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They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. — Acts 2:42-47

The Bible gives us great insight into Godâ??s plan for the church. As we look ahead, letâ??s get refocused on our plan to build and maintain a healthy church. I want to introduce you to the eight essential qualities of healthy churches. For more information on healthy churches, I encourage you to read Natural Church Development by Christian A. Schwarz.

1. Empowering Leadership. “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” vs. 43 When we talk about leadership, we emphatically want to emphasize that we do not define our leadership by those being paid to lead. The staff are only part of the leadership in the church. We also have Deacons, Administrators, Childrenâ??s Ministry Leaders, Childrenâ??s Bible Class Teachers, Small Group Leaders, and the list goes on and on! The paid staff of the church is committed to seeing leaders rise up in every area of the church. If you have the gift to lead, in any capacity, then lead! Please do not bury your talent of leadership. Volunteer leaders are usually more effective than assigned leaders for the simple reason that their hearts are involved. Look for areas in the church that need leadership and jump in. You can make a difference! (Eph 4:11-16)
2. Gift Oriented Ministry. “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone who had need.” vs. 45 Everyone has talent in some area. Some have more and others less talent. But the truth remains: We all have God given talents. Question: Are you using your God given talents to glorify Him and to build up His church? In the past the church in Omaha has spent time identifying the areas where God has blessed us with abilities. Discover your talents and use them to glorify God. (1 Cor 12:27)
3. Passionate Spirituality. “They devoted themselves to the apostlesâ?? teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” vs. 42 Our personal relationship with our Maker is the foundation we build on. As each of us draws near to God, we tap into the power and strength that only He can provide to carry out His will. Letâ??s recommit to awesome Quiet Times with God every day! Letâ??s throw off all excuses, and put our hand to the plow of prayer. Letâ??s dig into the Holy Book and find nourishment for our souls! I have found that a really good Quiet Time is the best avenue to de-stress my life. And yet I am still tempted to put my relationship with God on the back burner as I hurry about my business. Itâ??s time to recommit! Amen! (Ps 5:3; 42:1-2)
4. Functional Structures. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” vs. 46a Our fellowship must be well organized and well equipped. We are called upon to meet each otherâ??s needs (Heb 3:12-13), and must constantly reevaluate the structures we have in place. Do we have the church organized in a way that glorifies God? Are we offering too many ministries, or maybe not enough? Does the weekly schedule maximize time use and create a healthy church? Together we can build a healthy church. (1 Cor 12:12-27)
5. Inspiring Worship Services. “praising God and enjoying the favor of all people.” vs. 47a Sunday worship needs to be a time of oasis. A respite in the storms of life. We should all be looking forward to our next time together, plan to be there early, come with a heart to give and encourage, and strive to honor God with our worship. Worship is a time of praise, a time of prayer and a time of passion. The communion should draw us to the cross and one another. The sharing should make us grateful for the grace of God, and the singing should fill us with awe as we sing to the Maker of all things. (Ps 100)
6. Holistic Small Groups. “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” vs. 46b We need our small groups! Family is built in the home, and small groups are essential to every growing church. The biggest challenge is finding the time to have quality small groups. Our leaders are striving to adjust the midweek and devotional schedule to allow more opportunities for our small groups to meet and succeed. Letâ??s renew our commitment to our small group. (Acts 19:9)
7. Need Oriented Evangelism. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” vs. 47 All of us have friends, neighbors and relatives. In addition, we all come in contact with new people almost every day. Though we will differ in our effectiveness, we all need to have a heart for the lost. Letâ??s renew our commitment to giving every human being in Omaha an opportunity to have the relationship with God that we have found! Open your mouth and ask people to join you for church, small group, a personal Bible study, or whatever the event might be. You never know who might be looking for God! (Phil 1:12-14; Col 4:3)
8. Loving Relationships. “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” vs. 44 I love being with Christians. Most of my best friends are members of the church. How good are my relationships? We make friends by being a good friend. There is no other way. Am I a good friend? The Omaha church is full of great friendships. Can we expand our friendships? We need each other! And our friendships must be deep and real! (1 Thess 2:7-12)

As we start a new chapter in the Omaha church, letâ??s renew or pledge to build a healthy church, a church that has all eight qualities, a church that glorifies God! Every one of us is important and essential. Let me encourage you to be what you were created to be, and to do your part as we together build a church that honors our great and powerful God!

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