8 marks of a healthy church

The church in Antioch provides a challenging insight into what it is that makes a congregation truly vibrant.

We've spent the last couple of Sunday evenings catching a feel for the life of that church as we've looked at Acts 12.25-13.12.

I've been arguing that these verses give us what I've called the "8 marks of a healthy church".

The idea is not altogether original. There's a church in America called simply 9Marks. This is how they introduce themselves -

"We believe the local church is the focal point of God's plan for displaying his glory to the nations. Our vision is simple: churches that reflect the character of God. Our mission is to cultivate and encourage churches characterized by these nine marks."

I love that starting point. "We believe the local church is the focal point of God's plan for displaying his glory to the nations."

Every fibre in my being says a hearty 'Amen' to that.

They then go on to list the '9 marks' which they believe need to be cultivated in the churches today, before signing off in these terms -

"We are not intending to lay down an exhaustive or authoritative list. There are other significant marks of healthy churches, like prayer and fellowship. We want to pursue those ourselves as well, and we want you to pursue them with us.

"But ..." and this next bit seems so right and important to say:

".. these nine are the ones we think are most neglected in most local churches today, with the most damaging ramifications. Join us in cultivating churches that reflect the character of God."

The local church at Antioch was healthy. And as we looked at the passage in Acts, we began to see why. We have a lot to learn, a lot that we need to be challenged by. And, yes, a lot to encourage us, too.

A number of folk have asked me to give them a reminder of what I said. So here, in brief, are 'the 8 marks of a healthy church'.

1. A healthy church serves the wider church. The folk at Antioch were mindful of the needs of the church down the road (a long way down the road) at Jerusalem. They were not 'independent', simply doing their own thing. They recognised a certain accountability towards, and responsibility for, their brothers and sisters elsewhere.

2. A healthy church develops young people. Barnabas and Saul take young John Mark along with them. Back from Jerusalem, and then out on their first big missionary journey. It's a kind of trainee, intern, apprenticeship sort of thing. And it's not without its problems as theyd shortly find. But they saw this as important, and a significant way to be investing their time and resources.

3. A healthy church values a plurality of leaders. Within a year or so of coming into existence the church at Antioch had a team of leaders ministering the Word of God. Folk from all sorts of different backgrounds, with a range of different gifts. Most of the time it's fraught with tensions and problems. It's not easy. But it's healthy. Definitely healthy.

4. A healthy church fosters 'lively' worship. I put it in inverted commas because I want to avoid any notion that I'm speaking about drums and guitars. 'Lively' worship has nothing to do with the form or the style, nothing to do with the music as such. It has everything to do with the presence and activity of God. He (who is life) pitches up. Things happen. He speaks. He turns people's lives around. That sort of 'lively'.

5. A healthy church honours God's calling. The church at Antioch recognised the reality of a God who calls folk to particular ministries. And they sought to 'buy into' those ministries themselves. They layed hands on those thus called and prayed for them. The call of God was followed by the prayers of his church. They commissioned Barnabas and Saul for the work to which God had called them.

6. A healthy church embraces mission. Barnabas was their senior pastor. Saul was their most able teacher - the guy brought in from Tarsus precisely because of his teaching gifts. And they released these men - their ablest, best communicators - they released these men for the work of mission. Because mission is all about communicating the gospel, articulating the good news. And it needs and calls for the best. Mission was not simply given a nod, it was embraced.

7. A healthy church challenges false teaching. Barnabas and Saul (now designated Paul, using his Roman name now, not least because they're going very clearly into the non-Jewish world) - they confront the false prophet Elymas. They discern error when it's present (and it doesn't come advertised as such, you need to have your wits about you to see it for what it is); and they confront, challenge and repudiate such error in no uncertain terms. Tolerance is out of the question when error comes into the frame.

8. A healthy church prioritises Scripture. They church at Antioch majored on the Scriptures being expounded. Straight, clear, no-frills Bible teaching. That's what Saul had been brought to do. That's how you build good, strong, clear-thinking Christians. And when they went out to a world that knew nothing of God and his gospel, they did pretty much the same. Straight, clear, no-frills Bible teaching. 'Proclaiming the word', teaching 'the right ways of the Lord', declaring 'the faith'. No-nonsense stuff. Expound the Bible. That's how people are brought to faith as well.

As 9Marks say - "we are not intending to lay down an exhaustive or authoritative list. There are other significant marks of healthy churches."

But we do well to address these eight.

The local church is the focal point of God's plan.

And he needs that church to be healthy.