Prevailing churches are on the rise and God is growing His Kingdom all over the world. In my limited travel I have seen these qualities apparent in each local church. Note this: the qualities are there, but the approach, style, and way of executing these attributes are extremely unique.
#1 Leadership
A growing church ALWAYS has a great, called leader. Leadership that is directed through a sensitivity to The Holy Spirit. This leadership is developing leaders and their staff is developing leaders. I believe many churches will never experience God-growth, because the leader is not called…food for thought (1Timothy 3)
#2 Evangelistic
The Gospel is shared, taught, and illustrated through the life of it’s leadership. I am even watching a comeback of “come forward” invitations and series built on evangelism. Not “walk an aisle and pray a prayer”, but true repentance and lordship.
#3 Exciting Children’s Ministry
Focusing on the next generation is a church preparing it’s future.
#4 Concerned about the Poor
God is shouting to His Church “meet the needs of the poor, oppressed, needy, orphans and widows.” Prevailing churches are listening and acting.
#5 Generous
Giving is priority.
#6 Great Worship Experiences
Music, preaching, lobbies, volunteers, kids areas, offerings and even the announcements are prepared, creative and excellent.
#7 Doing More with Less
Churches that are growing, are cutting the fat and producing even greater results. Budgeting is fluid and lean. This is creating more preparation and utilizing the gifts within the church more that counting on money and a couple of staff members to accomplish tasks.
These are just a few and I welcome your list. Prevailing churches that are encouraging me right now are Fellowship Church, Granger Community Church, Church on the Move, Free Chapel, Seacoast Church, Bay Area Fellowship, Life Point Church, and of course Brand New Church.
Shannon O’Dell on the Qualities of Prevailing Churches says,
[...] the Full Article: Qualities of Prevailing Churches | Breaking All the Rurals. var fbShare = {url: [...]
on 01 December 2010 / 9:09 AM
shirley keith says,
Is it necessary for the church to provide a financial report and other auxiliary reports?
on 16 December 2010 / 11:29 AM
MARLENE says,
I LISTENED TO YOU ON TBN JUST FOR A MINUTE AND THEN CAME IN TO MY COMPUTER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU. SHANNON YOU ARE TO FILLED WITH YOURSELF AND THAT IS A RED FLAG TO ME. NOT IN YOUR LIST OF THINGS YOU BELIEVE DID YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TEACHING THE GOSPEL AND LEADING THE UNTOLD 2 THOUSANDS TO THE LORD. JESUS SAY I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH THE LIFE. A BIG CHURCH WONT DO IT. CHRIST HAS GOT TO BE AT THE CENTER, AND IF HE ISNT, YOU WILL NOT BE “THEIR ” WHEN CHRIST CALLS HIS OWN HOME SORRY.
on 16 February 2011 / 10:36 PM
Shannon O'Dell says,
Thank you for your response. Please listen to last Sunday’s message at brandnewchurch.com and let me know what you think then. God bless you.
on 16 February 2011 / 10:51 PM
Billie says,
Whatever spirit Marlene was tuned into, she needs to reconsider. I heard about a small church reaching people for Jesus, reaching around the world with excitment for Jesus and trying to reach the local culture for Jesus. What could be better than that??
on 17 February 2011 / 6:09 PM
Andy says,
Marlene – I’m not sure who you are; you don’t know who I am. But let me say something that others either haven’t or won’t say. You are wrong. Plain and simple. The very problem with your comment is found in the first line of your comment. You listened only , “only for a minute.” Don’t take a snapshot of someone and assume to know everything about him. Pastor O’Dell is one of the most passionate men about reaching others for Christ that I have ever met. It’s clear that you are assuming to know things that you simply do not know. If you are a Christ-follower, I pray that you support a pastor who is winning souls to Christ and that you yourself are doing all you can to win others to Christ (rather than ripping apart those who are). If you are not a Christ follower, I pray that the grace and mercy of our Lord encapsulates your life and that you turn to Him for the forgiveness that we all need.
on 22 February 2011 / 9:06 AM
Lanny Kilgore says,
Very good insights, however, (not to sound super-spiritual) it appears curious that prayer is not on this list? Perhaps prayer activity is present, but not on the radar, behind the scenes? However, it seems that not adding this to a list of characteristics of prevailing churches diminishes its value and importance to pastors who want to grow prevailing churches. I notice that prayer is often missing in these types of lists???????
on 13 December 2010 / 7:20 AM
Shannon O'Dell says,
Good Word! My preclusion is…if The Word is prioritized prayer will be not only preached, but practiced…as well as purity, holiness, service, tithing, etc…
Thanks Lanny
on 13 December 2010 / 7:38 AM
Tim Simpson says,
Hi,
Great Article but where does it leave small rural churches with elderly congregations and without the personel for a “great children’s ministry?
Tim
on 14 December 2010 / 5:13 AM
Shannon O'Dell says,
They are out there….
on 14 December 2010 / 9:48 AM
stevetrevino says,
The problem with these kinds of lists is that the default mode of the human heart is legalism and religion. Pastors who draw identity (value and worth) from the size of their ministry, come along and read these lists and begin focusing on these external qualities as a means of measuring their success. The result is often that men of God begin striving to accomplish goals, push staff and volunteers, and churches become Sunday morning machines. Do these qualities [make] a church prevailing or do prevailing churches have these qualities? Do you teach a branch how to bear good fruit or does the branch bear good fruit because the life of the vine is flowing through it? Just seems more effective to teach elders, deacons and members to get (self) out of the way and allow the Gospel and the Holy Spirit to build our churches. I could be totally off here, and probably missing the entire point of your post.
on 18 March 2011 / 6:55 AM