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COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PLAN (p. 22)
Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church in Southern California, explains why it takes more than technique to lead a healthy congregation.

Why do you say health should replace growth as the focal point for pastors?

Because size is not the issue. Big isn't better; small isn't better. Healthy is better. If a church is healthy, growth will naturally happen.

If numerical growth is an unreliable indicator of health, how can you tell if your church is healthy?

It's not unreliable, just inadequate. There are five ways to measure growth. A church needs to grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, ...

March
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