This lesson gives characteristics of a mature church in the form of questions. A church should consider these questions to understand how they need to develop.

The group of students in this class may not all be from the same church and may not be the ones who can make decisions about changes in the church. They can use the questions for evaluating the maturity level of a church and setting goals for their own ministry.

For each question below, discuss the meaning of the question, using the explanations provided. Then, consider what a church could do to develop the characteristic it needs.

(1) Where are the small groups that give spiritual life to the church?

A healthy church usually has some kind of small groups where spiritual life is sustained. These groups may be house churches, Sunday school classes, or other kinds of groups. These may be organized, or they may be informal. Spiritual revival usually starts in small groups. The spiritual life of the church is not sustained or revived only in worship services. Spiritual accountability and life change usually happen in small groups. The leaders of the church should make sure that small groups exist that are accomplishing these purposes. If the existing structures in the church are not enabling spiritual life, changes are needed.

(2) Who owns the church?

The church is not mature unless there is a group of committed members who take responsibility for the ministry and its financial support.

If the ministry is operated like a personal business for the pastor, the church will never mature. If the church building is rented, the church is not mature if an individual or outside organization pays the rent.

Ideally, the building and ministry should be owned by the group of church members. If the building is rented, the congregation should take responsibility together for paying the rent.

The local church ministry should be established to continue as an institution until the return of Christ.

(3) How is the local ministry financially supported?

The best financial situation for a church is to be supported by tithing members. If the church is supported by an outside organization it is not a mature church and is vulnerable. If it is supported by the pastor or by a few givers and not by the general congregation, the congregation has not developed into a mature family of faith.

Tithe is God’s method for supporting the local church. The leaders of the church should teach tithing and gradually build local support for the ministry of the church. The church should not depend on outside support for its operations. Outside support should be used for projects that build the church’s capacity.

(4) Does the church support a full-time pastor?

The biblical plan for a pastor is that he devote his time completely to his ministry. Sometimes that is not possible for a new church, but the church should have the goal of developing support that will allow the pastor to focus on ministry without being distracted by financial needs.

(5) What is the system for financial accountability?

Offerings should be collected and counted by more than one person. Several trusted people should be involved in setting the financial priorities and policies of the church. The members of the congregation should know how the financial system of the church works.

[1](6) What means are being used to get the gospel to people outside the church?

The first responsibility of the church is to take care of the committed members of the congregation. However, the church must always be reaching out to the people in the neighborhood. The church must have activities that make sure people outside the church are seeing the work of the church and hearing the gospel. Some of these activities may be happening spontaneously. Leaders will need to organize others, also. Members with abilities should be invited and trained for these activities.

(7) How is the church responding to neighborhood needs?

The church should find ways to respond to needs in the neighborhood. The priority should always be to show the love of God and demonstrate biblical principles.

(8) Are there ethnic or economic categories of people that are excluded from the church’s outreach?

Do poor people feel welcome to attend church in the clothes that they have? Are children of the community welcome to attend even if their parents do not? Is there an ethnic group of people who assume that the church is not for them?

(9) How are visitors greeted?

The church should train people to greet people who visit the church. The most important purpose of greeting visitors is to make the visitor feel welcome and comfortable. Several people should try to get acquainted with the visitor. He should be invited not only to another worship service, but also to a small group meeting or home meeting where he can learn and ask questions.

(10) What is the church’s method to immediately disciple new converts?

When a person gets saved, either at the church or elsewhere, he should not only be invited to a worship service, but also into a system of immediate discipleship. This may begin with personal visits with a pastor. He may be invited into a small group that meets weekly. The church should be prepared to minister to new converts.

(11) How does the church describe spiritual maturity?

What do spiritually mature people look like? The congregation should be taught the characteristics of spiritual maturity. These characteristics do not always accompany leadership ability or talents, but people with these characteristics should be respected as examples.

(12) What is the system for purposeful spiritual development?

An important task of the church is to help the spiritual development of its members (Ephesians 4:11-13). The leaders of the church cannot just hope that spiritual development is happening. They should not simply preach to the congregation and leave all spiritual development to individual initiative. Pastors should have a system for encouraging the people to use spiritual disciplines. They should provide accountability for all who accept it. This can be done through personal conversations, small groups, classes, and other ways.

