This past weekend renowned author and theologian J.I. Packer was in town speaking at St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Dr. Packer has written over thirty books including the highly acclaimed book Knowing God.
During the question and answer session one of the attendees asked “what is a ‘healthy church’?” I thought Packer’s response was excellent, and wanted to share it here.
According to Dr. Packer a healthy church is a church where:
- The Gospel is preached
- Worship is heart-felt and generally congregational
- The focus is on the church’s mission to share the Gospel
- Love and holiness are recognized as absolutely essential
- There is concern and intentional action put forth to raise children who follow the Lord
Though no church is flawless, are you currently in a healthy church? If not, is God calling you to prayerfully influence it towards health or to join a more healthy church?