I love the church. She is Christ’s bride and the key to
cultural transformation. In that sense, every church is great. But let’s be
honest, there are a ton of churches that leave much to be desired when it comes
to truly making a difference in their congregations and communities. So when
you plug into a church that is getting it done, it’s a true blessing.
Of course, there are no perfect churches, but there are
many that are pressing toward the high water mark we see in Scripture. Here are
10 signs you may be going to a great local church.
1. It is lead by a team of godly leaders, not a Lone Ranger
pastor who gathers Tonto-type leaders around him to say “Yes, Kemo Sabe” to
his each and every idea (Titus
1:5-9).
2. The Gospel is central to every sermon, program and
meeting
(1
Corinthians 15:3,4), and the advancement of it both locally and globally
drive strategic initiatives (Acts
1:8).
3. People are using their spiritual gifts, not just
watching the “stage team” exercise theirs (1
Corinthians 12:12-31), resulting in disciples being made and multiplied (2
Timothy 2:2).
4. It, like the early church, is integrated, fully
representing the demographic of the community in which it resides (Ephesians
2:11-21). By the way, my buddy Derwin Gray has got a lot of
great material (blogs, sermons, etc.) on this particular point.
5. Love, demonstrating itself in friendliness, generosity,
internal/external care programs and community involvement dominates the
atmosphere
6. Most likely there is a thriving small group program
where members truly can have great biblical conversations, share struggles and
pray with/for each other (James
5:16).
7. The people are being inspired and equipped to share their faith relationally,
resulting in more and more new believers being added to the church (Acts
2:47).
8. The teaching/preaching is biblical, theological and
immensely practical
9. Ministry to children and teenagers are top priorities,
not afterthoughts
10. Intercessory prayer fuels everything. It’s the engine,
not the caboose, of how the church rolls from top to bottom (1
Timothy 2:1-8).
These are 10 signs you may be going to a great church. What
are some other signs?
Greg Stier is the President and Founder of Dare 2 Share
Ministries, which is mobilizing teenagers across America to share their faith.
More from Greg Stier or visit Greg
at www.dare2share.org
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