4 Phases of Increased Congregational Health

Want to know the process churches go through as they work to heal their congregations? Well here is what we have learned. From our perspective at Blessing Point Ministries, churches go through distinct phases on the path to health and healing.

Phase One – Congregational Pain: Churches (and church leaders) usually have a high tolerance for pain. Like many individuals, they are willing to do just about anything before going to see a doctor. For churches to call in outside help usually takes a crisis. Since these churches often have histories of repetitive crises, it usually takes a major blow—a split, a moral failure, someone absconding with funds—to motivate them to seek help. The effects of such a history of corporate crises include a lack of trust for leaders, poor communication, a weak corporate pulse, and a lack of mission fulfillment.

Phase Two – Congregational Healing: A church which has a chance to heal will face the fact that their present pain has its roots in deeper unresolved problems. They also discover that Jesus is speaking to them through the corporate pain, usually a message of His discipline over sins and decisions which displeased Him and which the church ignored. Churches which heal take responsibility and will hold a service of reconciliation to make things right with Christ and each other. The impact of such a service will break the unhealthy patterns and make right their corporate relationship with Christ. They then enjoy a change in the spirit of the church and see signs of God’s blessing on their efforts.

Phase Three – Congregational Overcoming: Here the church works to overcome their previous unhealthy ways of relating. Because the health of churches may suffer for decades, it takes a while to grow out of their “old ways.” But with Jesus’ help the congregation can aspire to establish new ways of relating, and transform the “culture” of the church. Things which may have characterized them in a dysfunctional way start to change. The Lord sometimes presents a church with challenges and tests to overcome in this period. He values those who overcome according to Revelation 2-3. The tests may be obstacles to growth or issues which require leaders to act differently than they had before. If they pass these tests, they see extraordinary blessings result.

Phase Four – Congregational Health: This is where the hard work pays off for church leaders who have the courage to face a healing process and then overcome the obstacles they may face in transforming the heart of their church. Trust for leaders, which had been in short supply, now starts to grow again, and communication is no longer hampered by that distrust. The church’s corporate pulse grows stronger, and the church begins to see God work in their midst in new ways.

The truth is that, while many churches make it through to the end of the process, we also see some fall out before the process is finished. Churches can derail the process several ways. First, they may not seek outside help in the first place, leaving their church to repeat the cycles of pain from the past. Second, they may discern their negative patterns and hear the Lord speak to them about issues they need to address but refuse to repent (We’ve seen it happen more than once.) Third, they can be derailed through regression to old patterns. Having repented and stated they want to change, they fall back into operating like they used to, just like the Israelites who, facing the challenges of a new direction, decided they preferred Egypt for their leeks, onions, and melons.

But for churches that resist the magnetism of the “old way of doing things” and embrace a new direction—listening to and following the true Head of their church—a healthier future awaits.  Get a baseline reading of your church’s health using our free online tool.

Where is your church in four phases of congregational health?

Rev. Mark Barnard serves as President of Blessing Point Ministries and is coauthor of The Eighth Letter – Jesus Still Speaks!

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