Thoughts on Numerical Growth & the Local Church
The emphasis on reaching or breaking the “(insert your number) barrier” and the focus by pastors & churches on “getting butts in the seats” has been a long-lived pet peeve of mine. The local church is not a business. Our bottom line is not “numbers” or “net gains”. The great commission doesn’t say, “come fill up our empty chairs”; it says, “Go therefore and make disciples…”—which means some of those made into disciples could go to another local church, not ours.
The numerical growth of the local church is not a biblical precedent. It is an empirical byproduct of the Church carrying out the great commission in their locale—though it will look different from church to church and locale to locale.
Any church that puts a focus on numerical growth as a goal over being intentional and strategic in carrying out the great commission in their locale and trusting God to provide the growth is a church out of order. This would mean…
Numbers have become an idol.
Size has become an idol.
Selfish ambition has replaced godly ambition.
And to be clear, not all numerical growth is qualitative growth. The froth from a newly opened soda being poured in a cup appears at first as if it’s more substance. That’s until seconds later we discover the cup is half full and the froth was nothing more than a reaction of the pressure being released. Some numerical growth is froth with little substance. Hence, not all growth is good growth.
On the other hand, any church that ignores numerical growth or numerical decline as a point of eval in how they have or haven’t been intentional and strategic in carrying out the great commission in their locale is also a church out of order. I know that may sound like I’m contradicting myself. I’m not. Because disciples make disciples. If no new disciples are being made, then possibly pride—e.g. pride of tradition, or exclusivism, or not adapting to change, etc—or selfishness, or missional-apathy & laziness, or unhealthy/ unbiblical practices have crept in and are stunting good growth.
So, here is where we land:
Numerical growth is not the mission or the goal of the local church, and it should never be declared or implied as such. But, if a local church is intentional and strategic in carrying out the great commission in their locale, prayerfully seeking help from the Holy Spirit, God will provide growth in His way and in His time.
Notice what Scripture says,
“6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1Cor. 3:6-9, NIV)
“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Cor. 3:5-6, NIV)
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” (Col. 2:18-19, NIV)
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:1-2, NIV)
I’ve pastored churches with 100-200 members, to churches with 200-400 members, and to a church over 800 members. I’ve also planted a church that was 20-50 people for 2 years, and served as a ministry leader in churches of under 100 to 1,500 members. I’m not speaking from theory or just in response to the plethora of articles and resources on “how to” grow your church numerically. I’ve sat in on these kind of meetings. I’ve been lost in this kind of thinking. And I’ve also seen it done right.
Let us pursue the mission and trust God with the results, not focus on breaking figment number barriers as if the local church is a business.
12/2018