I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most remarkable churches across the country over the last 10 years. Perhaps one of the greatest honors is that I have witnessed the incredible leadership in these organizations personally. Working so closely with churches, I’ve noticed several hidden habits that many of the largest and most healthy churches in the country maintain. These are habits that, while they have a profound impact on their ministry, remain largely unseen by the masses.
5 Hidden Habits of Healthy Churches
Here are five of the most prominent and recurring healthy habits that I have encountered:
1. Leaders Park Far Away
Arriving a few hours before a church service begins can tell you a lot about the leaders of a church. If they are all parked right up against the building it indicates that they don’t instinctively think about their first-time guests or people outside the church. Leaders who park their cars at the farthest away spot and stroll over make a symbolic statement; a guest’s needs come before a leader’s. These leaders are actively living out the fact that the first will be last in their churches. This attitude ultimately weaves its way through the organization as people see humility and servanthood lived out in a million small ways!
Limited Green Room Time
Most church leaders have a room or area within their church dedicated to providing them respite from people. While setting aside some time to gather your thoughts is an important part of serving at any church, it is important to limit the amount of time leaders are away from “the people.” Recently, I took a friend to visit one of the largest churches in the country and we arrived about an hour after an evening service had wrapped up. As we stepped into the main auditorium, it was humbling to see their lead pastor still talking with people at the front of the church. There was a leader of a church of tens of thousands of people who knew that slowing down and serving people one-on-one is vitally important part of leadership. Get out of the green room and talk to the members of your congregation more this coming Sunday than you did last weekend!
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