John Wesley emphasized that salvation is not merely the forgiveness of sins or pardon, but the restoration and transformation into the image of God—the fullness of humanity as intended at creation and perfected in Christ. And for Wesley, all of this has been made possible by God’s astronomical grace.
Church Health, therefore, for a Free Methodist Christian, is not primarily a response to crisis—but a response to God. In times of pressure or uncertainty, the invitation is not necessarily to react to what is changing, but to respond to what is unchanging: the character of God, the finished work of Christ, the enduring truth of Scripture, and the faithful presence of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s body, the Church. I believe this is the most challenging yet rewarding work of Church Health.
Just as medical practitioners or surgeons depend on the body’s God-given ability to heal, Church Health practitioners—including pastors, church staff, boards, and congregants like you and I — collaborate with the Holy Spirit to foster His work of wholeness in His church. But even when human agents are involved, it is still God’s prior work, design, and grace that enable renewal to occur.
Therefore, at its core, health represents the continuous work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the Church, as we learn to effectively partner with Him. We could say, then, that Church Health is a state of wholeness (holiness of life) for the Church in Christ that emerges as we learn to respond faithfully, both individually and collectively, to the ongoing work of God through the Holy Spirit.
Faithfulness to what? Specifically, “faithfully responding to God” for our spiritual health encompasses at least seven layers:
This suggests that Church Health is never about quick fixes—it’s about long-term faithfulness. It’s about responding to and remaining rooted in the One who is always faithful. However, it requires a considerable amount of intentionality, both individually and collectively.
That’s why our Church Health department exists:
To help churches and leaders faithfully respond to what God has done, what He is doing, and what He longs to do in and through you. Whether in seasons of crisis, change, or stability, our coaches are here to walk alongside leaders and boards, helping them discern God’s best next step and respond with faithfulness.
I love hearing about how Churches are demonstrating intentionality in their pursuit of the Church’s mission of making disciples. For example, Luke Haggit, Lead Pastor of Chapel Ridge Church and member of the National Church Health Team, mentioned to me last week something they have been working on at Chapel Ridge. They wanted to grow in their process of making disciples, but thought it would be of utmost importance to create a clear picture of what they are aiming for as disciples. Their “Picture of a Jesus Follower Document” was the result. They have now designed a survey intended to gauge the congregation’s pulse and assess how they are doing, holding them up against the biblical picture of a Jesus follower they are trying to create. They’ve now developed this unique survey—not to measure systems or programs, but to assess how individuals are growing in their faith, based on that biblical vision. What I liked about the survey is that it is not just based on their picture of a Jesus follower document, but also reflects their mission statement: Together, Becoming Whole, Reaching Outward, Through Jesus. This allows all ministries to be pulling in the same direction towards one goal. They plan to administer this survey during the service on June 8 to maximize the number of responses.
If you’re interested in seeing their “Picture of a Jesus Follower” or learning how they developed it, I encourage you to reach out to Luke. It might spark something in your own congregation.
The good news is that God is more invested in the health and completeness of His Church than we are. Our responsibility is to respond to what God has already provided. John Wesley was hopeful and understood that God’s grace equips us with everything necessary to be fully transformed into the image of Christ. Our role is to respond both as individuals and as a community to this incredible grace. I have faith that, by God’s grace, the Free Methodist Church in Canada will do so. And may a Free Methodist kind of disciple be one that is biblically grounded, Christ-centred, mission-oriented, spirit-empowered, and contagious in intentionality and commitment.
Rev. Jervis Djokoto
Senior Director of Church Health
