What Makes a Good Church?

IreneQ listed what she feels makes for a good church, at least a church she would find to be healthy. She has shared in her blog all about her search for a church and it helps me realize how blessed I am to have found the church I now attend.

Irene finds these things important:

1. People with passion and hunger for God
2. Caring
3. Authenticity (willingness to be real)
4. Biblical teaching – goes without saying, I guess!
5. Avenues for service/likelihood of being trained & equipped for service
6. A culture that encourages & spurs spiritual growth
7. God comes first, not methods, not systems, not traditions

This describes my church. I have never been a part of anything like it and on Sunday I renewed my committment to it in writing as members must do every year at the Covenant Renewal Banquet. The Covenant helps to ensure that all members are of "one mind" and that our goals to follow Christ in whatever direction he leads together.

We do not have one pastor...we have a team called the PLT, the Pastoral Leadership Team. Each of them are accountable to each other and no one pastor makes all the decisions.

We have "family talk time" anytime there is a major decision to be made in the church regarding pastors, building, whatever. Our leaderships are top scholars in the fields of ethics, Christian studies, New Testament and Greek, and I never imagined being taught God's word through these intellectuals or any like them!

We have a FWF "First WEdnesday Fellowship" on the first Wednesday every month to share dinner, fellowship and invite community members. We are constantly encouraged to reach out to others. Next Sunday we are taking food baskets to the needy and then bringing them back to church for a "party"...hot cocoa and snacks. Needy people don't just need food and that kind of stuff, they need to be respected and need to be loved.

During an offering recently (which we rarely do, we simply put a box at the back enterance/exit so as to not make anyone feel obligated to tithe) people were told to "give if you can give, take if you have need. It may be God's way of providing for you today." We try in every aspect of worship, giving, teaching, fellowship, accountability to do things by the Book. We all have hearts for God, so Irene...churches like this do exist!

I am not trying to brag on the people of my church or the church itself, I am bragging about how God uses Northbrook to glorify Himself and to advance His Kingdom. There are healthy, biblically functioning churches out there and God will lead you to them if you seek Him. SEEK HIM! It is amazing what our Father will do with a bunch of humble hearts with eyes focused on Him!