Everything that is good, beautiful and true is made with intention. From the basic atomic building blocks of the universe to the genetic power of DNA. From supernovas to rose petals. From the color of your irises to the clouds outside your window. Everything reflects our good God’s creativity and splendor.
That same purpose-built principle carries through to all that we humans, made in the image of God, put our hands to. We are designers, makers, creatives, planners and builders. We can’t help ourselves; we love to make things. And those things we make—including our churches—help make us.
We also are builders of people, forming them into the likeness of Christ. That effort means that each of us, whether as individuals or as a church, is putting to use some framework for discipleship.
The Scriptures give us guidance:
• For Jesus’ mandate to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19)
• For the kinds of people who are meant to lead our churches (1 Tim. 3)
• For the pursuit of spiritual gifts and roles of church leadership (for example, Eph. 4:11–13)
• For pursuing intimacy with, learning from and being sent by Jesus (Mark 3:13–15)
Here’s the sobering problem (and also the great opportunity): Whether we want to admit it or not, the church in the U.S. does not make disciples effectively.
This article isn’t the place to expound on this gap, but the team at Barna has been documenting and describing this issue for some time now. The bottom line is that our frameworks for discipleship are mostly broken, irrelevant, out-of-date or copied and pasted from other people’s visions.
In short, we try to mass-produce disciples.
Instead, as author and pastor John Ortberg says, disciples should be handcrafted, one life at a time, which is the way of Jesus himself.
This realization has opened the door for new thinking. The traditional metrics of church health, such as attendance and giving, have dominated the conversation for too long. While important, they fail to capture the true essence of what it means to be a thriving church. The real question is not how many people fill the pews but how well those people are flourishing in their faith and lives. We should be asking, What is the state of our church? And more importantly, How are our people doing? Are they flourishing? Are we thriving as a church, not just in numbers, but in the holistic well-being of our congregation?
Leading a thriving church begins with understanding the core purpose of the church—to transform lives through the power of the gospel. We should anchor our approaches on things that make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives. Our work to create a common, widely accepted framework for a thriving church is our humble contribution to a theology of measuring the most important things in ministry. We want to see the church alive and free in Jesus, and people being fully formed to the abundant life in Christ (John 10:10).
The team at Barna, alongside some friends and partners, including Gloo, the parent company of Outreach, Inc., have spent the better part of a year crafting an outline for how your church can make disciples, and we call it the Thriving Church framework.
A Research-Based Model for Transformational Ministry
Here’s how we created the Thriving Church framework.
First, we scoured the existing research and literature. We examined dozens of church assessments (e.g., the REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey, Natural Church Development by Christian A. Schwarz, The Habits of Highly Effective Churches by The Barna Group founder George Barna, and more). We talked to experts and compared notes with researchers from various denominations and traditions. In particular, we reanalyzed what was, at that time, 35 years of Barna data and church-based assessments, which we believe to be the largest single body of work in this lane.
Based on this mountain of existing work, we then synthesized those themes into key areas of church well-being, using a blend of quantitative analytics and carefully listening to church leaders. From there, we created a preliminary framework we began to call Thriving Churches.
The dimensions of thriving congregational models started to coalesce around 15 themes. We took these 15 themes and workshopped them, developing a survey instrument that could accurately and easily measure two key questions for each of the 15 dimensions.
I want to add that we took efforts to integrate key lessons and inputs from ethnic majority churches and from partners outside the U.S. While we were working on the Thriving Church framework, we were also doing a large study of Black churches, which we subsequently published as Trends in the Black Church. Additionally, we consulted leaders from church networks in Asian and Hispanic churches, all of which benefited the Thriving Church framework we were building. Beyond our borders, we had done several studies in the United Kingdom (published as The UK Church in Action and Transforming Scotland), which greatly contributed to our insights about the characteristics of churches that were thriving in post-Christian contexts.
Along with dimensions of church thriving, our teams of researchers began to realize that we also needed to measure not only institutional thriving, but also individual flourishing. For this, we identified the groundbreaking work of Tyler VanderWeele, the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology and director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. We adopted and adapted the measures of how people were doing in various dimensions of their lives.
After building the architecture of the Thriving Church framework and extensive pre-testing, we rolled out the 15 dimensions in a free survey that we called the Barna ChurchPulse*. We created it to help church leaders employ a research-based framework for building a thriving church, talk about and intentionally design their ministries with their teams, and measure what matters: making disciples, not just counting attendance, buildings or finances.
Moving Toward Deeper Measures of Discipleship
To put all these thoughts into practice, we have been helping churches use the Barna ChurchPulse now for the last five years, and, in aggregate, we’ve collected tens of thousands of responses on thriving churches and on flourishing people. The list of thriving churches included in this issue (See Page XX.) is based on that aggregated data set and the real-life lessons that we are learning alongside church leaders.
One conclusion so far: A thriving church is more than just a growing church or a healthy church. All thriving churches are healthy and most are experiencing numerical growth. But thriving as a church—getting most or all of the 15 dimensions pointing in the right direction—is a higher and better standard for effectiveness. As such, we’d invite you to consider your church metrics, moving from growth to thriving, and from simple attendance to flourishing people.
