A Biblical Model for Church Growth

Did you know that there is no verse or passage in the New Testament that teaches churches to focus their ministry efforts on bringing more people into the congregation?  That’s right – not one time are churches commanded to work for the purpose of growing in numbers.  This may seem odd to you, given the fact that almost every ministry and program at almost every church in America for the past 100+ years have been designed for the purpose of getting more people to attend.  Increasing church attendance is even the formally stated goal for many churches and denominational associations.  We have this thing in our minds which tells us that churches with 500 people in attendance each Sunday are doing something better than churches with “only” 100 in attendance.  And that churches with 1000 are doing something even better than that!

This type of thinking is biblically false.  It is a man-centered ministry approach which ultimately serves only to support the ego and esteem of those who subscribe to it (consciously or unconsciously).  If you are skeptical, consider the idea that we all feel better about Lakewood in general on Sunday mornings when more people are in attendance (I’m including myself in this group).

Am I suggesting that nothing good comes from a less-than-perfect ministry philosophy?  Of course not.  

If God required all of our gospel efforts to be perfect before He would bring blessing, then all churches and ministries would always fail, because nothing we can do is ever perfect.  The beauty of the gospel is that God works through the brokenness of man; but this doesn’t let us off the hook.  When we discover areas which need correction, our responsibility is to repent and correct.  So what does God’s word say about growing His church?  Ephesians offers us many answers to questions about the church, and Ephesians chapter 4 speaks to this issue of growth.  As you read v14-16, understand that the word “body” refers to the church body.

“…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

What does Paul tell us is the method of growing a church?  Each person properly speaking the truth in love…makes the body grow.  You’ll remember from John 17 that Christ prayed to the Father saying in part, “Your word is truth.”  To put it all together, the formula for church growth is not developing the right program – it is correctly speaking the truths of God’s word to one another.  You want to see Lakewood grow?  The method for this is clear – we must individually (this means you) learn the fullness of God’s word (the Bible) and correctly teach it to one another (disciple) in all that we do.  Church growth is not 

the responsibility of any one person – it is the responsibility of every single person.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com