“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”—Matthew 25:40
The first identifying marker of a Matthew 25 congregation is Building Congregational Vitality.
The vitality of a congregation or worshiping community is not based on the number of members, number of ministry programs, size of financial gifts, or other statistics. A church community’s vitality is the spiritual strength and capacity for purposeful mission, and is evident when a church’s structural systems, finances, and discipleship practices are aligned in such a way that the community is actively engaged in the mission of God in their local community and the world.
Worshiping communities experience congregational vitality when they find themselves following Jesus into places of injustice and struggle bearing light and hope, demonstrating love and mercy, and working faithfully for justice and peace. Efforts are sustained by personal and congregational patterns and practices of prayer and worship, learning and reflection.
Next, we’ll explore the seven marks that help determine a church’s level of vitality.