“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ep 4:16).

While church growth is great, church health is also vital. Our text sheds profound light on what makes Christ’s body thrive with health. In the first place, the church is healthy because of its attachment to the Head, the Lord Jesus. Every true Christian individual, ministry or group submits to the lordship and vision of Christ. There should not be competing agendas, missions and directions among us if we truly have one Head. Rather, the whole body should function as a harmonious structure knit together in mutual love and submission to One Lord (Ep 4:6).

A healthy church thus has symphony, synergy and sympathy, inter alia–that is a shared message, shared work and shared passions. Every part is precious and plays a critical role in the growth and health of the body. Nobody is irrelevant. There are no spare parts in the church!

Pastor Josh