I spoke to 20 pastors this last week on the topic of Healthy Churches. I suggested to the pastors that there are five types of churches along the health paradigm, including one level most never reach.

First, there are Hospice Churches.

These churches are extremely ill, having declined in worship attendance for a decade or longer. They most likely will close. God can, of course, perform a miracle and restore Hospice Churches to health, but this is rare.

Second, there are Sick Churches.

These churches are often populated by people who have let a root of bitterness sprout up in their midst. They may be angry, hopeless, and have declined in worship attendance for five years or longer. Sometimes Sick Churches are plateaued in worship attendance, but this is still an unhealthy situation. Plateauing in churches is akin to hypertension in humans. You can live with hypertension for many years. But if left untreated, the hypertension may result in a stroke or death. Churches that have been on a long-term plateau may be okay for decades. Still, a plateau will usually lead to eventual decline and death.

Third, there are Healthy Churches.

Health is normally defined as an "absence of disease." Thus, a Healthy Church is one that is unified, loving, and caring. Worshipers usually know their spiritual gifts and passions, and are serving in some ministry role. The Word of God is taught with conviction and children are raised up in the faith. Missionaries are supported, and prayers are offered for the salvation of souls around the world. It is good to be healthy, but I suggest there is another level of healthy church that is best: a Fit Church.

I am healthy. That is, I have no disease. However, I cannot claim to be fit—I could never run a six-minute mile. On the other hand, one of my uncles is both healthy and fit. He holds state and even a few national records for endurance running. We are both healthy but he is FIT! The same is true of churches. Some are Healthy but not Fit. Others are healthy and FIT!

Thus, a fourth type of church is a Fit Church.

A Fit Church usually has a five percent conversation rate each year. Another way to say that is it only takes 20 people in a Fit church to see one new person come to faith in Christ each year. A Healthy Church would need 50 people to see one person come to faith and a sick church would need around 100 people to bring one new person to faith. Hospice Churches, by definition, bring no one to faith in Christ.

Fit Churches average around 10 percent growth each and every year. Healthy Churches may only growth between two and five percent a year, which barely holds onto their own children. Sick Churches rarely grow, but may reach enough new people to remain on a plateau. Hospice Churches experience major decline.

Fit Churches replace themselves by multiplying daughter churches. Healthy Churches may start one new daughter church, but do not multiply many daughters. Sick and Hospice churches only contribute to new churches through foreign missions or by giving the proceeds from the sale of their property after they die to help plant new churches.
There are other indicators we could look at to define a Fit Church, but these are a few key ones.

However, there is one more type of church in the larger church health paradigm: the World Class Church.

You may be Healthy and Fit, but are you World Class? World class athletes compete in the Olympic Games and other national and world venues. They are a step above even those who are physically fit. In a similar way there are churches that go way beyond fitness to reaching World Class. Instead of averaging an annual growth rate of 10 percent a year, they average 20 percent or greater. Instead of starting a few daughter churches, they multiply numerous daughter churches. Instead of seeing five percent of their newcomers becoming converts to Christ each year, they see a 10 percent or more conversion growth rate. As you might expect, World Class Churches are rare, but everyone can work toward fitness. If your church is Sick, strive to become Healthy. If it is Healthy, strive to be Fit. And, if your church is Fit, why not strive to be World Class?

I welcome your thoughts.

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Gary McIntosh is president of the Church Growth Network and a professor of Christian ministry and leadership atTalbot School of Theology at Biola University. He is the author of 18 books on church growth and writes a monthly newsletter called Growth Points. For more information, see http://churchgrowthnetwork.com/.