Creating A Healthy Atmosphere in Your Church

No two churches are alike. One important reason is that churches have their own personality. And that is mostly determined by the unique atmosphere that prevails in churches.

The quality of a church's atmosphere is of immense importance for its well being and its future. The success of a church's ministry depends on many factors but  prime among them is the quality of its atmosphere. In a healthy atmosphere,  faith will grow and relationships flourish. Someone new in the area may visit a certain church a few times and, intuitively, senses something about the wholesomeness of it atmosphere: do the members seems to be outgoing, do they relate appreciatively with each other, do they linger in happy visiting, and are visitors sought out and made to feel welcome?  Visitors will ask themselves: will my concerns find an understanding ear here.

You as elders can help the atmosphere in your church deepen in spiritual quality.

• Pray for the members, especially those in your district. Pray for the children, the sick, the needy and the elderly. But think also of those you don't know very well.
• Make a mental list of the good things of church-life: challenges, programs, successes, joyful events, and membership needs. See if there are opportunities of talking with members about them constructively.
• As a member of council you may be made aware of special blessings and privileges in church life.  Share the good news with the members around you.
• At all times, maintain the good reputation of fellow-office bearers and others in positions of leadership.

Your sympathetic contacts with the membership will enable you personally to minister where needed.

A positive, wholesome, warm atmosphere is the setting where spiritual growth will more readily takes place. And it is also the setting that draws new members and it will also contribute toward keeping young people with the church.