In this video and discussion series we are looking at seven characteristics of healthy Christians and healthy churches. Churches with Jesus Christ and the Christian gospel at their centre. Because our vision as a denomination is of A Healthy Gospel Church for Every Community in Scotland.
So far in this model that we have been looking at we have considered Healthy Preaching, Healthy Worship, Healthy Prayer, Healthy Mission and Healthy Discipleship. The sixth characteristic is Healthy Relationships.
Healthy churches will be characterised by Healthy Relationships.
Jesus said that we as his followers are to be known by our love for one another. We are to be a visible demonstration to the world around us of what God’s Kingdom looks like.
Perhaps this is one of the hardest aspects of being a healthy church. We are a community of sinful people – saved but not yet freed from the presence of sin. And unfortunately, we often say or do the wrong thing and end up hurting one another.
In healthy churches people bear with one another, forgive one another, they apologise, they don’t hold grudges, they try to love even those who treat them badly, they humbly put the needs and the wishes of others before their own.
Healthy relationships can be facilitated in our churches through things such as connecting people in small groups, or holding church lunches, weekends away, church social events, movie or games evenings, and just by doing fun things together. Having nice coffee and cake after the service. Having an area for young people to gather. Setting up a welcome team for Sundays.
You will have lots of good ideas for your own situation. So do have a conversation with others about what would encourage healthy relationships in your congregation. The discussion guide asks each of us to think about, “How might I grow in increasingly healthy relationships in the church?” and “How might my congregation grow and foster healthy relationships?”
We want to see Healthy Congregations that are characterised by healthy relationships. That we would indeed see A Healthy Gospel Church for Every Community in Scotland.