Brian Foreman talks with the Reverend Dr. Paul Baxley, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global, about where the five thriving traits came from and why they matter for congregational health. The conversation traces the traits back to the “Toward Bold Faithfulness” listening process, then shows how they help churches move beyond attendance and budget metrics toward spiritual vitality, mission, and faithful change. We discuss how congregations discovered these traits in practice, why the pandemic exposed and strengthened faithful agility, and how rooted relationships, holy tenacity, dynamic collaboration, and compelling clarity work together in thriving churches. Key topics In this episode, among other things: Paul Baxley explains that the thriving traits were not invented in theory but emerged from listening to more than 700 CBF congregations during the “Toward Bold Faithfulness” process.We discuss how that process surfaced urgent congregational needs like financial strain, lack of clarity, diversity challenges, and the need for adaptive change.Paul shares why the traits are best understood as signs of health and vitality, not impossible standards or “theological navel gazing.”Paul connects rooted relationships to younger adults, noting that many are spiritually curious and simply waiting for an invitation into community.We discuss dynamic collaboration as mutual participation in God’s mission, including shared leadership inside churches, partnership across communities, and CBF’s collaborative Baptist ethos.Paul highlights compelling clarity as a congregation’s North Star, especially when churches know their calling around hunger, homelessness, immigration, refugee support, and local witness. Key frameworks Toward Bold Faithfulness processThriving Congregations WorkThe five thriving traits framework Action items Encourage churches to take the thriving traits assessmentFocus on cultivating and strengthening identified traitsUse the assessment data to guide strategic planning and partnerships Books Mentioned Frederick Buechner — Wishful ThinkingStephen Fowl — Commentary on Philippians Keywords: church thriving traits, congregational health, faithfulness, community collaboration, spiritual growth, church assessment, leadership development
