Church Growth
I've been giving a lot of thought to church growth lately. There always seems to be a big push from our regional leadership regarding church growth. It seems like the size of a church determines if it is successful or not. Truly a corporate view of what church should be. This view infuriates me. I struggle with the concept that the only thing that counts is the size that you are. I always thought that it was obedience that got you the "good and faithful servant" complement, not the size of your church. I am now, and always will be against the concept of church grow as a measure of success or failure as well as for growth by any means.
With that said, I have been thinking a lot lately about growth. Even though it may seem like I'm contradicting myself, we need to grow as a church. We are struggling. And I know that growth is not the end all solution, but we really need some more leaders in this place. The pool of people that we have that has either the ability, potential or willingness to lead is small. We have been focusing over the past month or so on community, but I'm getting convicted that we might spend so much time on loving each other that we will forget about loving everyone else!
I think that one of the callings of this church was that we are to be a Missional Community. Over the past four years I'm not sure that we have been either missional or a community. I have also felt that we are supposed to be different somehow. Yesterday, at the Vineyard area meeting, one of the pastors who had been on a sabbatical for the past six months made an interesting observation. He had visited several different churches in his area and around the country during his time off. He said that it did not matter what the denomination or tradition he was visiting, they all fell into one of three categories. They were either liturgical (like a Lutheran church he visited), they followed the Willow Creek model (a song lead by a group of singers, a skit, then a topical message) or they did 30 minutes of worship followed by a message (the only difference being where the announcements were placed). He said there was nothing original, it had all become homogeneous.
That is the issue that I am dealing with today. For as cool and hip as we think we are, we are just like tradition three, with the addition of a coffee break (ooooh....doesn't that just scream "hip"). All the models, all the programs, all the books speak about the same thing. How to evangelize is how to grow the church. But if the product is all the same, are we not just developing a consumer base that is just shopping for what makes them feel better, or what sounds better. Where is the faith in that? Are we not just spending more time "evangelizing" the church hopper instead of actually going after the lost? How do we become the church that Jesus has envisioned for us to be without selling out to the 10 easy steps to become big and successful? How do we become a Missional Church not just in word, but in action?
More later...
With that said, I have been thinking a lot lately about growth. Even though it may seem like I'm contradicting myself, we need to grow as a church. We are struggling. And I know that growth is not the end all solution, but we really need some more leaders in this place. The pool of people that we have that has either the ability, potential or willingness to lead is small. We have been focusing over the past month or so on community, but I'm getting convicted that we might spend so much time on loving each other that we will forget about loving everyone else!
I think that one of the callings of this church was that we are to be a Missional Community. Over the past four years I'm not sure that we have been either missional or a community. I have also felt that we are supposed to be different somehow. Yesterday, at the Vineyard area meeting, one of the pastors who had been on a sabbatical for the past six months made an interesting observation. He had visited several different churches in his area and around the country during his time off. He said that it did not matter what the denomination or tradition he was visiting, they all fell into one of three categories. They were either liturgical (like a Lutheran church he visited), they followed the Willow Creek model (a song lead by a group of singers, a skit, then a topical message) or they did 30 minutes of worship followed by a message (the only difference being where the announcements were placed). He said there was nothing original, it had all become homogeneous.
That is the issue that I am dealing with today. For as cool and hip as we think we are, we are just like tradition three, with the addition of a coffee break (ooooh....doesn't that just scream "hip"). All the models, all the programs, all the books speak about the same thing. How to evangelize is how to grow the church. But if the product is all the same, are we not just developing a consumer base that is just shopping for what makes them feel better, or what sounds better. Where is the faith in that? Are we not just spending more time "evangelizing" the church hopper instead of actually going after the lost? How do we become the church that Jesus has envisioned for us to be without selling out to the 10 easy steps to become big and successful? How do we become a Missional Church not just in word, but in action?
More later...
Great thoughts.
Remember that God has provided us all the answers we need to live and to serve Him in His word.
Jesus said, "I if I be lifted up will draw all men to Me"
So the real question is not how should we order our service so that we are not like everyone else but rather how do we lift up Christ in a way that will honor Him. Keep seeking, be steadfast in the work, and keep well your faith my son. Your God has not and will not ever forsake you.
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