“A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’” (Luke 13:6-7 NIV)
Individuals with Diabetes check their blood sugar. Those with heart issues check their blood pressure. Financial Advisors review finances to be sure we are making the best use of God’s resources. Some churches do a cursory check of their health by recording attendance, budget and programs. Yet, research suggests that only 30% of churches consider themselves healthy.
Realizing the importance of a regular check on our personal health and finances, it makes sense that churches should undergo a regular spiritual and organizational checkup.
I encourage church leaders to review this checklist on a consistent basis:
- We are impacting our community as we reach people with the Gospel.
- We are committed to working together to accomplish our Vision, Mission and Values.
- We pray for ministry staff, leaders and each other.
- We have a consistent quiet time of prayer and Bible reading.
- We demonstrate Gods love to our community and are the eyes and ears of our church.
- We mentor others and are being mentored.
- We actively pray and work to improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
- We actively memorize scripture.
- We are actively spreading the gospel to our community and our world.
- Right now, the greatest challenge our church faces is …
The most important thing we should be working on this week is individually and collectively ensuring Heavenly fruit is coming from our church.
Leadership is … monitoring your spiritual and organizational health on a continual basis.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach
Jethro Group
ldkjethrogroup@gmail.com