Last week I shared the marks of a toxic church or group. Today, I wish to share the opposite. What are the marks of a healthy church? Gordon MacDonald calls them generative groups.
"The first mark of a generative group is so obvious that some of you will want to stop writing. It's a strong sense of mutual purpose. Rich Warren wrote about this in his famous book, The Purpose Driven Life. Purpose is where it all begins.
Now getting a bunch of people to agree on a compelling purpose is no small matter. Think back to the first night we got together and how many different ideas we all had about why we were meeting or why we would keep on meeting. But little by little we have been building a group with a purpose that keeps us showing up each week. ....
A generative group is synergistic. The word means that everyone's effort counts, and this combined effort accomplishes things bigger than any individual could have.
"The first mark of a generative group is so obvious that some of you will want to stop writing. It's a strong sense of mutual purpose. Rich Warren wrote about this in his famous book, The Purpose Driven Life. Purpose is where it all begins.
Now getting a bunch of people to agree on a compelling purpose is no small matter. Think back to the first night we got together and how many different ideas we all had about why we were meeting or why we would keep on meeting. But little by little we have been building a group with a purpose that keeps us showing up each week. ....
A generative group is synergistic. The word means that everyone's effort counts, and this combined effort accomplishes things bigger than any individual could have.
There are no benchwarmers in a generative group.
Everyone has a piece of the action. ...
A third mark. In a generative group, each person grows in one way or another. Some like the word mature better. Whatever word you like- mature, grow, develop- it's usually happening to members of a generative group. People grow spiritually stronger rather than becoming depleted. They grow in their love for God. They grow in their understanding of God's purposes. And they often grow in awareness of giftedness. ...
A generative group is never afraid of conflict. That doesn't mean they love it, but they know that conflict is a part of real life. In a generative group there is a caution sign out whenever there's a conflict, but people go out of their way to make it a positive, creative situation. We all become better and closer through our conflicts if we're a generative group. ...
The last characteristic is simply that a generative group inspires other people who are looking on. Folks see a generative group in motion and they would like to become part of it or figure out how to make one of their own." Gordon MacDonald, Who Stole my Church, 198-199.
Do you know of any churches or groups marked by these traits?
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