How Healthy Is Your Church?

As we begin a new year, it’s important for church members to pause and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, assess the health of our congregations. We must be willing to step back and prayerfully ask: What areas of our church life are thriving? And where might we do things better—or perhaps just differently?

Just as regular checkups are essential for our personal well-being, spiritual checkups are vital for the well-being of our churches. Scripture gives us a number of benchmarks for evaluating church health. Acts 2:42-47 paints a beautiful picture of the early church, describing their devotion to teaching, fellowship, communion and prayer—along with unity, generosity and growth. This passage provides not only a model, but a vision of what we are called to pursue.

Love is the clearest sign of true discipleship. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” John 13:34-35 (NKJV). How does this vital sign register on our church’s spiritual stethoscope?

Paul encourages both personal and corporate self-examination in 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV), writing, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.” Ephesians 4:11-13 emphasizes the role of spiritual leadership in equipping members for service and building up the body of Christ. And we can’t leave out the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, which reminds us that a healthy church is engaged in making disciples and baptizing new members.

Of course, as with a doctor’s visit, the results of an honest assessment may not always be encouraging. Yet, even challenging news is a blessing—because it helps us see where growth is needed and allows us to take the right steps toward health and renewal.

An intentional self-evaluation is not an end in itself, but a first step toward greater effectiveness in ministry. One practical tool we can use is George T. Doran’s SMART Goals framework. As the acronym suggests, healthy goals are Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-bound. This approach helps turn spiritual reflection into meaningful action.

As we work with our local church leadership teams to set new goals for our churches, let’s remember that Scripture offers timeless principles for seeking God’s direction and planning wisely. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” reminding us of the essential need for us to move forward with vision and purpose. Additionally, Proverbs 16:3 encourages us to “commit our works to the Lord,” while James 4:15 reminds us to humbly acknowledge God’s will in our plans.

So Oklahoma family, as we move forward in faith, may we each ask the Holy Spirit to give us clear vision, renewed passion and the courage to pursue health and growth in the body of Christ—our local church family. Let’s not forget Christ’s promise in Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV), “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?, I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

By Daniel Ortega
President