What Your Systems Reveal About Your Community Health
The Community Health Audit helps leaders understand how clarity, consistency, and follow-through are shaping the lived experience of their church—beyond vision, effort, or intention.
Emerging
Foundational systems with developing clarity.
- Strong relational energy
- Early-stage structure
- Building foundations
Developing
Momentum with inconsistency.
- Multiple systems active
- Growing coordination
- Team’s aren’t synced
Integrated
Aligned systems with need for flexibility.
- Cohesive systems
- Clear communication
- Reduced adaptability
Why Healthy Communities Depend on Clear Systems
Every church carries the heart for connection. Most breakdowns in engagement don’t happen because leaders don’t care or because people lack faithfulness.
They happen because systems quietly teach people what to expect.
When pathways aren’t clear, follow-through varies by team, or communication depends on who’s available, the community experience becomes inconsistent—even in healthy, growing churches.
Over time, people adapt:
Newcomers hesitate to commit
Volunteers carry more than they should
Leaders spend energy managing friction instead of shepherding people
Most engagement strain shows up when:
connection pathways are unclear or informal
follow-up depends on individuals rather than shared systems
volunteers are faithful but unsupported by structure
communication varies week to week
growth outpaces the systems meant to support it
These patterns don’t mean something is broken. They usually mean your church has grown beyond its current systems.
The Community Health Audit helps leaders see how their systems are shaping the lived experience of their community — so decisions are made with clarity.
The Three Community Health Profiles
A simple way to understand how your systems shape the community experience.
Emerging Community
People feel connected, but the path forward is unclear.
What your community may be experiencing right now:
People love the heart of your church, but feel unsure where to go, how to get involved, or what to expect next.
COMMUNITY PATTERNS:
- People rely on personal relationships to find information
- Newcomers feel welcomed but not guided
- Volunteers often step in informally rather than through a clear process
How churches typically feel at this stage:
Hopeful about the warmth of the community, yet aware that the lack of clarity is slowing momentum.
Developing Community
People want to commit, but the week-to-week inconsistency holds them back.
What your community may be experiencing right now:
People see your church’s potential, but can't trust the rhythm. Some weeks feel aligned; others leave them unsure or disconnected.
COMMUNITY PATTERNS:
- Newer members feel engaged one week and unsure the next
- People hesitate to plug in because they aren’t confident things will stay consistent
- Longtime members carry the load, making the experience depend on who’s present.
How churches typically feel at this stage:
Pulled between growth and frustration, wanting things to feel more unified, reliable, and steady.
Integrated Community
People feel supported, but want to be sure that structure doesn’t overshadow the Spirit.
What your community may be experiencing right now:
People feel confident and cared for, but as the church grows, some quietly wonder how to keep things authentic and Spirit-led while structure becomes stronger.
COMMUNITY PATTERNS:
- People engage easily because things feel clear and dependable
- Volunteers feel empowered rather than overwhelmed
- A few wonder how to stay Spirit-sensitive as the church scales
How churches typically feel at this stage:
Grateful for stability and strong systems, while recognizing the importance of protecting authenticity, relationship, and Spirit-led ministry as growth continues.
How the Community Health Audit Works
Answer Scenario-Based Questions
You will respond to questions grounded in real ministry decisions.
Receive Your Profile
See which Community Health Profile your systems are currently producing.
Interpret the Results
Schedule a review call and our team will interpret what the patterns mean for your church.