Welcome to The Center for Healthy Churches. Birthed out of the rich tradition of pastoral care, and informed by years of experience and success in local churches, CHC makes available to churches and clergy a wide array of ministries and services. Our team believes that local churches can and should be sources of life and light to their communities. The mission of building up the church of Christ motivates us to bring hope, help and healing to churches and clergy. Please explore our site and contact us if we can be of service to you.

While CHC has a national footprint, we are also able to work regionally and locally through our consultants and coaches who live across the United States. This helps keep costs down and enables many more churches and clergy to access our services. Our consultants and coaches, however, are always available to travel to any locations as needed.

All gardeners know that growth is the natural result of a healthy garden or plant. All plants and all gardens have a growth agenda that permeates all they do. Some growth is “up and out”, some is “down and in”. Growth permeates every aspect of a healthy church. Bearing fruit is in the DNA of any plant. The fruit is the proof of the plant’s health, as propagation is at the heart of God’s design for all living things.

The power of the seasons is never far from the mind of the gardener. At the heart of any issue or project in the garden lies a central question: what season is it? In churches, our lack of understanding of life cycle seasons may blind us to deeper causes than what the prevailing symptoms may suggest.

Healthy soil is a prerequisite to healthy plants. Gardeners spend much energy and expense to amend and improve the soil of their gardens. Doing so creates an environment conducive to vibrant growth.

Context matters. Plants that may thrive in a rain forest die quickly in the desert, and vice versa. Each plant adapts to its environment and either finds a way to survive and thrive, or it must be moved to a setting more congruent with its DNA. Healthy churches are students of their setting and context.

Gardens require patience, and gardeners eventually learn to trust the plants and environment to produce the growth, fruit and beauty they so desire. Some things in a garden cannot be rushed, and to attempt to do so ensures failure. Mature discipleship and effective ministry is a time-consuming, long-lasting process. There are no shortcuts.

Vibrant and productive gardens emerge when well-cared for. The gardener knows that their role is that of caretaker, and that role is pivotal for the long-term health of the garden.

Plants do not live in a vacuum. The mixed ecology of plant life means that the health of a garden or plant is interdependent in relationship to other plants, insects, context, weather, and a host of other factors. Churches and clergy live out their calling in the context of a specific time and place. They partner and collaborate with a multitude of others in order to accomplish their unique Kingdom agenda.

A beautiful garden emerges from someone’s dream translated into a plan, followed by an implementation process. So too with churches. Clarity about the founding dream and design of a church is essential if a church is to be healthy.

Roots matter to a plant. Roots matter to a church. Roots matter to a Christian. Gardeners know that the root health is paramount. What is hidden from view often determines whether a plant will flourish. Gardeners feed the roots of plants, taking great care to protect those roots. Healthy churches pay attention to the part of their life that is hidden from view. What happens in the hidden hearts of their leaders and their participants often determines what is seen in public.