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This does not mean de-emphasizing worship; rather it means discovering the outward missional thrust of worship that we so easily lose when our focus is primarily inward, within four walls. The percentage of a church's budget spent on gospel outreach (locally and globally) is generally a good indicator of spiritual health. Lively churches typically spend more on missions, evangelism, and justice and relief ministries than they do on staff and facilities.

Jesus-centered churches know how to keep their priorities straight.

Howard A. Snyder is professor of the history and theology of mission at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Relational Tithe tries to connect people with needs and resources so that givers and receivers have no more than one degree of separation. Their Embezzlement Paper, written by the pastor of a large, midwestern church, says that the Old Testament principle of a tithe does not support using the money to maintain institutional structures.

After losing their building to the city of Cincinnati, Vineyard Central decided to go without a building. They now meet weekly in homes, some in intentional community "attempting to serve the poor and build bridges into their lives by living among them."

Earlier Good Question columns include:

Where is heaven, and how will we experience it before the final resurrection?

Can I forgive those who have betrayed me if they are not repentant?

Are all sins weighed equally, or is one more important than another?

Why is the church against euthanasia in instances where people are in terrible pain?

What harm is there in achieving a higher state of consciousness through meditation?

Will we be vegetarians in the new heaven and earth as Adam and Eve were before the Fall?

Why doesn't God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing?

Does God need our help, love, and praise?

Are some people lost "just a little bit" in the same way that others are saved "only as through fire"?

Is Jesus Incarnate Forever?

What does Genesis mean by man being made in the image of God?

What's the difference between Christ's kingdom and paradise?

Is every believer guaranteed at least one spiritual gift?

What role does baptism play in faith and salvation?

How is it that not all prayers for the salvation of others are answered?

If God is in us, shouldn't it be easier to love one another?

What do we gain from a bodily resurrection?

What is the difference between the brain and the soul?

How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not 'in better manuscripts'?

Is there a biblical principle behind the punishment of those who break the law?

Is it unscriptural for a Christian to be cremated?

Won't heaven's joy be spoiled by our awareness of unsaved loved ones in hell?

Where exactly do "Oneness" Pentecostals stand in relation to orthodoxy?

Do a man and a woman become married after having sex or after exchanging vows?

How Do You Know That You Have Truly Forgiven Someone?

Who Are We to Judge?

Should We File Lawsuits?

Can We Expect God to Forgive Unbelievers Who 'Don't Know What They're Doing'?

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Is Satan Omnipresent?

Is Suicide Unforgivable?

Was Slavery God's Will?

A Little Wine for the Soul?

Should We All Speak in Tongues?

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

Take, Eat—But How Often?

Is Christmas Pagan?

Are Christians Required to Tithe?

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May 2005, Vol. 49, No. 5