; just as Gd said, I will dwell in them and walk amng them; and I will be their Gd, and they shall be My peple. Therefre cme ut frm their midst and be separate, says the Lrd. And d nt tuch what is unclean; and I will welcme yu. 25

26 A healthy church is nt a tlerant church; it is a pure and hly church. Spirituality Questinnaire 1. My church cnsistently teaches/preaches abut grwing t spiritual maturity thrugh prayer, spiritual disciplines, and hly living. 2. In my church, persnal devtins are emphasized as a matter f pririty. 3. The leadership mdels disciplined persnal devtinal habits. 4. I have a cnsistent daily time f prayer, Bible reading, meditatin, wrship, and Scripture memry. 5. Scial cnversatins at my church always seem t cme t the tpic f spiritual grwth, develpment, r discvery. 6. Peple at my church are held accuntable fr living a life f persnal hliness. 7. My church teaches and practices biblical discipline fr thse in the bdy wh are sinning. 8. There is usually an excellent attendance (a majrity f the church bdy) at special prayer meetings. 26

27 9. I am mre enthusiastic abut gdly living as a direct result f my church s example and exhrtatin in my life. 10. Sacrifice r even persecutin is nt a deterrent t the spiritual cmmitment f the believers in my church. Add up and recrd the sum f all yur respnses. Ttal CHARACTERISTIC FOUR: ORGANISATION Clarifying questin: T what extent des the rganisatinal structure f the church encurage and supprt ministry and spiritual develpment? The rganisatin f a healthy church shuld be designed nt as an end in itself but as a means t a spiritual end. It is nt uncmmn t see churches prliferate their rganisatin t the pint that the rganisatin exists t perpetuate itself. An example f a runaway rganisatinal structure can be seen in what had ccurred in Judaism by the time Jesus was brn. In Ex. 20:8-11, Gd clearly says t remember the Sabbath day t keep it hly. Six days humans were allwed t wrk but n the seventh day, he was t rest frm labur accrding t the example given by the Lrd Himself in the creatin f the wrld. The Pharisees then develped an elabrate system f laws and regulatins, adding ver 300 stipulatins t that ne cmmandment. In an unhealthy church, the rganisatinal structure is cumbersme and actually hinders the free mving f the Hly Spirit as He uses the spiritual gifts f peple t accmplish the purpses f the church. Here are a few things t cnsider with regard t healthy church rganisatin: It shuld supprt ministry needs Acts 6:1-4, Nw at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a cmplaint arse n the part f the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their 27

28 widws were being verlked in the daily serving f fd. S the twelve summned the cngregatin f the disciples and said, It is nt desirable fr us t neglect the wrd f Gd in rder t serve tables, therefre, brethren, select frm amng yu seven men f gd reputatin, full f the Hly Spirit and f wisdm whm we may put in charge f this task. But we will devte urselves t prayer and t the ministry f the Wrd. Here is an excellent example f rganisatin that facilitates greater ministry rather than ministry waiting n the rganisatin t inspire it. The Hly Spirit had mtivated many new believers t sell their pssessins and give the mney fr the sake f the church. This cmplaint never wuld have arisen if ministry was nt happening (cf. Prv. 14:4). When the cmplaint arse, the apstles established a divisin f ministry. In shrt they intrduced a simple rganisatin that wuld facilitate the prclamatin purpses f the church as well as the ne anther ministry f the church. It was just enugh rganisatin t handle the need, but nt s much that it became the slave master. It prlngs ministry life and gives hpe It is smetimes called the Jethr principle. Recrded in Ex. 18:17ff, Mses father-in-law gave him advice abut bradening his rganisatin with respect t judging Israel. Jethr s reasns are simple and direct: Mses wuld get wrn ut by trying t d t much. The peple lse heart (wear ut) because there was nly ne man t judge s many issues. Healthy rganisatin must always be attached t a ministry need. Structure that is nt cnnected t need/ministry has n real eternal purpse and instead f being a supprt, it must be supprted. When structures create needs, then peple and resurces g tward meeting thse structural needs which means that the structure is cnsuming resurces that shuld be ging tward eternally significant needs. Peple must always cme first Even when the structure is gd, peple must always cme befre prcess, prgrammes r structure. Lk at the example Jesus gives in Mk. 2:23-28, And it happened that He was passing thrugh the grainfields n 28

