A Growing Church

If you don’t want to be part of a growing church, of what kind of church do you want to be a part? A shrinking church? A stagnant one? It’s hard to deny that we have been called to craft disciples for Christ. Do the math. It’s not just about addition, but multiplication. If that’s not the kind of church we become, what kind of church will we have? Making disciples speaks of healthier, influencing and yes, greater numbers of disciples.

Perhaps you would recognize the following kinds of churches that aren’t necessarily into growing through disciple-making. Their foci are elsewhere. These are just three possibilities (the descriptions are exaggerated—maybe a little sarcastic—for illustrative purposes)…

The Country Club Church: These churches are for members only. By “members,” I mean only people who obviously belong. If you don’t fit, you stand out like a sore thumb, immediately get uncomfortable, and leave. You must know the lingo, wear the uniform and pay the proper dues. The church exists to provide all the luxuries that only the most prestigious believers can afford. They offer the best of everything for everybody who is anybody. The members tend to argue the most over personal preferences about things like the style of music, proper attire and church décor. The wealthiest members are catered to and the down-and-out don’t really belong, which becomes obvious early-on. They can find their place in the para-church ministries or supported missionary organizations of the church. But, Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights and other sanctioned gathering times of the club members are for those who obviously belong. Catering to the needs of the membership is the top priority of the staff, from the Lead Pastor to the maintenance staff; make the members happy, keep the club immaculate, don’t violate the rules, (like wearing denim or collarless shirts in the “dining room” on Sundays.

The Cruise Ship Church: What kind of people are on cruise ships? Mostly relaxing people, reclining people. Reclining people recline. Reclining leads to decline. Cruise ship churches are declining churches. Declining churches eventually sink—declining churches die. Why? They die because there is only room for so many on the ship. Once the pre-determined number of people is aboard, the doors are shut and no more are welcome. There is no new birth, no growth. Growth is feared and not encouraged. In fact, growth is made impossible. Protection of what is becomes so important that faith is seen as foolish. Feeding and fun activities are the lifeblood of such churches. Sumptuous meals are provided with often. There is great entertainment. The best speakers are cycled through with regularity and attendees flock to buffets of bestselling books. Premium marriage and family seminars are offered and crowd-pleasing Christian concerts grace the stages of the cruise ship church. But, sadly one never hears the joyous sounds of new birth and no one can be invited onboard. The best excuse for the way things are is, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Regrettably, these become the seven words carved across countless tombstones, forming the epitaphs of the Cruise Ship Churches.

The Performance Church: The orchestra is tuning up. The audience files in. The lights dim. You find your pre-selected seat. God-forbid someone else has beaten you to it. You don’t know the patron next to, in front of, or behind you. With program in hand, you anxiously await the opening number. Then the stage lights come up and with a great burst of energy and noise from the stage, you and others are immediately lost in the sights and sounds designed to usher you from your previous cares to another place; a place called “worship.” And for many, it is worship. For many others, it is unfortunately no more than a show in which a church invests a disproportionate amount of its resources at the expense of disciple-making.

So, please take all this in the spirit in which it’s offered. God uses different styles of ministries. But, if we’re going to invest limited resources to do His work through the one local body He’s given us, let’s choose to be A Growing Church. With His help, let’s seek to grow a healthy congregation, growing “…in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:18). Let’s grow an influencing congregation, making “…disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). Let’s grow an expanding congregation, as the Lord adds to our “…number day by day those who [are] being saved” (Acts 2:47).

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
—ACTS 9:31