One of the diagnostic tools that I use in my dental office are X-rays. They enable me to see the unseen and to evaluate the oral health status of my patients. What if there were x-rays available for churches? What if there were diagnostic tools such as blood pressure and blood chemistry indicators that could reveal the internal health of ministries? While current technology does not offer such devices, there are indicators that reveal the health of churches. When these principles and practices are present in the operational behavior of a ministry then there is a good prognosis.
Consider the following:
*foresight: ability to predict changes
*discernment: know times, seasons, and proper responses
*persuasiveness: ability to enlist the trust of the masses
*global awareness: consciousness of world events, trends, and cycles
*Spirit dynamic: power to influence the natural
*credibility: integrity and charisma
*compassion: power to comfort
*transcendence: ability to influence the sacred and the secular
*longevity: duration of effectiveness
*character: ethics and morality
While these are not the only signs of church health they are good indicators..It is important to keep in mind that the growth of the church and the health of the church are not always synonymous.