Characteristics of a healthy church - Part 3

Part of being a healthy church are the spiritual disciplines that we utilize on both a personal and corporate basis.

I would suggest that a healthy church is a church that provides training, models, and resources for every church family member, of all ages, to develop their daily spiritual disciplines.

While bible studies for bible knowledge are part of the piece of the puzzle, they are not the end game. Our goal is to assimilate bible knowledge in order to become stronger followers of Christ.

"Becoming" is just as important as "doing". In reality, we can't place one over the other, or we will find ourselves taking a step backwards in both the short term and the long term.

They are like two oars in a row boat. Both are needed. You can't have "one without the other," as in love and marriage.

In "being" we find ourselves drawing closer to Christ. It comes from a daily discipline of being still before God. Reading the Word. Communicating with the father. It means being "obedient."

Did you know that the Latin root for the word obedience means "to listen"?

Only after we take the time to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit are we able to fully respond to his love and Word.

We must listen for his voice. Psalms 46:10 tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God."

This is so important, for when I walk in my spiritual disciplines, my "doing" becomes an exercise in love rather than duty. I walk and talk and serve and love and live for him out of relationship.

Here's a great principle: WE CANNOT GIVE WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE.

That's where the philosophy of simple comes in. The simple church. Simple does not mean lazy or complacent or less active. It means that we are working and ministering out of love for Christ in areas that are the most effective for God's kingdom. Again, many of us equate busyness at the church with personal and corporate spiritual growth. Is it possible that every ministry in the church needs to be evaluated on a consistent basis as to its effectiveness?

Here are some tips for a great spiritual discipline time:

1. Mediate on and contemplate a passage of Scripture
2. Journal - which helps you reflect on what God is doing in your life
3. Spiritual reading of devotional writers like Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster and Brennan Manning
4. Silent retreat, where the hunger for being alone with God is satisfied on a regular basis.

A healthy church is made up individuals who love God and are strong in their spiritual disciplines.