What is the ultimate metric God uses to evaluate the wellbeing in our churches? It is far less shallow than we care to admit…based upon how we ask/answer the superficial “how many are you running” type questions between us. As our church prepares to celebrate 16 years this weekend, I am quick to acknowledge how gracious and merciful God has been through these years to see us through some significant hurdles/struggles. None more so than the recent, ongoing challenges in our family that have significantly added to the load of other leaders and tested WHO our church is all about-the lead pastor or its head, Jesus. To date and for God’s glory, we have-with all of the time I have been gone/less available to our flock-experienced steady growth instead of decline, aligning unity instead of division, intensifying engagement instead of apathy, and palpable love instead of cynicism.

I recently have had several ask me, “How is your church so supportive and understanding of all you have going in your personal space and ministry that limits/affects what you can do as a pastor?” While we at North Life have a long ways to go to reach our full potential, this current season has revealed the importance of developing and maintaining the foundational root systems required to maintain emotional, relational, and spiritual vibrancy in our ranks. (The winds and waves of storms invariably expose how viable or compromised the footing is of every living organism including ekklesia.) Today, I pray Spurgeon’s words over not just our church entering year 17 but also at whatever stage this finds your ministry, “Grow in the root of all grace, which is faith. Believe God’s promises more firmly than ever. Allow your faith to increase in its fullness, firmness, and simplicity“. 

The mantra intensifying on my lips and in my heart are, “Grow deep roots to harvest rich fruit” (Michael Beckwith). How do we practically do that? Here are 16 “roots” that we are discovering predictably distinguish the support system of every healthy church:

  1. Get comfortable saying with authenticity, “I love you” to one another which checks how Spirit-filled status of each member (As someone put it, “love is the circulatory system of the body of Christ”).
  2. Linger long after church gatherings/services to really connect when you are most tempted to rush home to the cozy chair/clothes.
  3. Prioritize the intimate gatherings in circles (small groups) as much as in blend-in-to-the-crowd rows (corporate services).
  4. View volunteers as people to regularly invest in, not just a impersonal means to building “greater/bigger” programs and profiles.
  5. Share an annual Bible reading plan that bleeds into every area of ministry, family, and conversation.
  6. Emphasize expository teaching/preaching over hot takes and preferences…making church gatherings and interactions less about human opinions/gossip and more about transcendent truths.
  7. Swap out the oft-sincere but vague “I will pray for you” for “Let’s pray right now over your need/burden.”
  8. Make a big deal over the refining celebration of observing communion regularly (we include our kids as well).
  9. Don’t just allow but wholeheartedly cheer paid staff prioritizing their marriage and children…even, at times, over reassigned-to-others ministry obligations (say/mean words like “I am so glad to see you all are prioritizing a family vacation, staying home with your sick child, leaving early to make your teen’s ballgame, etc.”)
  10. Schedule loads of table fellowship to share together both at the church and in personal spaces.
  11. Have regular church family meetings for members that communicate thoroughly and transparently the “business” of the ministry (we typically do quarterly).
  12. Keep before the people the church covenant to which each member is accountable (we hand it out at the beginning of each year/include it on our quarterly meeting handout).
  13. Give space in the weekly rhythms of life, family, and ministry for everyone to do the soul work that a vibrant relationship with God requires.
  14. Celebrate with gusto everybody’s birthdays and anniversaries (we include them in our bulletin and send a handmade card from the church).
  15. Have annual events on the church calendar that invest time, energy, and instruction into the wellbeing of people and their families (we do an annual “Wellness Weekend” and “Healthy Family Weekend” amongst others one-off’s.)
  16. And the most important for us at North Life…disproportionally invest in your leadership team over the general congregation/attendees…and tolerate zero misalignment or unhealthy behavior, words, trends in this group (this is often the most taxing but most important part of your leadership).

Bigger is not always better. Well-known is not always to be desired. While the “fruit” tends to get all the love and attention, these above-listed root systems in the church are what provide the staying power that always wins the ultimate, divine “well done” in the end. Focus less upon immediate gratification of above-ground programs and productivity. Focus more upon going deeper with the Lord and His people…and all the the tangibles will follow. As Jon Gordon puts it, “We live in a world where many focus on the fruit of the tree. They focus on the outcome and make decisions based on grabbing the fruit. But if you focus on the fruit and ignore the root the tree dies. If you focus on the root you’ll always have a great supply of fruit.” Spend less time counting how much you harvested (managers mindset); spend far more focusing upon how many seeds you can sow and water their roots (leaders heart disposition).

With the passage of time, what is sobering is that what is beneath the surface is who we really are and will be laid bare by the scrutinizing shovel of God Himself. Breathtaking to truly consider! Paul leaves us with this transcendent mandate in Ephesians 3:17b, 21 that sustained a movement of God that far outlived his ministry, the church at Ephesus, and someday even ours if we will go much deeper than the average assembly, “…that ye being ROOTED and grounded in love…Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, world without end. Amen.”

For those who have read to the end, I am curious…what “root” would you add to our still-in-process system of 16? Please add it in the comments below!

Photo by AMAL BEN SAAD on Unsplash