Church Growth or Church Health?

Is the church an organization or is it an organism? How we answer that question determines how we view “success” in the church. If it is only an organization, numerical growth is a valid expectation and means of evaluation. If, however, the church is a living organism, growth is not nearly as important as health. There is no denying that the church is structured as an organization. Each local church requires some level of administration to lead and coordinate committees, calendars, records, schedules, etc. While the church functions as an organization, we must not make the mistake of overlooking the fact that it is primarily an organism.

According to scripture, the church is the body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12:11-12 Paul introduces the concept of the church as a body. There is a surprising twist at the end of verse 12, “For just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ.” We might expect Paul to say, “…so it is with the church.” By identifying the many members with Christ, he shows us that the church is literally the body of Christ. The church is the physical presence of Christ in the world today. 

Believers who concentrate on church growth are seeing only the surface issues and are dealing with the church as an organization, similar to a country club or fraternal group. Believers who concentrate on church health are seeing the church as an organism and are interested in getting the deeper aspects of being. If we fully understood our role as the body of Christ, we would view our ministry with much more urgency and enthusiasm. The church will accomplish its purpose and its mission only to the degree that it is what it is intended to be. If it is unhealthy, it cannot be all it should be and therefore, cannot do all it should do in the world.