Talk About Healthy Church Behavior
Being anxious is not wrong. There are plenty of reasons why people might have their anxiety level raised. However, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to behave in light of that anxiety. Consider the following five characteristics as a healthy response of a church.
IMAGE OF HEALTHY CHURCH
Healthy churches believe that they are made worthy not by what they do but by God’s grace. Therefore by God’s grace, they are worthy.
1. They have the courage to be imperfect. They tell an honest story of a people who are willing to “live the question” without having all the answers. Like Abraham and Sarah, they are on a journey without knowing the final destination but trusting in the God who leads them.
2. They are not defensive about their faults but are willing to explore them honestly so that they might grow from them towards a maturity in Christ. They know the biblical story of how God chooses to work through imperfect people — Abraham, David, the Disciples, Saul, and the list continues throughout all of church history.
3. Their practices emphasize a blending of gratitude and joy, They are grateful to having been invited on the journey. Doubt and questions are simply the boundaries on the edge of growth.
4. They trust that being vulnerable to both others and God is the birthplace of creativity, compassion, joy, belonging, and love. Therefore they are not afraid to fail. They dare to let God use their offerings for great things for the world God loves.
5. They believe in and practice connectivity. Faith well lived is lived in community among imperfect people who choose to practice their hope in community. After all the doctrinal debates, they know that it boils down to relationships as Jesus declared in the Great Commandment.
Discuss how it would make you feel to be part of a church that reflected those characteristics.
With each of the five characteristics of a healthy church listed, try to give three examples of how a church might reflect that behavior. For example what might a person or church do to reflect the courage to be imperfect. Can you think of other biblical examples of people having the courage to be imperfect?
As you discuss the image of a healthy church, consider the relationship of churches to each other. What are some specific ways that churches might relate to each other, in small groups and as a whole presbytery, that would offer a healthy witness.
Identify some simple steps that the churches of your presbytery might take that would strengthen their capacity to be a healthy witness to the world around them.
If you are in small groups, share your work in a plenary with the whole body.
