11 Signs of a Good Church

1. Biblical Preaching
Obviously, the call of God to the church is to preach the Word. Expositional preaching should be mixed with motivational and inspirational messages that provoke a contemporary faith and a "real world" faith experience.

2. Wholly Biblical Theology
The church should hold to a theology that is based upon the whole counsel of God's Word and not based on experience, historical denominationalism, or stunted views of God's plan and purpose.

3. Biblical Understanding of the Gospel
The gospel is the heart of Christianity. We have sinfully rebelled against our Creator and Judge. Yet He has graciously sent His Son to die the death we deserved for our sin, and He has credited Christ's right standing to those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus' death and resurrection.

4. Teach Real Conversion
We need to have a radical change at the root or core of our being. While conversion need not produce emotionalism, it needs to be thoughtful and deep and have works that back up the new found faith. There must be a break with the past.

5. Practice Evangelism
Must find creative and relavant ways of presenting the Gospel without abandoning or compromising the core truth of the message.

6. Biblical Understanding of Community
The community should reflect a living commitment to a local church in attendance, giving, prayer and service; otherwise it is meaningless, worthless, and even dangerous. To be a member is to commit to the others in your fellowship and to live out a life of Christ's love.

7. Biblical Church Discipline
Church discipline gives guard rails to church membership. Discipline is a positive thing that demands holy living with out being judgmental.

8. Expectation of Christian Discipleship and Growth
A demand that each of us practice and plan to study and grow in knowledge, faith, practics and praxis.

9. Submission to Biblical Leadership
There should be a plurality of elders and deacons in each local church. This plurality of elders is not only biblical, but practical. The church should not only provide a covering for ministry within but shoudl be submited to leadership that is accountable to others.

10. Practice of Biblical Worship
This is the highest calling of the christian and should be a part of every christian's assembly. Having a dwarfed experience with God diminishes one's theology. This subjective act of worship should be on an equal footing with objective study of the Word.

11. Practice of the Spiritual gifts
Making room for all biblical gifts is an imperative. Submission to Five fold ministry, inclusion of the 1 Cor 12 gifts, and the practice of these in services and privately are imperative. Also the motivational gifts should be sought out (Rom 12)and employed.

When you have found a church like this - stay there, plug in, grow and work for change in the world around you. You can be certain of the blessing of God.