Synergy Resources

Key Considerations for Church Health and Membership

When engaging in church multiplication, two fundamental questions arise: “What is a healthy church?” and "What is a healthy church member?" These two questions are intricately linked, as the definition of the church is deeply connected to its members. The church is not merely a building or meeting place; it consists of the people who make it up. Therefore, to have a healthy church, the members must be healthy church members.

What Makes a Healthy Church?

• Biblical preaching: expositional teaching directly from Scripture.
• Embracing sound doctrine: faithfulness to core biblical truths.
• Belief in the Gospel: a clear understanding and communication of Gospel truth.
• Biblical conversion: true heart change through the Holy Spirit, not just external actions. Believers are saved by repenting from their sins, turning from their sins, and putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
• Biblical evangelism: actively sharing the Gospel to make disciples.
• Biblical church membership: committed participation and accountability in the church.
• Engagement in discipleship and growth: ongoing spiritual growth within both an individual and the community, specifically helping others faithfully follow Jesus.
• Biblical church discipline: corrective, loving discipline to restore members.
• Biblical church leadership: leaders who teach, guide, and serve with humility and integrity.

Identifying a Healthy Church

When searching for a healthy church to join, the characteristics outlined above can serve as a helpful guide. It is essential to evaluate potential churches based on these biblical markers of health, especially when moving to a new location or graduating and considering where to settle.

Once you've identified a healthy church, it is crucial to contribute to its health by embodying the qualities of a healthy church member. This involves growing in your own spiritual health through Bible study, prayer, and active participation in the church's life. As a healthy member, you contribute not only to your own growth but also to the growth and well-being of others in the congregation.

What Makes a Healthy Church Member?

• Expositional listening: actively hears, obeys, and responds to the Word of God.
• Solid theology skills: seeks to grow in knowledge of God and the Bible while living in accordance with it.
• Gospel-saturated: lives with the Gospel at the center of their life.
• Genuinely converted: has experienced true spiritual transformation.
• Biblical evangelicalism: actively and faithfully shares the Gospel with others.
• A committed member: regularly participates and serves in the church.
• Seeks discipline: welcomes correction and seeks growth.
• A growing disciple: continuously matures in faith, biblical knowledge, character, convictions, and leadership abilities.
• A humble follower: submits to church authority with humility.
• A prayer warrior: committed to praying for the church, its leaders, its members, and for the world to receive Christ.

Action Steps:

• Recognize the imperfection of churches — perfection is not possible.
• Look for a church that is healthy: There are healthy churches all around the country and the world.
• Join that church in membership: Get involved!
• Strive, by God’s grace, to be a healthy church member and help others to do the same so that you may be built up and grow in unity, maturity, and love.

Dr. Jeremy Kimble, Professor of Theology and Director of the Synergy Initiative at Cedarville University, is passionate about teaching college and graduate students the truth of God’s Word. He is committed to teaching in the classroom, mentoring students, and speaking in church, camp, and conference settings. He served in pastoral ministry for eight years and is currently an active member and minister at University Baptist Church. Dr. Kimble's academic interests include biblical and systematic theology, ecclesiology, preaching and teaching, and the mission of the Church.

Synergy is the combined power of a group working together that is greater than the power of individuals working separately. The Synergy Initiative aims to help students plan strategically to graduate from Cedarville, go together with others from this place, and invest their energies, talents, and efforts in planting, revitalizing, and multiplying churches. As Cedarville graduates join up with other church members who are equipped to do the work of ministry, the combined effect of their efforts will accomplish, by God’s grace, abundantly more than only a couple of pastors in a church doing all of the work on their own. Thus, the goal is to equip students to leave Cedarville University ready to help establish and strengthen local churches throughout the nation and around the world.