Now more than ever, health has to be our priority. For our churches, of course. But for our own lives and families first.

Make sure your relationship with Jesus stays your top priority. Then (in order of descending importance) your relationship with your spouse, your kids, your friends and your church.

Church health must be, not just a higher priority than church growth, but our only pastoral concern.

Many of us need to renew our first love – being overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of God, and living in the unbridled joy of wanting others to know what we’ve found in Jesus.

If we do that, Jesus will take care of growing his church – maybe by an increase in the number of people sitting in your congregation, maybe by blessing another congregation with the people you helped to reach.

Counting The Cost

We need healthy churches more than we need bigger churches.

And healthy pastors.

And healthy pastors’ marriages, pastors’ homes and pastors’ lives.

None of that happens by mistake - or as a result of numerical ministry success.

We have to work on our emotional, spiritual, relational and mental health even harder than we work on church growth.

Not doing so is coming at too steep a price.

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