Not too long ago, someone asked If I was planning a church, what would it look like? That is a question that could illicit enough material to fill a book. However, as I contemplated what my answer would be to that question, I came up with the following qualities that I would want in a church that I would plan. These are not exhaustive, nor are they listed in an order of importance. These are qualities that not only would be helpful in a new church plant, but also in an existing church that was seeking renewal and health. Here they are:
1. Biblically Contextualized – I begin with this one because the kind of church I would plan would be somewhat dependent in what cultural/demographic/socio-economic context it existed. A church should be biblically contextualized. That is, it should not be “under contextualized” whereby the church becomes inward focused and limited in its reach. Nor should it be “over contextualized” where the authority of Scripture is surrendered to the culture. But sound biblical contextualization seeks to relate and adapt the communication and ministry of the gospel to your specific cultural setting without compromising the gospel or violating the authority of Scripture.
2. Biblically/Theologically rich – The centrality of Scripture would be essential in a church I would plan. However, I would want it to go beyond the sometimes superficial adherence we give to “believing the Bible” while being very selective in its application. Instead, I would want the supremacy of Scripture to rule as the final arbiter of all things personal, cultural, and congregational. Preaching/teaching/discipling for depth rather than a shallow approach.
3. Christ Centered Worship – The spiritual/theological content would have preference over the contextual/practical aspects of worship. I believe Christ focused worship elevates the spiritual atmosphere of the church and fuels mission. However, although it would not be the driver of worship, the church I would plan would utilize a style/music that is contextualized in such a way that allows people to worship in a culturally relevant way without sacrificing any theological content or bowing to superficial cultural whims.
4. Discipleship Focused – If I were planning a church, I would plant intentional discipleship in its DNA. That is, there would be an intentional and strategic process to lead Believers to growing as disciples and making disciples (maturity and evangelism).
5. Ethnic and generational diversity – If contextually possible, the church would represent the ethnic diversity of its community, thereby giving a more complete picture of the Kingdom, and representing to our culture biblical harmony along racial lines. In addition, I would definitely want to see a multigenerational church where older generations would pour wisdom into younger generations, and younger generations would inspire older generations to finish well.
6. Missionally Engaged - Loving the community through a demonstration of the gospel through meeting community need as well as proclamation of the gospel through personal evangelism is essential in reaching today’s culture. The church I would plan would be very active incarnating into the community (living on mission) individually and corporately, emphasizing a “go, be, tell” approach rather than relying totally on the program approach of “come and see”.
7. Meaningful Membership - I would want to see a church that took membership seriously through better membership orientation and more accountability.
8. A Simplified Structure – Complexity diffuses, and simplicity concentrates effectiveness. I would plan a church with a structure that would place more focus on a few priorities to have greater impact.
9. Authenticity/Transparency – I would want to see a church where there is space for believers to be open and honest and have interdependent relationships where the one-another commands of Scripture are carried out. Obviously, this would require building a healthy Sunday school/small group culture and also modeling before the congregation by leadership authenticity and vulnerability.
Certainly, many qualities could be added to this list. But these are just a few of the traits I’d want to see in a church I wound plan or incorporate into an existing church to bring it to greater health. Maybe you can think about a few of these qualities for your church.
In His Service,
Dr. Wes Rankin. Director of Missions Concord Baptist Association 219-615-9774 615-890-6409 wes.rankin@concordbaptists.org concordbaptists.org