Characteristics of Vital Congregations
Ministry effectiveness may be evaluated based on eight characteristics of a healthy congregation:
- Worship attendance - How does your church's worship attendance relate to what's happening to the population of your community? In a declining community, stable worship attendance is a success. In a growing community, declining attendance is not success.
- Professions of faith - How many people, other than the members of the confirmation class, came to Christ through profession of faith?
- Social action - Is your church involved in social action projects appropriate to your community?
- Sunday school attendance - Are the people attending worship connected to a small group experience like Sunday school where they are fed or feeding others spiritually?
- Growing dollars - Is the church spending more each year in ministry?
- Growing percentage for mission - Is the church spending more each year on being in mission outside the congregation?
- M&M's paid in full - Is the church paying its full commitment to the connectional mission of the church?
- Commitment to excellence - Are we giving our best to the Lord in service in all aspects of our ministry?
A vital congregation has:
- Inviting and inspiring worship
- Engaged disciples in mission and outreach
- Gifted, equipped and empowered lay leadership
- Effective, equipped and inspired clergy leadership
- Small groups
- Strong children’s programs and youth ministry
From the "A Call to Action" report.
