Lessons Learned

As I am now entering a new and exciting transition in ministry I thought I'd reflect on what I've learned after consulting with over 300 churches in the last fifteen years. I've been in mega churches, and small churches, urban, suburban and rural churches. I've reached five conclusions about healthy churches:

First, healthy churches understand their community and church context. Healthy churches understand their environment. They are students of their communities. Healthy churches understand their mission field is here and now. Their leaders mine demographic and psychographic data as a means to reach and disciple the people around them. But there is more: noble and healthy leaders understand their church culture as well. They take the time to understand their history, rythmns and DNA of the churches they serve. Unfortunately it took me a couple of pastorates to learn this! (and I've got the scars to prove it!).

Second, healthy churches execute an appropriate strategy for obeying the Great Commission. In nearly every church I visited and worked with were hard-working, Jesus loving, Bible preaching, faithful men and women. Most of them however are what I call adopters. That is they've adopted someone elses model, strategy, program and failed to understand their own ministry context. So what's the problem? What we need are hard-working, Jesus loving, Bible preaching, faithful men and women who are adapters. It's great to learn from others but we must strategically adapt what we've learned to match our own unique opportunities. I may try very hard to pattern my golf swing after Tiger Woods but realism demands I must realistically think and act strategically about how to get the ball into the hole!

Third, healthy churches share a life changing message with the world. Not every mega church is a healthy church. A church cannot be healthy if it is consumer driven sweetness all the time or a Carrie Nation rally gearing up for a fight. Regardless of size, healthy churches maintain a faithfulness to historic Christian teaching and resist the temptation to preach pop psychology or political correctness. Healthy churches know the importance of preaching the 'Whole Counsel of God' and that our message is 'Good News!'

Fourth, healthy churches are filled with healthy Christians who understand that the Christian life is a journey, not a destination. In healthy churches pastors and staff take Ephesians 4:11-12 seriously---to be equippers---so that the Body might be built up. Healthy Christians live out what they believe.

Finally, I've witnessed the growth of coaches and consultants. Used rightly this can be a great tool for a pastor and church. Technology has amped up this trend. With instant communication at our fingertips, coaching and consulting should continue to grow exponentially.