Some ministries have it. Some don’t. Most churches want it. Few have it. When a church has it, everyone can tell, according to Craig Groeschel in his book It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It. The author says that he doesn’t really know what it is, but his book goes on to talk about where it comes from, what contributes to it, and, if you have lost it, how to get it back and guard it.
A church which has it has a contagiously exciting atmosphere, with many people coming to Jesus and lives being changed. One of the things which contributes to it is an effective vision. Another contributing factor is divine focus, where a church concentrates on doing a few things well, rather than a lot of things poorly. Other contributing factors include unmistakeable cameraderie, innovative minds, willingness to fall short, hearts focused outwards, and kingdom-mindedness.
The book is written in an engaging anecdotal manner, filled with the author’s quirky humour. It is fairly short, but addresses a serious issue in an insightful manner. God’s special favour is something that can’t be controlled or predicted, but there are various things which we can do and other things which we can avoid doing in order to make it more likely. I highly recommend the book.