Church Growth
Aug/23/2007 11:00 Filed in: Evangelism/Outreach
This is an
entry about the past. Now that I’m living in
United States I reminisce about the church planting
work I was involved in in South Africa.
It is a strange feeling: the first two years there I thought nothing was happening. People were coming to the Bible studies and worship services, but I was measuring the progress by the number of people who became members, and that didn’t happen until 1999, 2 years after I started. So I thought it was going slow, but when I left in 2003, the church had grown to 75 members.
Compared to Colorado, though, that is the speed of light. I’ve been here three years, and the church has only shrunk! It is slowly growing again.
You can imagine that I am asking myself why I left the mission field in the first place.
The comparison teaches me a couple of things:
- as a servant of God, you must watch out not to be in it for success. A preoccupation with numbers may reveal just such a motivation. If I see many people join the church after I begin working there, I tend to think it’s because of me. The temptation is to see this as a personal victory: they like my sermons! They connect to me!
Don't think like that. Preach Jesus Christ and lead people to him, do not try to get a following.
- But how about justifiying a lack of effectiveness by saying ‘numbers don’t count’? That's another trap. When results are lacking you might say: 'that's because they reject the gospel.' How do you know you are not simply being ineffective, spending your time on the wrong activities or people?
I would look at the responses of people: have they understood the gospel and been brought to a decision? Then you have done your job. However, if you don't press for a decision for or against Christ, or if you did not preach the gospel clearly so that they could understand it, something is wrong. The gospel must be preached understandably and with love so that those who hear it know who Jesus is to them, see the need to repent and believe in him, and are drawn to his love.
- Numbers do count. God wants everyone to repent and believe in Jesus. Every person who follows him is one less in Satan's hellish kingdom and one more receiving joy in Gods' kingdom. That matters and makes a difference in eternity!
It would not be good if we did not care about the results of our efforts of sharing the gospel. It would constitute a lack of love for the sinners you talk to (like 'I don't care whether you believe in Jesus and live, or not') and it would take away from the glory of Christ (he sent you to tell the whole world that he is king, didn't he?).
In the end, it is not about statistics, but about hearts of real people transformed by the gospel. That counts.
It is a strange feeling: the first two years there I thought nothing was happening. People were coming to the Bible studies and worship services, but I was measuring the progress by the number of people who became members, and that didn’t happen until 1999, 2 years after I started. So I thought it was going slow, but when I left in 2003, the church had grown to 75 members.
Compared to Colorado, though, that is the speed of light. I’ve been here three years, and the church has only shrunk! It is slowly growing again.
You can imagine that I am asking myself why I left the mission field in the first place.
The comparison teaches me a couple of things:
- as a servant of God, you must watch out not to be in it for success. A preoccupation with numbers may reveal just such a motivation. If I see many people join the church after I begin working there, I tend to think it’s because of me. The temptation is to see this as a personal victory: they like my sermons! They connect to me!
Don't think like that. Preach Jesus Christ and lead people to him, do not try to get a following.
- But how about justifiying a lack of effectiveness by saying ‘numbers don’t count’? That's another trap. When results are lacking you might say: 'that's because they reject the gospel.' How do you know you are not simply being ineffective, spending your time on the wrong activities or people?
I would look at the responses of people: have they understood the gospel and been brought to a decision? Then you have done your job. However, if you don't press for a decision for or against Christ, or if you did not preach the gospel clearly so that they could understand it, something is wrong. The gospel must be preached understandably and with love so that those who hear it know who Jesus is to them, see the need to repent and believe in him, and are drawn to his love.
- Numbers do count. God wants everyone to repent and believe in Jesus. Every person who follows him is one less in Satan's hellish kingdom and one more receiving joy in Gods' kingdom. That matters and makes a difference in eternity!
It would not be good if we did not care about the results of our efforts of sharing the gospel. It would constitute a lack of love for the sinners you talk to (like 'I don't care whether you believe in Jesus and live, or not') and it would take away from the glory of Christ (he sent you to tell the whole world that he is king, didn't he?).
In the end, it is not about statistics, but about hearts of real people transformed by the gospel. That counts.