As we move forward in 2015, now may be a good time to ask yourself a few questions about the current health of your church. Better yet, ask all your key leaders to rate these areas that are evident in healthy equipping churches.
On a scale of 1 to 5, let 1 represent nonexistent and 5 represent totally embedded.
Healthy equipping churches focus on…
1. Servanthood Culture
The staff and the leadership of the church embody, teach, equip and model a servanthood culture. They understand and respect that, in order to live in a biblical church, we have to live-out Christ’s ministry of servanthood.
2. Leadership
Leadership drives, models and sustains the values and the biblical directives of an equipping church.
3. Comprehensive Discovery
Comprehensive discovery looks at the uniqueness of every person in the church. Not simply their gifts, but rather in concert with their skills, passions, and experiences, which call them to a specific area of ministry. Do your discovery processes help people grow into who God created them to be?
4. Intentional Organizational Systems
Systems that serve and support all issues of the church from discovery, to stewardship, to retention, to assimilation, to pastoral care, to ministry inside and outside the walls of the church.
5. Ministry Alignment in the Expression of Service
People and ministries align with the servanthood culture and community connections of the church. Wherever people are gifted and called, there must be opportunities both within and outside the church for them to thrive and grow.
Tally your scores. Any discoveries?
Now identify the challenge areas and develop some strategic plans to move forward during this year. The months ahead could bring strength and renewed health to your church and the community it serves.
[Editor’s Note: These 5 core values of an equipping church are examined in the course, Building An Equipping Church, which will be offered October 7-9 at Group’s Equipping Institute in Loveland, CO. Registration is now open. For more information, click here.]