In his book “Natural Church Development” Christian Schwartz identifies 8 specific areas of church life that should be prioritized by every local church. His advice was gleaned by collating the results of a number of studies and surveys of highly successful churches with a proven track record of success. Recently I spoke about a few of those areas as they pertained to us as a local community. Below is a summary of these 8 areas.

Empowering Leadership
No titles or hierarchy, simply a family with different roles. Empowering Leadership see as a priority the raising up and releasing of others to be and do what they were created to be.

Empowering Priesthood
Everyone is a priest with varying gifts and talents. Paul declares in Ephesians 4: “the whole body grows and builds itself up as each part does it’s work” Everyone has something to offer, everyone involved, everyone a minister of life.

Empowering Meetings 
This includes Bible based teaching and preaching that grounds people in truth and builds faith. Dynamic worship and friendly fellowship. Visitors should see a people full of passion and love as they worship together.

Healthy Integrate Groups
The early church met both corporately in large gatherings and in the home. It’s in the home and in smaller groups that much of church life can be lived out and enjoyed. Times of mutual encouragement, ministry and a safe environment to bring unsaved friends.

Spiritual Passion and Faithfulness
In Matthew 6 Jesus says the following: “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Our heart follows our treasure, the thing we place value and our priority on. For the believer God should be first in everything. This includes our time, our worship, our resources and finances. If your wallet holds your heart, your heart has become a prisoner. Jesus speaks of entrusting us with true spiritual riches, but he qualifies that statement by saying “if you can’t be trusted with worldly wealth, how can you be trusted (entrusted) with Heavenly riches”.

Functional Administrative Structures
Without good administration the most anointed preaching, the most dynamic worship and even the most amazing miracles can only produce so much. Without good administration every church will plateau. Good organisation is essential.

A Heart for the Lost
Jesus willingly gave his life for all because of his love. His desire is to see all mankind brought back to the Father and be eternally secure. Our hearts should beat with the same love and passion to see people saved, restored and set free. Without Jesus people are lost.

A Heart for Loving People
Churches that enjoy life together grow faster than others. Jesus commanded us to love one another in the same way he sacrificially and unconditionally loved us. This requires us to keep short accounts and be willing to forgive, to not hold grudges or allow bitterness to grow.