Church Growth

I've been thinking about the different ways churches try to grow, not in a critical way necessarily, but I've realized it's a tricky business. We are told to go into all the world, to seek the lost, to bring sinners to repentence. We're not sure what to do, but we know we can't just sit around and do nothing, so we do the best be can.....

Some try to "evangilize." To most people this brings thoughts of hellfireandbrimstone preaching right there on someones front porch, AM radio dial, or on the public access cable channel.

Some try to entertain with concerts, dynamic preaching, and youth programs guaranteed to keep 66% of your kids off drugs or your money back.

Others try the "bait and switch" by hosting community events in their building, providing a place for the Boy Scouts and Alcoholic Anonymos to meet, hosting a community carnival, etc...anything to get people onto the property and then once inside they can be confronted with "well, since you've been coming here using our facility for this, why don't you come for THIS?", as a church member hands them a brochure with a brief description of Jesus, the church's worship method, and the times during the week they gather to utilize said method.

I believe the most successful way to grow a church (I didn't say my favorite, I said most successful) requires no effort at all. A bunch of people just have to get mad at each other at another church. That church disintigrates, people flee, and another church experiences a boost in membership.

And some are still using what I call the Jesus and His Apostles method. Being nice to the people they come across day by day, telling the people the truth even though it makes the hearer uncomfortable, taking care of widows and orphans, and poor folks, telling those who are interested how God has done marvelous things in their lives. This is my favorite, and though it may not do much to grow your church, I believe that it does plant seeds of the Kingdom that you or someone else may water. The Lord will bring about the harvest and deposit it in whichever congregation he sees fit. Might be yours. Might not.