Last updated 8th October 2020

Healthy Churches - mission and growth

We are encouraging all of our 250+ Church of England churches in Lancashire to continually strive towards being as healthy as they can possibly be, using the following as a guide.

Six Marks of a Healthy Church

A great deal of research has been done to find ways of assessing church health.  These include Natural Church Development, Growing Healthy Churches, Anecdote to Evidence and Leading your Church into Growth.  Our diocese has combined all this research and has identified six qualities which make a church healthy. 

1.       Worship

A healthy church offers worship which inspires, encourages, has depth and richness, that connects with people and helps them encounter God.  A church that has a deep rooted commitment to prayer which is demonstrated in every area of its life.

2.       Vision

A healthy church has a clear sense of purpose and direction, a current Mission Action Plan (or similar), has clear priorities and seeks to build God’s Kingdom in its local communities.  A church which seeks to find out what God wants and then does it!

3.        Leadership and Collaborative Ministry

A healthy church embraces a positive pattern of Christian leadership, promotes collaborative working and encourages all people to find opportunities to put their faith into action.  A church that encourages Christian vocations and encourages people to explores God’s call upon their lives.

4.         Active Discipleship

A healthy church actively encourages people of all ages to grow in their relationship with Jesus through prayer, bible study and other devotional activities. A church that actively encourages people of all ages to find expression for their faith in the church and the world. 

5.         Strong sense of Community

A healthy church has a church community that is open, warm, caring and supportive, that nurtures a sense of belonging for people of all ages and backgrounds and is open to new people joining the life of the church.  A church that actively reaches out to others and has a warm and positive relationship with the communities it serves.

6.         Outward looking focus

A healthy church seeks to reach out to the local community and further afield with God’s love and compassion.  It is committed to helping people find faith and seeks to build the Kingdom of God in all situations.

Archbishop William Temple said, "The Church is the only organisation that exists for the wellbeing of its non-members".

For more information please contact our Being Witnesses team: beingwitnesses@blackburn.anglican.org