[2](13) Is there a membership structure that provides people a way to commit to the church?

People who want to commit to the church need to know specifically what commitment means. Some churches claim to have no membership structure, but every church has some way of knowing who its people are. Everyone needs to know who the people are who form the church.

(14) Are the membership requirements clear and known to everyone?

Everyone should know what commitments are necessary for membership. The requirements and a description of the process for becoming a member should be printed.

(15) Do the membership requirements allow a convert to get involved quickly?

A convert who is ready to commit to the church should be able to help the church immediately. That does not mean that he should be given a position or leadership responsibilities, but he should know that he is part of the church.

(16) What is the group that is responsible for keeping the values and standards of the church?

There is a group of committed members within the congregation that determines the nature of the church. They may be a board of deacons or they may be a group of voting members that could be called the governing body. Leaders must give special attention to developing this group. Changes in that group will determine the future of the church. The pastor must be accountable to them and keep them informed. They and the leadership team must have the same priorities for the church.

(17) Does the church share commitment to a clear vision?

The pastor, leadership team, and group of committed members must spend much time discussing the purpose and goals of the church. They should develop a vision of the church that they can support. The congregation needs to be familiar with the church vision.

(18) Do the members know the doctrines of the church?

The church must do more than lead its people to worship and have spiritual experiences. When an outsider asks a member, “What does your church believe?” the member should have a good answer. Members should be able to explain the basic doctrines of Christianity and the special doctrines of their church.

(19) Do members understand the relationship between the church and its association?

The church should be fulfilling its commitment to its association. Fellowship in the association can help support the doctrine of the church. People of the church should be encouraged to participate in association events.

(20) How are worship services planned and evaluated?

Leaders should prayerfully plan the worship service. If the Holy Spirit leads the service in an unexpected direction, that is wonderful; but otherwise, the leaders should have a plan to follow. There should be meetings where several leaders work together on the details of the services.

If the church has good worship, the congregation is involved and interested. A church should try to use many different people in different parts of the service to help keep more people interested and committed.

(21) Are baptism and communion practiced scripturally and in a meaningful way?

Every genuine convert should be already baptized or in a schedule to be baptized soon. Communion should be served to those who have a testimony of grace. Communion should be practiced in a way that helps the participants worship.

(22) Does the church practice biblical church discipline?

The church should stand against sin. If a member of the church is guilty of sin, he must be confronted. The goal should be to bring him to repentance and restore him to spiritual victory.

(23) Is there a team that shares ministry responsibilities?

The ministry will not grow unless it builds a leadership team. Each person is limited in the number of people he can influence and the responsibilities he can carry. The ministry of the church should not be the ministry of one person.

[3](24) What is the system for selecting, training, and adding members to the ministry team?

The ministry cannot grow without developing new members for the leadership team. Members for the team should be selected very carefully, but the church must always be working to find and develop people who can take responsibility in the future. The growth of the ministry depends on development of more leaders.

(25) What is the system for responding to conflict and problems in the church?

Unresolved conflicts cripple the church. The congregation must be taught how to resolve personal conflicts with people. Leaders of the church must not ignore conflicts but be prepared to help bring reconciliation.

(26) Is the church supporting missions in a partnership with other churches?

If a church truly wants to advance the kingdom of God, it will not only work to expand its local influence, but to support other ministries. A church demonstrates that it is for God’s glory when it gives for ministry that will not benefit itself.

(27) Is the church helping a new church get started?

A mature church should be helping a new church start in a nearby area. The new church will reach people not being reached by the existing church.

(28) Does the ministry of the church serve all ages and categories of people in the congregation?

The needs of children, the elderly, young people, young families, men, unmarried people, and others should be important to the church. The church should also think of the needs of people from all levels of spiritual maturity.

(29) Do the people of the congregation work together to take care of the needs of members?

The church must care about the financial needs of people of the congregation. Most needs should be met by people helping each other without administration by the church leaders. If most of the members do not feel responsibility to help others, they have not formed a mature church yet.

(30) How does the church make sure the financial needs of people of the congregation are met?

The church should have deacons that make sure needs are noticed. The church in the book of Acts appointed the first deacons for this purpose.