If you're a pastor tracking attendance week over week, here's an uncomfortable question: does that number actually tell you your church is healthy, or just that it's big?

A new piece from Greg Stier, founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries, argues those aren't the same thing. Stier lays out ten signs that separate the two. The markers aren't about production value or platform talent. They're about whether leadership shares real accountability, whether the gospel shapes every sermon rather than showing up once at the altar call, whether members are actually using their gifts instead of watching from the pews, and whether small groups create space for honest confession, not just Bible trivia. Stier also flags youth ministry as a tell: healthy churches disciple teenagers, not just supervise them.

It's easy to treat a rising attendance count as proof that ministry is working. Stier's framework suggests health and growth can move independently—a church can fill seats while discipleship stays shallow, or shrink numerically while getting healthier underneath. Growth without these foundations tends to be fragile.

Three ways to check your own church this week:

Your Church's Tech Budget Should Match Its Size, Not Its Ambition | CareyNieuwhof.com 

Ben Elmore, CEO of the church-tech agency Servant, argues that most pastors chasing AI tools or custom apps are solving the wrong problem. His framework separates two questions leaders often conflate: what stage of growth is your church in, and how ready are your systems, team, and mindset for new tools? Elmore's rule of thumb: churches under 500 in weekly attendance rarely need custom-built solutions. Off-the-shelf tools and proven playbooks outperform bespoke tech until complexity actually demands more. The risk is investing in tools that outpace what your ministry can actually sustain.

Here’s the connection to this week's health checklist: buying tech to look more like a bigger church is the same instinct as chasing attendance to look healthier. Elmore's point is that good stewardship means matching your tools to your actual capacity, not the size you wish you were.

This week: Before approving any new tech purchase, ask whether it solves a problem you're feeling right now or one you're anticipating because another church has it. If it's the latter, table it.

Read Article: Navigating Growth Barriers in Ministry

One-Third of Christians Trust AI as Much as Their Pastor for Spiritual Guidance | The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast

On the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast, Ed Stetzer talks with Brad Hill, Chief Partner Success Officer at Gloo, about new State of the Church research. Hill points to a spiritual openness surge among Gen Z, especially young men, along with rising weekly prayer practices. But the trend most likely to unsettle pastors: about a third of practicing Christians now say they trust AI tools for spiritual guidance as much as their local pastor. Hill also argues churches need new success metrics entirely, moving past what he calls "butts, budgets, and baptisms" toward measures of actual discipleship.

This week: Ask three people who've used AI for spiritual questions what they were looking for that they didn't feel comfortable asking a pastor.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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