(We are posting the first two chapters of our book A Healthy Church. At the conclusion, we’ll tell how to order the book.)
CHAPTER ONE: HOW TO SPOT A HEALTHY CHURCH IN 30 SECONDS
Something about those children intrigued me, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
For several weeks during my daily walk on the Mississippi River levee, I had been noticing three small children playing in their yard which joined the green expanse of the levee.
They seemed unusually happy and physically active, which the pastor/grandfather in me found charming.
The oldest child might have been seven or eight. There was a younger brother and a little sister. The yard held all kinds of play equipment.
No matter how cold it was, they were out there laughing and running, jumping and hiding, having a big time.
You could hear them a block away. They were always enjoying themselves and seemed to love one another.
“Whatever the parents are doing,” I thought, “it’s working.”
Then one day I noticed something different. Another kid had joined them, and they had several large-wheel vehicles on top of the levee which they were riding down into the yard. Two women sat near the house keeping an eye on them. One was the mother, I assumed.
As I drew closer, the children coasted off the levee, all except the oldest boy. He looked up at me and said, “Hi. I’m Harley.” I was so taken aback, I had to ask, “That’s your name?” It was.
I said, “Hi Harley. My name is Mister Joe.” He gave a big grin and said, “Hi, Mister Joe!” Then, off the levee he went.