A healthy church is one that has heard the call to open up the door to Jesus. If he stands at the "outside" of the door and we never let him in, whose the head of the church, Jesus or us?Research Study By Jewel D. Williams
Titled: The Life of a Healthy Church
Written: 2006
Titled: The Life of a Healthy Church
Written: 2006
The first characteristic is gift-based ministry. What does gift-based ministry mean? Schwarz explains it this way, “The gift-based approach reflects the conviction that Gods sovereignty determines which Christians should best assume which ministries. The role of the church leadership is to help its members identify their gifts and to integrate them into appropriate ministries. When Christians serve in their area of giftedness, they generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary!” (26).
To begin implementing the gift-based ministry characteristic, one must first start with the leaders and teachers being taught the importance of all believers understanding their giftedness. The general church population will not have a great understanding of the importance of gifts, if the leadership does not teach that it is important first. This cannot be achieved until the leadership understands that this is not simply a fad, but a vital part of the building of the body of Christ. Schwarz states, “Unfortunately, in recent years some have misunderstood the gift-based approach as just another passing church growth fad. But the discovery and use of spiritual gifts is the only way to live out the Reformation watchword of the ‘priesthood of all believers’” (26).
Therefore the teaching starts at the top with those responsible for teaching others the importance of gifts and their usage (something I call "train the trainer"). The teaching starts with what does God desire for the believers? Donald A. McGavran, author of the book, Understanding Church Growth, states, “The finding God wants them found – that is, brought into a redemptive relationship to Jesus Christ where, baptized in his name, they become part of his household…The chief and irreplaceable purpose of mission is church growth. Social service pleases God, but it must never be substituted for finding the lost. Our Lord did not rest content with feeding the hungry and healing the sick. He pressed on to give his life a ransom for many and to send out his followers to disciple all nations. Service must not be so disproportionately emphasized at the expense of evangelism that findable persons are continually lost” (21-22).
The teaching then must first teach that importance of the mission, which is to find the lost. The mission is not our programs and services, while they may be wonderful, they are only vehicles to which we try to reach out to the world around us. This is important so that individuals will not be confused and believe our programs running smoothly is what is most important, for they are not. What is most important is, are you in the place God has chosen for you to be in? He requires you to do within the church, but your gifts are also to be used in outreach to the lost. The importance of the mission must be taught before one can even speak about gifts. Scripture says, “for we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:3-9).
The classes or training can be broken up for teens, adults and children for example so that each group is able to understand from there level of learning. This is imperative based on scripture that states, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant…Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6).
Along with a test (available for purchase from many sources) on what is your spiritual gift, the ground work must first be set so that individuals understand this is of great responsibility to functioning within there area of giftedness (Note: this in no ways suggest that we do not depend on the Holy Spirit to direct individuals into learning their gifts, this is only suggested as a helping tool).
The teaching should cover what the gifts are for, which goes back to the understanding of the mission, to help build up the body as well as to reach the lost. The teaching should also cover why use the gifts. Romans states why we willingly become laborers with God “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service…For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;” (Romans 12:1, 4-6).
The current lesson can be found on the website, Williams Innovative Network (W.I.N), http://home.comcast.net/~inhisword/site/
Cited work / source documents
Gildea, Spike, Ph.D., et al. The American Heritage College Dictionary. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
Keathley III, J. Hampton. Marks of Maturity: Biblical Characteristics of a Christian Leader. 2005. 28 March 2006. http://www.bible.org/.
Longman, Jr., Robert. Spiritual Disciplines and practices. 2005. 28 March 2006. http://www.spirithome.com/spirdisc.html.
MacArthur, John, et. al. Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2005.
McGavran, Donald A. Understanding Church Growth. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970.
Piper, John. The Marks of a Spiritual Leader. 2006. 28 March 2006. http://www.desiringgod.org/library/topics/leadership/marks_spiritual_leader.html.
Rainer, Thom S. Surprising Insights From The Unchurched. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
Regele, Mike. Death of The Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
Rheenen, Gailyn Van. Biblical Foundations & Contemporary Strategies: Missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.
Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development. St. Charles, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 1996.
Simpson, Sandy. The Duties of Christian Leadership. January 11, 2005. 28 March 2006.
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/dutiesofchristianleadership.html.
Stowell, Joseph M. Shepherding the Church. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. 1997.
Stowell, Joseph M. Shepherding the Church. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. 1997.
Toler, Stan And Nelson, Alan. The Five Star Church. Ventura, CA: Regal Books. 1999.
Thompson, Frank Charles, D.D., PH.D. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, 5th ed. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbridge Bible Co., Inc., 1988.
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