There is no growing church that is not directed by a Pastor
to whom God has not given a vision to grow, and whose vision is not contagious.
It seem that it would be normal that every congregation would want its church
to grow, but this is not so. There are
many churches that do not give priority to evangelism and to the planning for
the growth of their churches. Some Pastors and churches fear growth and their
implications.
However, it is not enough for the Pastor and the members to
have a vision and a desire to grow. The church has to share the load of
bringing new people to Christ and into fellowship with the church. After all,
the Bible teaches that the church is a body and Christ the head. The Pastor is
the principal member of that body but
only a member. The congregation constitutes the rest of the manifestation of
the Body of Christ. If a church is to be healthy and growing, all, or at least
a considerable number, should be in agreement in that the church should grow.
So in order for church growth to happen, there must be a
mutual desire among the Pastor and the congregation. But this is only the
beginning. Church growth doesn’t come cheap. It carries a great price, and the
Pastor as well as the congregation should be prepared to pay the price. Jesus
said that the wise man that builds, makes the calculations before beginning to build.
The same is recommended for the church. Before proclaiming; lets grow!, it is
wise to determine the price.
YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO
PROVIDE MONEY FOR CHURCH GROWTH
Considering that church growth generates more money for the
activities of the church, building, missions and social service, it takes time
for this to happen. Meanwhile, those who are currently members of the church,
have to provide the funds for growth. Generally it is not cheap.
Not all growth comes with a high price. The circumstances will
vary from one situation to another, but nearly all growth carries some price
marked with dollars and cents. The Pastor can do his part but the pocket books
are controlled by the members. If they are not prepared to sacrifice and to
open their wallets, the growth of the church will come to a stop.
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO FOLLOW THE VISION
A bitter frustration for a Pastor is when he has a vision
and receives a new lease on his spiritual life, determines that God wants the
church to move from its passive state, to a state of dynamic growth and the
congregation doesn’t have the same vision. Such deceptions constitute the low
valleys of church growth. The Pastor, like Moses finds himself in the middle of
a murmuring and stubborn people.
YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO GIVE TIME AND ENERGY
Many members of an inactive and declining church are
basically people who attend church two
or three hours a week. They attend church on Sundays and that's it. Some
perhaps may attend Sunday School. They may add one or two weekday services per
month and not much more can be expected of them.
It is not so in a growing church. While there may be a few
“consumers” in every church, a great percentage of the members of a growing
church are much more active they are concerned for the growth and the
extension. The work of the church is no longer a nuisance. The results can be
seen.
One of the areas of increased commitment of the members is
the grouping of forces for growth, which is frequently recommended for an initial
plan for growth. To be able to direct the church towards new growth, a group of men and women could
agree in giving 4 to 8 weekly hours for the grouping of forces for the growth
for a period of a year or two. This extra energy of a dedicated group could
create a surprising stride of growth in a relatively short period of time. Without
it, growth will come with difficulty, or not at all.
It has been found that in most business that 20% of the
people do 80% of the work. This is also true in most churches, 20% of the
people do 80% of the work and give 80% of the money.
YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO
SACRIFICE FELLOWSHIP
For some congregations, the increase of expenses of money
and time is a very low price to pay in comparison with the discontinuance of fellowship.
To many one of the pleasures of the Christian life is the fellowship with the
brothers. Good friends in Christ are a true treasure that in some cases not
even the family can satisfy. That is the reason that many members, unless they
are compelled and inspired by church growth, hold back at this point.
The church is like an extended family, especially if they
are not growing. Nobody is a stranger. If someone does not attend Sunday
service somebody calls on Monday in order to find out what happened. The
services are as comfortable as a family get together. There are no surprises.
Many of the people sit in the same place week after week.
we will be invaded by people we don’t know.” This is a
correct assumption, and it is one of the prices that is necessary to pay for
church growth. If having a family type
church is of more importance then reaching lost souls for Christ, your fait is
sealed and the church is not going to grow. The crisis of fellowship
clashes with a church that is growing when the number of worshipers begins to
grow bigger in the church. The alternative, however, is to stop growing.
Although this may seem a high price to pay for growth, a
greater consideration could dissipate the fear. It is said that people,
Christian or non-Christian, form intimate relationships and gather with only 40
to 60 persons at the same time. Unless you are an exception, this is the number
of people that you have in your circle of fellowship.
If souls are to be found and added to the church, a price
has to be paid by the Pastor as well as the congregation. The first price was
paid by Jesus Christ; His suffering and death on the cross. Faithful
discipleship never comes cheap. Whatever the price; the reaching and
multiplying, should be considered as the will of God and the calling of the
church. The reward will come in the words of the Master: “Well done, My good
and faithful servant.”
No comments:
Post a Comment