29 the Sabbath, and His disciples began t make their way alng while picking the heads f grain. The Pharisees were saying t Him, Lk, why are they ding what is nt lawful n the Sabbath? And He said t them, Have yu never read what David did when he was in need and he and his cmpanins became hungry; hw he entered the huse f Gd in the time f Abiathar the high priest, and ate the cnsecrated bread, which is nt lawful fr anyne t eat except the priests, and he als gave it t thse wh were with him? Jesus said t them, The Sabbath was made fr man, and nt man fr the Sabbath. S the Sn f Man is Lrd even f the Sabbath. Organisatin Questinnaire 1. My church cnsistently cmmunicates the imprtance ministry and life change ver church structure. 2. The rganisatinal structure f the church is nt bvius. 3. In my church, ministry is prmted abve its structure. 4. I have been encuraged each time I have had t wrk within the rganisatinal structure f my church. 5. My church s structure is functinally designed t enhance ministry effectiveness. 6. The rganisatinal structure f my church is easy t wrk with and thrugh t accmplish ministry. 29

30 7. I am regularly assisted with the administrative side f ministry by my church s rganisatin. 8. The rganisatinal structure f my church is a servant t the peple f the church. 9. The rganisatinal structure f my church des nt intimidate me due t its cmplexity. 10. The rganisatin f my church reflects a passin fr peple and ministry. Add up and recrd the sum f all yur respnses. Ttal CHARACTERISTIC FIVE: DISPERSION/DECENTRALISATION Clarifying questin: T what extent des real life ministry take place in smaller grups utside f the large gatherings f the church? In a healthy church, significant ministry and care takes place utside f the pastral staff r the large gatherings f the church. This characteristic is inseparable frm rganisatin, fr if the rganisatin is t self-perpetuating and allcnsuming, it will nt allw fr decentralisatin r dispersin f ministry. All paths will lead thrugh the prcess creating a chkepint thrugh which nly a few Hly Spirit energised ministry initiatives will flw. T be fair, this kind f structural mdel fr ministry des reduce the risks f having ver zealus peple making mistakes, but it chkes the biblical expressin f a healthy church. 30

31 The principle is taught in Eph. 4:11-16, it is illustrated by the ministry f Timthy, Titus, and Epaphras, but it is cntextualised in ur day and age thrugh small cell grups. Eph. 4:11-16, And He gave sme as apstles, and sme as prphets, and sme as evangelists, and sme as pastrs and teachers, fr the equipping f the saints fr the wrk f service t the building up f the bdy f Christ; until we all attain t the unity f the faith, and f the knwledge f the Sn f Gd, t a mature man t the measure f the stature which belngs t the fullness f Christ. As a result, we are n lnger t be children, tssed here and there by waves and carried abut by every wind f dctrine by the trickery f men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in lve, we are t grw up in all aspects int Him wh is the head, even Christ, frm whm the whle bdy, being fitted and held tgether by that which every jint supplies accrding t the prper wrking f each individual part causes the grwth f the bdy fr the building up f itself in lve. The principle is taught in that the leadership structure equips the members t accmplish the significant task f maturing the saints t becme like Jesus in mature gdly character. This is nt a centralised ministry cre f prfessinals, but the prper wrking f each individual in the church. The principle is illustrated by Timthy, Titus, and Epaphras. Timthy 1 Cr. 4:16-17, Therefre I exhrt yu, be imitatrs f my. Fr this reasn I have sent t yu Timthy, wh is my belved and faithful child in the Lrd, and he will remind yu f my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. Titus Titus 1:5, Fr this reasn I left yu in Crete, that yu wuld set in rder what remains and appint elders in every city as I directed yu. Epaphras Cl. 1:3-7, We give thanks t Gd, the Father f ur Lrd Jesus Christ, praying always fr yu, since we heard f yur faith in Christ Jesus and the lve which yu have fr all the saints; because f the hpe laid up fr yu in heaven, f which yu previusly heard in the wrd f truth, the gspel which has cme t yu, just as in all the wrld als it is cnstantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been ding in yu als since the day yu heard f it and understd the grace f Gd in truth; just as yu learned it frm Epaphras, ur belved fellw bndservant wh is a faithful servant f Christ n ur behalf. 31