Healthy Church 2
We start churches and hope they are healthy. The first sign of a healthy church is EMPOWERING LEADERS. One of the things you should notice is that the ADJECTIVE (for you that went to school in Alabama 
an adjective is a descriptive word). All churches have leaders. Not all churches and pastors empower their leaders.
The second sign of a healthy church: GIFT ORIENTED MINISTRY. Every church does some type of ministry. Even if it is too its own members. But I’ve been a part of a lot of churches that guilt people into service instead of allowing people to find their spiritual gifts and serve in their natural capacity. Now, is there a time when someone has to step up and work in the nursery and change diapers for a new congregation with few servants. Yes. But if you are constantly finding yourself begging people to do ministry, I personally would question whether those ministries are what you need to focus on at this moment.
Since God builds the body and it is His body do we believe that He provides for its growth needs. Leaders for programs we need to grow. Leaders to sustain the movement of the body. In the early days of a church plant and if your church is struggling perhaps it is because the church is program heavy and people are serving or have served too long outside of their giftedness.
Help people find their place of giftedness. It will make a difference in the health of the body.
And by the way: How ’bout them DAWGS in the College World Series!
