Habits for Missional Living: Behavior Matters

On today’s Whiteboard Wednesday, Art Weirs, Luminex Church Health Catalyst, discusses missional habits (inspired from Michael Frost).

How can healthy habits help to grow healthy churches?

The acronym B.E.L.L.S. was initially developed by Michael Frost, and slightly revised by Art.

• “B” stands for Bless. This means taking the time in a given period (perhaps weekly) to intentionally bless three people, including at least one person who has no connection to a church. It can be difficult, especially for long-term members of a church, to have connection with people outside of the church. But developing this habit helps considerably.
• “E” stands for Eat. The idea here is to take time to share a meal with three different people every week, including at least one who is not connected to a church. This habit helps us to have fellowship with people from different cultures, and provides the opportunity to learn more about them.
• “L” stands for Listen. The challenge is to set aside time each week to listen for the Holy Spirit. We all know that life can get busy and it may be difficult to reserve space for listening, but it’s vitally important. As church leaders, we should take time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s direction relative to how a church might grow, and for how we might contribute.
• “L” stands for Learn. This means learning something specific each week from Christ’s example. How? By spending time in the Gospels, looking at how Jesus did ministry, and taking stock of how Jesus interacted with people. This habit helps us to be more like Christ in our approach to people.
• “S” stands for Sent. This is a habit of keeping a weekly journal as we consider how we might help to create awareness of God’s reign through Christ in this world. If this is a difficult habit for you to form, Art recommends developing accountability with a partner.

If people in our church develop these healthy habits, then there will emerge a growth pattern in the church unlike never before.