Imagine a ministry marked by the following eight characteristics
1. God-given vision
Godâs Word on what we should doâ insight from Heaven (the same word as âpropheticâ), as opposed to just a grandiose human idea, consistently provides the "next best" ideas of WHAT to do, as well as insights as to HOW to do it.
2. Transformational leadership
Leaders serving at every level of the organization view ministry a means to build peopleâ not people as a way to build ministry. And, they focus on life-change, not just programs and projects.
3. Meaningful membership
The ministry develops and shares a clear on-ramp to inform people about Godâs vision for the church, as well as invite them to take a next step and get involved. No one wonders how to get involved or "what to do." Everyone clearly knows their next best step.
4. Passionate spirituality
Everything overflows from an ongoing experience with God as opposed to only education about God. A vigorous and energizing pursuit of God infuses every area of life, energizing ministry and more.
5. Functional strategies
There are clear processes and ways of running the organizational side of church to facilitate ministry. Everything is easy-to-understand, making ministry more efficient and effective at the same time. "Sideways" energy is minimal.
6. Loving relationships
People in the church resolve conflict quickly and see their connection with each other as an overflow of their connection with God. They don't do drama. They do unconditional love that infuses the culture of the church.
7. Sacrificial generosity
People readily give of their time, talents, and treasures⌠seeing each as an investment in the future, with the goal of filling Heaven. While leaders DO need to let people know about the opportunities around them, no one is begged to participate. They give cheerfully (and freely).
8. Kingdom orientation
Everyone involved LOVES their local expression of the body of Christ, but also recognizes they play just a small part. They want the Kingdom to grow more than just their church. They readily partner with other ministries and churches, expanding everyone's impact together.Â
You can do it. We want to help!
Everyone agrees, "That would be great!"
Yet, these eight are the CONSEQUENCES of a healthy ministry-- not the CAUSES of them. Though this is where we want to "go," it's not where we begin. We must go back to the beginning...
When we pursue "health" instead of growth, a few things occur...
â The ministry "right sizes" and reaches a mass it can maintain while ALSO getting stronger
â Â The burden of trying to "look just like" or "be just like" another ministry disappears
â We experience joy AND reignite the reason we pursued the call in the first placeÂ
â The eight fruits begin to emerge NATURALLY-- without striving and stressing to create them
(Healthy Church & Healthy Systems show you how.)
Where "Healthy Church" came from
A brief overview of how we got here...
Edwin Jenkins has been in ministry for over 50 years. He's served as a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a senior adult pastor, a transitional pastor, and more...
He loves the church, because Christ loves the church and the people who comprise it.
(Not only is the church God's primary means of reaching the world, the church will exist throughout eternity!)
In 1997 he went to work for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, where he launched the newly-formed Office of Leadership and Church Growth.Â
A few years into the endeavor, the editor of The Alabama Baptist weekly newspaper invited him to write a series of articles on church health. Those articles were later packaged into a small 50-page booklet, The Biblical Design of a Healthy Church, which was well received across the state. It ran through multiple printings (the red book here is one of the originals).
The book provided Edwin with the opportunity to share gleanings from Scripture and his experience with leaders throughout the State.
The short book was repurposed into workshops, training seminars, certifications, and more. The goal was to help church leaders pursue "church health" and kingdom impact moreso than just "church growth."
During this chapter of life, Edwin is seeking to pull together his "core" messages and essential topics-- to leave them as a legacy.Â
The conversation arose once again about growing healthy churches.Â
"What would it look like to update the information, leverage some of the online tools and other resources that weren't available 25 years ago, and make the content available for a new generation?"
That conversation led to the birth of LifeLift Ministries as a formally organized entity. The team agreed that one of the first projects needed to be Healthy Church.
That's where Andrew, Edwin's son, comes in.Â
With 25+ books to his name, as well as a background in online courses, church & ministry consulting, and more, the father-son duo merged their skill sets to make a bigger impact.Â
It soon became clear that churches & ministries ALSO need healthy systems.Â
That is, they need to pursue the Presence (and become healthy) but they also need processes to implement and reach greater levels of effectiveness.
In early 2025, Edwin and Andrew tag-teamed to repurpose the previously released Biblical Design of a Healthy Church book AND add Healthy Systems for Healthy Churches, based on content Andrew developed to consult churches and ministries over the past decade.Â
And, with plans to train church and ministry leaders around the globe (yes, actual plans are in place for 2025 and beyond), they're starting the movement at home.
That means these Healthy Church and Healthy Systems are available for you.
Edwin and Andrew want to help you...Â
... lead a healthy church and leverage healthy systems to make it easier, more efficient, and more effective!
(So you can make an IMMEDIATE and ETERNAL impact!)