The Flourishing Churches Framework
Three broad elements characterize a thriving church: how they nurture people, the manner in which people are sent out and deployed, and the degree to which leadership is developed and exercised. You can read the whole study and more about each dimension in the Barna report The State of Your Church (Barna.Gloo.us/state-of-your-church).
Let’s take a look at these three elements along with the 15 dimensions of thriving.
Element 1: A Thriving Church Nurtures.
Thriving churches intentionally cultivate life within their congregations. Of the 15 dimensions of thriving, these first six emphasize “nurturing” qualities—investing in worship, relationships and spiritual growth. Ministries focused on trust building and discipleship should prioritize these areas to create a holistic environment that fosters transformation.
A Thriving Church nurtures:
1. The worship experience. Thriving churches prioritize creating a worship experience that is both meaningful and transformative. They understand that worship is not just about music or sermons but about encountering God.
2. Connected community. Thriving churches foster a strong sense of community where people feel connected and supported. They intentionally create opportunities for members to build relationships and to be valued as part of a spiritual family.
3. A prayer culture. In thriving churches, prayer is the foundation of everything they do. These churches cultivate a culture of prayer, where seeking God’s guidance, interceding for others, and listening for his voice are integral parts of the church’s life.
4. Bible-centeredness. Rooted in the truth of Scripture, these churches prioritize teaching and preaching that is grounded in the Word of God, helping members to understand, apply and live out biblical principles in their daily lives.
5. Spiritual formation. Thriving churches are deeply committed to the lifelong journey of spiritual formation of its members. This includes classes, workshops, retreats and mentoring relationships that help individuals grow in their faith, develop spiritual disciplines, and mature in their walk with Christ.
6. Trusted leadership. In thriving churches, leadership is built on trust, integrity and transparency. These churches are led by pastors and leaders who are approachable, accountable and committed to serving their congregation with humility and grace.
Element 2: A Thriving Church Sends People Out.
The second set of thriving dimensions relates to how churches send and deploy their people. Throughout history, the church has been called to look outside of itself and focus on the people and ministry opportunities beyond its walls. Serving, sharing and making an impact have been pillars of the Christian faith since Jesus modeled this lifestyle in his own ministry.
Today, research shows that “sending” activities—those that involve outward-reaching actions—are major indicators of a thriving church.
A Thriving Church sends people out to:
7. Share their faith. Thriving churches equip and empower their members to share their faith confidently and authentically in their everyday lives. These churches prioritize evangelism, equipping people to engage in meaningful conversations with others about the hope they have in Christ.
8. Serve others. In thriving churches, serving others is seen as a core expression of the Christian life. They offer various opportunities for service and emphasize the importance of living out their faith through acts of compassion and kindness.
9. Make a social impact. Thriving churches recognize their responsibility to address critical issues and to be agents of change in their communities. These churches engage in justice efforts, advocating for the marginalized, the oppressed and the voiceless.
10. Practice holistic stewardship. In thriving churches, stewardship not only includes but also goes beyond financial giving. These churches teach, model and encourage members to live generously in all aspects of their lives.
11. Become leaders. Thriving churches are intentional about developing leaders at every level. They invest in leadership development programs that identify, train and empower individuals to take on leadership roles within the church and beyond.
Element 3: The Role of Leaders in Thriving Churches
It is crucial to focus on the role of leadership in developing a thriving church. The dimensions within this category offer a unique glimpse behind the curtain of church operations, ministry strategy, decision-making and overall effectiveness.
In thriving churches, leaders share several key characteristics:
12. They are future-focused. Thriving church leaders have a clear vision for the future and are proactive in guiding their congregations toward that vision. They understand the importance of anticipating changes and challenges, and they prepare their church for the road ahead.
13. They have stable resources. Effective leaders ensure that their church has the necessary resources—whether financial, human or material—to sustain and grow their ministry. Stability in resources allows a church to operate smoothly and to focus on its mission without constant concern over survival.
14. They have healthy teams. Thriving churches are led by leaders who prioritize the health and well-being of their teams. They cultivate an environment of trust, collaboration and mutual support, recognizing that a healthy leadership team is foundational to a thriving congregation.
15. They are data-informed. In today’s complex and rapidly changing world, successful church leaders rely on data to make informed decisions. They understand the importance of using research, feedback and measurable outcomes to guide their ministry strategies and to assess the effectiveness of their efforts.
A Vision for Thriving Churches
The need to focus on cultivating the flourishing of our people and ensuring that our churches are truly thriving has never been more critical. The challenges are great, but so are the opportunities. By embracing new paradigms, shifting our focus to what truly matters, and fostering strong, effective leadership, we can lead our churches into a season of renewed vitality and impact.
Let us seize this kairos moment to build churches that not only survive but thrive—churches that nurture the holistic well-being of their members, send people out to make a difference in the world, and are led by leaders who are equipped and inspired to guide their congregations into a flourishing future.
* Barna.Gloo.us/assessments-and-check-ins/churchpulse-assessment