I Know Vital When I See It

by

What is a vital congregation?

The question has been frequently asked since the release of the Call to Action and its adaptive challenge. The Council of Bishops and Connectional Table, in approving the Call, said “the adaptive challenge for The United Methodist Church is: To redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

What in the world are we talking about?

One answer is to say that it is hard to describe a vital congregation, but “I know vital when I see it.” I am paraphrasing United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart describing his threshold test for pornography. I can more easily give you a list of vital congregations I have known than a precisely defined definition.

In such a list, I would include small churches that worship fewer than 50 each Sunday as well as the largest congregations in our denomination. I would include churches in Africa and the Philippines as well as the United States. I can name predominantly Anglo, Hispanic, and African-American vital congregations. Some are urban, some in county-seat towns, and others are open-country. In other words, vital congregations can be found in many sizes, racial memberships and geographical locations.

But there is also a better answer, contained in the following assertions.

Vital congregations are outwardly focused more than inwardly focused.

Vital congregations are engaged in teaching the Bible and the doctrines of the Christian faith.

Vital congregations feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison, and witness for social justice in their context.

Vital congregations regularly offer a life-changing conversion to Christian discipleship in conversation with pre-Christian persons.

Vital congregations have a discipleship system that new believers are expected to follow if they join.

Vital congregations embody the five practices of fruitful ministry: radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.

Vital congregations engage their mission field and include the varieties of kinds of people who God has placed in their mission field.

Vital congregations pay their apportionments in full and give significant amounts of money to other mission projects as well.

Vital congregations love their pastors and their pastors can think of no place they would rather be serving.

Vital congregations show growth in worship attendance in proportion to the population changes in their mission field.

Some vital congregations are not growing because their mission field is shrinking in population. But while such a congregation may eventually close, it will be a legacy church—leaving behind a witness for Christ that changed lives and transformed their community for decades.

I know vital when I see it.