We all want to find a healthy church. But where do we start? We start by looking at the blueprint: the early church.
It might go without saying that the early church was not the worldwide church we know today. The latter is well-established, while the former was just emerging. Compared to its main antagonists (the Roman Empire and the Jewish religious elite), these new believers lacked prestige, security, or significant funding. The Enduring Word Commentary describes the events of Acts 2:44-45 as follows: “With the influx of more than 3,000 believers, most of whom stayed in Jerusalem and didn’t have jobs, the family of Christians had to share if they were to survive. . .”
Just as an infant needs a special boost of vitamins and nutrients—or just as a new business benefits from an initial financial investment—the early church needed a steady supply of truth and encouragement to thrive. While circumstances have changed a lot since the first century, believers can learn what a healthy church looks like from what the early Christians taught to survive their rocky first years. Believers can also learn how a healthy church behaves from how the early Christians treated each other (amid very difficult situations where nothing but the truth would work).
How Does the Bible Define a Healthy Church?
In the simplest terms, a healthy church emphasizes love for God and its neighbors. This mandate is consistent with the Old Testament commands and Jesus’ teaching to love God and love one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40, John 13:34-35). To determine whether this love is occurring, here are some helpful questions:
1. Do they (the congregation) want to share the good news with the world?
2. Do they pray regularly because of their covenant with the One who saves them from eternal death?
3. Is prayer seen as essential in everything they do?
4. Do they serve one another in love by “carrying each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2)?
5. Do people worship God in various ways–using every opportunity to sing, dance, work, play, serve, and teach all for the glory of God?
6. Do their lives change and begin to revolve around the gospel?
7. Is Christ the head of the church, head of the home, and head of the heart?
Beyond this, the Book of Acts gives us a comprehensive look at the first days of the early church, beginning with the selection of Judas Iscariot’s replacement (Acts 1:12-26), the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13), and Peter’s evangelical speech to a crowd of onlookers (Acts 2:14-42). After a large number of the onlookers repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ, we are told that the believers “shared everything in common” (Acts 2:44-46). From this, we can infer that a healthy church is one in which its members are eager to give and share.
Not surprisingly, the apostle Paul offers a wealth of wisdom on the framework of a healthy church. Who else wrote so many letters to emerging churches in the first century? First Corinthians particularly provides important characteristics of a flourishing church. Paul does not offer an ideal attendance number or building square footage as earmarks of church “success.” This was not quite “church” as we know it today, but this benefits modern readers. These passages convey the purest elements of church life, as outlined by Jesus and His earliest followers.
First, the church is a body of many parts with varying spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). The church is called to be holy (1 Corinthians 2) and unified (1 Corinthians 10). They must expel the “immoral brother” and adopt a zero-tolerance policy for unrepentant immorality (1 Corinthians 5). In the spirit of remembering and rehearsing the origins of the faith, the church must celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of His sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11).
Elsewhere, Paul lays out rules for healthy Christian households (Colossians 3). One could surmise that many of these qualities also apply to healthy churches. The guidelines Paul lays out include obedience, service, encouragement, and sincerity of heart.
Barring extenuating circumstances, church members should strive for consistency as they meet together (Hebrews 10:24-25). This means that (again, all things being equal) extended time together will enable fellow believers to encourage and learn from one another.
What Does the Bible Say about Praying for Your Church?
Before anything else, believers should pray that God’s “will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This helps prepare hearts to expect and accept what God wants for the church before what the people may want. Elsewhere, Paul provides several key themes that speak to the how of praying for one’s church:
- The prayers’ direction. Ephesians 6:18-19 suggests that while we should pray for all the people within our church, we are called especially to pray for the boldness of the church leaders, who bear much responsibility.
- The prayer’s frequency. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 shows us that Paul prayed “constantly” for the church in Thessalonica. Do we regularly or rarely pray for our church?
- The prayer’s attitude. 1 Corinthians 1:4 is only one of several passages in which Paul expresses thanks to God when he remembers the church to which he is writing. Similarly, our prayers for our churches should overflow with gratitude.
Three Things to Pray for an Unhealthy Church
When a church isn’t doing well, it can be tempting to despair and decrease our prayers. This is not the solution! So how should we intercede? What should we ask God for on our church’s behalf?
1. Revelation: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where the church is falling away from the heart of God.
2. Wisdom: Ask what changes can be made to ensure that the church is preaching the whole gospel and witnessing in spirit and truth.
3. Repentance: Ask God for forgiveness where the church has fallen short and commit to changes impacting the congregation and the community it serves.
Three Things to Pray for a Healthy Church
We have the advantage of reading what Jesus shared, through the Apostle John, to the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 1-3. Though Jesus’ words of encouragement (and admonishment) were specific to these churches, modern churches can also learn from these words. Among other things, modern churches can learn the following:
1. Like the Church in Ephesus, pray that your church would maintain correct priorities and “remember their first love” amid their hard work.
2. Like the Church in Smyrna, pray that your church would not be afraid of what it will suffer for doing good in Jesus’ name.
3. Like the Church in Thyatira, pray that your church would remain victorious, continuing to do the will of Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit.
A Prayer for a Healthy Church
Almighty and ever-present heavenly father, we come to you once again humbled by the sacrifice of your Son on our behalf. We thank you that we love because You first loved us. You loved us first and you love us more than we could ask or imagine. Thank you that your covenant covers us for eternity, and we will never be without You. That being said, we are only human, Lord. We tend to be influenced/blinded by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Please forgive us for our many sins today. Please protect us from following anything but your perfect word, and show us how we can glorify you in thought, word and deed. We know that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and to forgive one another, so please show us those opportunities and don’t let anything stand in the way of the perfect unity you want us to have with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is in the mighty and compassionate name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Further Reading:
A Healthy Church Member is Gospel-Saturated?
The First Characteristic of a Healthy Church
Photo Credit: Getty Images/NoonVirachada
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