Planting Healthy Reproducing Churches

The more I study church planting and multiplication, the more I am convinced that it is not enough to plant and multiply churches. We must plant and multiply healthy reproducing churches. So the question comes to the forefront, “What is a healthy reproducing church like?”

What I propose to do in this study is to put together those characteristics that, when put together, help us to see a healthy church. But as I start, I want to acknowledge being helped to understand the question of a “healthy church” but the following seven sources:

1. First and foremost, the Word of God.
2. Then my own experiences in church planting and work with church planters.
3. Research that I have been involved in.
4. The research done by Christian Schwarz and outlined in his book Natural Church Development.
5. The teaching given by Mark Dever in his book 9 Marks of a Healthy Church.
6. The church health survey as compiled by Jim Fann and his team in the Evangelical Free Church movement.
7. Other help that I have received in understanding each of these ten qualities from others.

But the question comes, “Why is it so important to have a healthy reproducing church?” The answer to that question is double.

First of all, that is what a truly biblical church is like.
Second, a healthy church leads to three kinds of necessary dynamic growth.

1. Quantitative growth – growth in the number of true disciples.
2. Qualitative growth – growth in the quality of true disciples.
3. Organic or infrastructural growth – the growth of healthy structures within the church energizing both the growth in number of conversions and the quality of those who are converted.

Let’s explain each of these three elements:

I. Quantitative Growth – what does God’s Word say?

A. This kind of growth is very predominant in the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 1:15 “a group numbering about a hundred and twenty”
Acts 2:41 “about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Acts 2:41 “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 4:4 “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”
Acts 6:1 “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing
( multiplying).”
Acts 6:7 “The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased (multiplied) rapidly.”
Acts 9:31 “the church…grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
Acts 16:5 “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

B. This kind of growth continues to be mentioned in Paul’s letters.

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephes. 4:15-16 (ESV)