Why? Jesus, the Lord of the church, expects His church to be healthy and growing (Eph 4:11-16). Studies have shown that healthy churches grow; certainly, in quality, and often, numerically. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every church to attend to its health.
To develop better health, a church needs to first determine its present level of health, strengths and weaknesses, and the contributing reasons for them. Only then, can it take the right steps to strengthen its health.
The analysis of a church’s health is carried out by using a diagnostic instrument called CHART: The Church Health Analysis & Revitalisation Tool. This is a unique instrument that the analyst developed for his Doctor of Ministry project which he completed in 2024. It has been field tested and proven to be reliable and accurate.
CHART. The Church Health Analysis & Revitalisation Tool is a comprehensive church health diagnostic instrument.
The primary component of the instrument is the quantitative survey questionnaire that everyone in the church are encouraged to participate. Three other parts provide supportive and collaborative data. They are: the church’s statistical data, interviews with church leaders and members, and the analyst’s personal observation during an onsite visit(s) of the church.
CHART’s analysis of the church is based on three aspects of the church: the nature, ministry, and organisation of the church. Under these aspects of the church, CHART measures 12 related church health characteristics; three under nature, six under ministry, and three under organisation.
The process of collecting, collating, and analysing the data, and writing the church health report will take six to eight weeks.
The Analyst. Rev. Dr. Lim Soon Hock is a certified church consultant with the Society for Church Consulting (USA; website: https://churchconsulting.org/). He has had about 30 years of pastoral ministry that includes being the Senior Pastor of Georgetown Baptist Church, Penang, and PJ Evangelical Free Church, Petaling Jaya.
Soon Hock completed a Doctor of Ministry from the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary, Penang in 2024. For his doctoral project he developed a unique church health diagnostic instrument called CHArT: The Church Health Analysis Tool. In 2014, he founded Empower Services & Consultancy as a vehicle to pursue his God-given vision to empower pastors, church leaders, and churches through church consulting.
For a preliminary discussion on conducting a church health analysis for your church please write to Soon Hock at empoweringchurches.my@gmail.com.