The Healthy Church: How to Assess Your Church’s Well-Being, Whatever Its Size

Illustration by Gary Locke

There are some realities that may be contributing factors to a church’s size. The road to church health, regardless of size, begins with asking the right questions.

For those who determine a church’s effectiveness and success by nickels and noses, the descriptive phrase, small, strong congregation may sound as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. With an inordinate amount of emphasis placed on bigger is better, the thought that a small congregation could actually be a healthy, missional church impacting its community and achieving its Kingdom potential seems incongruent.

Bigger is bigger, not necessarily better, healthier, or more effective. Likewise, smaller is smaller, not necessarily sick, unhealthy, or ineffective. God invites you and your congregation, regardless of size, to share a mission that matches both the field where God places you and the strengths with which He blesses you. A church can be big and unhealthy just as a church can be small and unhealthy. God desires small churches to be healthy just as much as He desires big churches to be healthy. Read more