Marks of a Healthy Church. . .continued

Besides being a place that glorifies God, is Bible-based and Christ-centered, is led by accountable servant leaders, helps people grow, exudes warmth, reaches out to others, and has a contagious style, Rick Duncan of Cugahoga Valley Church in suburban Cleveland gives one more mark of a healthy that he hopes will be part of their new church plant.

A healthy church reproduces itself

In nature, all healthy organisms reproduce themselves. That's true in a family and should be true in the church. Jesus command to, "go and make disciples of all nations, . . ." Matthew 28:19 is actually a command to plant churches. (Neil Cole, The Organic Church) Cuyahoga Valley Church was started twenty years ago as a church plant sponsored by a church in Dayton, Ohio with missions as a part of its DNA. It is that same DNA that CVC is seeking to pass on to Church of the Hills.

Ask yourself, “Does this church care about building the Kingdom of God beyond its own direct ministry? Does the church have a plan to reproduce itself? Are mission dollars being set aside to be used for evangelism that results in the establishment of new churches?”

What do you think? Are there any other marks of a healthy church? How healthy is your church? What can you do to make it healthier?

Journey Church won't be perfect but I hope in the end that we will have as our goal to be a church that glorifies God, is Bible-based and Christ-centered, is led by accountable servant leaders, helps people grow, exudes warmth, reaches out to others, and has a contagious style, and reproduces itself.