Comedian Jackie Mason once said, “It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like.” When I first read that quote, I laughed, but then I sobered a bit when I considered its truth. It’s easy to find our comfort zone in a hurt, habit, or hang-up as individuals, but we can also make dysfunctions in a church comfortable.   We’ve been looking at the key indicators of a healthy church over our last few newsletters. At the foundation of he

A healthy church is more than just a building filled with people on Sunday mornings. We could all agree that churches can fill with people and still be unhealthy. So, what is a healthy church? Last month, we saw a couple of truths about a healthy church. First, it is a gathering of believers who stand in right relationship with God, surrendered to Christ’s lordship. Secondly, a healthy church is made up of Christ followers who are moving toward Jesus. Jesus gives us another

This seems to have an obvious answer, but does it? Through Natural Church Development, we work with churches to help them become healthier, but what is the real goal? We may first think that more people means healthier. Maybe, but maybe not. I recently had a church leader in Prague ask me if God loves large churches. Interesting question, but I knew what he meant.   Does contentment or joy mean health? Not by itself. I’ve known some unhealthy churches that were quite content

If you’ve read James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, you’ve given thought to the power of small things – small decisions, tiny habits, and decisions that may seem insignificant at the time but will ultimately bring powerful, lasting consequences. While I could write about a number of decisions I’ve made as a pastor or helped church leaders make when I’ve coached their churches, but the one decision that has affected many other decisions is the choice to focus on church health in

“You will never maximize your potential in any area without coaching. It is impossible. You may be good. You may even be better than everyone else. But without outside input, you will never be as good as you could be. We all do better when somebody is watching and evaluating.” - Andy Stanley This is a strong endorsement for having a coach. Think of Michael Jordan without Phil Jackson. Or the people in your own development as a leader who helped you navigate transitions, liste

A tense church board meeting reveals a critical need for "loving relationships" within the congregation.