LAKE FOREST, Calif.--Saddleback Church honored 79 congregations with Church Health Awards during the 2004 Purpose-Driven Church Conference May 11-14. The churches chosen showed excellence in adapting the Purpose-Driven model, according to an Assist News Service report.

"These churches understand the importance of maintaining a balance between the five biblical purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission," said Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church and Purpose-Driven ministries.

"These congregations embrace purpose-driven characteristics to not only grow in numbers, but more importantly to grow in health."

"That's why, through these awards, we emphasize balance, health, and strength over size or shape," Warren said. "There is no correlation between the size of a church and its strength."

Purpose-Driven ministries have annually honored four to six churches each year but with the increased popularity of the program they increased the recognition. Some 15,000 congregations in the U.S. and thousands more worldwide have completed the program based on Warren's bestselling books, "Purpose Driven Church" and "Purpose Driven Life."

The churches honored this year represented many different denominations and 20 nations. Each received a check for $1,000.

Program organizers anticipate 15,000 more churches will go through "40 Days of Purpose" this fall.

Warren's book "The Purpose-Driven Life," has sold nearly 20 million copies since October 2002. It has stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 65 weeks.