Taking some license by illustration with Stephen Covey’s best selling tome, “Seven Habits of Higly Effective People.” Here are three very different, but apt descriptions of church models that exist today. These lists are not exhaustive… and they were written with broad brush strokes, intentionally, to include a wide variety of church “experiences” in each category.
Seven highly effective habits of the Contemporary Church that almost always guarantee church growth with very little spiritual impact:
1. Go political, not biblical
2. Go pragmatic, not theological
3. Go psychology, not discipleship
4. Go anthropocentric, not Christocentric
5. Go postmodern, not transcendent
6. Go “share your story”, not preach faithfully His Word
7. Go calling sin sickness and disobedience disease
Seven highly effective habits of the Traditional Church that almost always guarantee church stagnation with very little spiritual impact:
1. Go traditional, not spiritual
2. Go legalistic, not grace
3. Go corporate, not community
4. Go “count converts”, not “make disciples”
5. Go pastoral/elder ruler, not shepherd/servant leader
6. Go moralism, not Christlikeness
7. Go programs, not prayer
Seven highly effective habits of the Biblical Church that glorifies God:
1. Go supremacy of God, glory in Christ Jesus and worship by the Holy Spirit
2. Go sola fide, sola scriptura, sola gratia, solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria
3. Go The Great Commission and the Two Great Commandments
4. Go take care of the poor, the widow and the orphan
5. Go preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as a slave to others
6. Go pray without ceasing
7. Go equip the saints for the work of the ministry
Some very good input from one contributor in the meta on this theme
1. Go simple, not complex
(An authentic church displays their priorities by their financial expenses and by the way they want to appear to the world. In short, they are frugal on non-essentials, but always rich on truth, worship, discipleship and fellowship.)
2. Go theologically passionate, not piously stoic
(An authentic church loves God with their minds by exhibiting careful and deep thinking on the great truths of the Bible and its relation to contemporary life & An authentic church loves God with their affections by displaying the full range of emotions which are in proportion with Biblical truths and which glorify God.)
3. Go 24/7, not just one-day a week
(An authentic church is much more than a Sunday operation. It extends throughout the week as the leadership provides avenues for the ongoing maturity of the people.)
4. Go reverent, not light-hearted or cavalier
(An authentic church is very serious about pursuing maximum satisfaction in Jesus Christ and is very serious about killing sin that blocks true affection for Christ. This reverence is marked as well by a joy in the Lord and His Word.)
5. Go outward missions-minded just as equally as being inward focused
(An authentic church has a global vision of the spread of the Gospel by highlighting God’s triumphant global purposes and by actively sending risk-taking missionaries.)
6. Go risk-taking, not safe haven
(An authentic church will take the necessary safety and financial risks in the spread of the Gospel and thus show the infinite value of Christ to our God-belittling world.)