Step 1 | Define what a healthy ministry looks like & discern God's direction for you
Every church and ministry is unique AND there are ALSO some common threads among them all. Rather than starting with methodology and style, we want to begin with substanceâ by looking at Scripture and discovering WHAT God instructs us to do instead of first beginning with HOW others do it.
The âHealthy Churchâ resources walk you through the 6 functions of a church, helps you discern how God is leading you to implement those functions, and then equips you with a framework of âholistic growth.â
Youâll emerge with an action plan thatâs ready to implement a culture of life and health.
Step 2 | Use proven processes to run your ministry ANDÂ communicate clearly
After discerning where God wants to take your ministry, you must clearly communicate the vision online AND offline.
The âGear Upâ resources outline 5 unique facets every church must address in order to move forward.
đ§ the importance of your discipleship PATH
đ why you need to create job descriptions for all of the PEOPLEâ paid and unpaidâ you work with
âď¸ the role PROCESSES play in your organization
đ the necessity of crafting your culture, that is, the tone of your PLACE, by design instead of default
đ°why you need to handle the money, the PURSE, so you can focus on the mission (and practical steps you can take to do it)
Each of these 5 facets matter equally, as any can hinder (or help) your ministry move forward.
We're excited to help you lead a healthy church that leverages healthy systems to make a healthy impact!
Common Questions Answered
âď¸ Whatâs the best way to begin?
âď¸ Are you suggesting Iâm not already doing the right things?
âď¸ What if Iâm doing the âright thingsâ but not growing?
âď¸ How can you help?
âď¸ I still have questionsâŚ
More about Healthy Church & Healthy Systems
For sure, numerous outstanding resources for starting, strengthening, and/or revitalizing churches already exist. Whereas many of those promote a specific model, Healthy Church does not.
These resources encourage you to go back to the Scripture and answer the question, âWhat do healthy churches in the New Testament do?â
Andâ âWhat are the unhealthy churches told they need to start doingâ or go back to doing that they may have stopped?â
You see, the New Testament doesnât so much tell us how to do church as much as it tell us what churches do. We must seek the Lordâs wisdom to clarify how to âdo churchâ in our unique context.
To that end, The Biblical Design of a Healthy Church works for churches in any denomination (or lack of denomination). It works for churches of any size. It works for churches of any music style. It works for churches in any location.
Oddly enough, we created Healthy Church and Healthy Systems at the same time. During the writing phase, we placed all of the content in a single volume. We decided to separate it for two primary reasons.
The first reason is practical.
Whereas the original Biblical Design of a Healthy Church book (2004) was less than 50 pages in length, we eclipsed 200 on the rewrite. Some of that has to do with the illustrations we included throughout the manual; some of it has to do with the stories and examples.
The second reason is spiritual.
Healthy churches need healthy systems. In fact, a church willâ over timeâ shrink back to the size its systems can facilitate.
If you see your ministry growing and contracting, growing and contracting⌠in a predicable cycle⌠you may need to evaluate the processes you have in place. Your issue may be a systems issue and not a spiritual issue. Every organization operates at a level its systems can sustain.
The five systems are not the six functions of the church, though (worship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, prayer). Itâs easy to get enamored with the systems and begin focusing on them rather than prioritizing the functions (systems are often easier to create than it is to do the six functions). Keeping the content separate in a different volume helps draw a clear line between the two.
In the end, we opted for two shorter books rather than a single 300-page volume. However, we teach "both parts" of leading a healthy church.Â
- You need the presence and power of God-- which is the foundation of Healthy Church.Â
- You need processes-- which is the theme of Healthy Systems.Â
Get Access
đđ Pre-release copy of both paperback books shipped to you-- Healthy Church and Healthy SystemsÂ
đł Complete, unabridged audiobook of both resources
âď¸ Bonus instant access to the full-color eBooks of both books
đđ Pre-release copy of both books-- Healthy Church and Healthy Systems-- and instant access to the eBooks
đł Complete, unabridged audiobook of both resources
đş On-demand, unlimited, "forever" access to the video of each resourceÂ
âď¸ Work with us 1:1 through the Healthy Church framework via curated content we send + regular Zoom meetings
âď¸ We'll help you implement the Healthy Systems processes as we do
đŻ A seventh month journey to realign, strengthen, and step into the next season, with the option to continue
âď¸ Option for on-site visits and working with your staff, leadership team, and church
đĽ Great step for leaders who want to impact other leaders and become part of a movement
âď¸ Work with us 1:1 through the Healthy Church and Healthy Systems framework
đ ď¸ Learn the templates and tools we use to train others-- so you can replicate the content and refine it into your own communication style
â Get featured / promoted on the LifeLines podcast, on the LifeLift website AND/OR branch out to coach / consult others on your own