The Marks of a Healthy Church

Later this month we’ll submit our annual parochial report to the diocese. Both the diocese and the ACNA like to get a sense of how the congregations are doing, so they ask us to submit data each year that they believe will help them to do that.

Traditionally, the data that we send include average Sunday attendance (ASA), number of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials, the number of children and youth involved in Sunday School, and our total income.

These data are certainly important, but the leaders of the ACNA understand that a truly healthy church is marked by spiritual maturity and fruitfulness, things that cannot be communicated solely by ASA and income statistics.

To that end, in addition to the data I’ve mentioned above, the diocese asks us to communicate to them each year how we’ve seen the fruit of the Spirit manifested in our congregation over the past year. In Galatians 5.22, Paul defines the fruit of the Spirit as, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”. Note that Paul writes the “fruit” of the Spirit, not “fruits”. Thus, we’re left to conclude the fruit of the Spirit is actually an expression of all of the listed traits.

In light of this, I’m asking you all to share stories with me of examples of the fruit of Spirit growing in and through our congregation. I’m aware of many manifestations of this fruit, but I’m sure that I’m not aware of all them. So, please ask God to bring to your mind examples of the fruit of the Spirit as defined by Paul growing in our midst.

For example, I witnessed joy during the recessional hymn at the 11:15 service two weeks ago when the congregation began to sing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” with a lot of passion. I witnessed love recently when the prayer team wept with a woman who had opened up about abuse in her past. I witnessed generosity when a family gave financially to help someone who had lost a job. I could, of course, mention many others.

I’m happy to say that, when we do submit our parochial report, I’ll be able to say that our ASA and income were higher than they’ve ever been. I’ll be even happier, however, to say that the fruit of Spirit is growing in our congregation in real and tangible ways.

Jesus told his disciples, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13.35). I rejoice that I’ve seen such love in our midst, and I’m excited to hear from you all how you’ve seen it, too.