ON PREACHING & MINISTRY
Jeff&DaleJenkinsrunThe
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Editors’ Note
In this issue of The Journal we feature ministers who are presently working with healthy and growing congregations. The biggest challenge for this issue was NOT finding growing, healthy churches but figuring out where and how to limit it.
While we do not have an agency that can definatively show if the churches in the US, or any other country for that matter are growing, there is not doubt that overall the church is exploding in good ways all over. In this Issue we will focus on the Who and the How. We will highlight just a handful of the many growing churches we know about and we’ll look at some excellent steps that have propelled that growth along. This is the second in a trilogy of issues. The last one focused on the growth of the minister, this quarter on the growth of the church and next issue on the Work of Ministry in growth.
We encourage the good!
Jeff&DaleJenkins
FHU LECTURES EDITION
The annual lectureships at Freed-Hardeman are always a joy and a blessing. It is an annual celebration of so much good in the church. It has an enduring presence as one of the most engaging and exciting weeks on our calendar. We have been coming to the lectureships for nearly 50 years and are grateful for it’s continued health and light! We are thankful for those who have led and those who continue to lead this great program. Congratulations on the renovation of the auditorium!
LET IT GROW
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth…”
- 1 Corinthians 3:6
An endless river of advice has been offered up on the subject of church growth. From Donald MacGavran’s Principle of Homogeneity (which leads to segregated churches) to Willow Creek’s Principle of Giving the People What They Want (which leads to vain worship), to Andy Stanley’s Principle of Ditching the Old Testament (which leads to biblical ignorance), to the denominational world’s bizarre Principle of Ignoring the Lord’s Supper (which leads to people disconnected from the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection)
Enough already We’re making this more complicated than it is.
Just do the work, friends Here are a few things we have done that have never failed yet to grow congregations:
Preach the Bible If it could be said in Hosea’s day that “My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge ” how much more could it be said today?
Current culture has a million things to distract, and the result is a mind-bending biblical illiteracy Preach and teach God’s Word Do not apologize for it, but embrace it The power of Scripture will always cut to the heart (Acts 2:37; Heb 4:12).
Love the People
All of them…rich, poor, black, white, connected, disconnected, insiders, outsiders, saved, unsaved…ALL of them. When our love is genuine and we truly care about people, we will know them. Do you recall anyone saying, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name…the sheep follow him, because they know his voice” (John 10:3-4). He knew. It still works, brethren.
Follow the Savior
If the countless millions who claim to be Christians were brought up on the charge of following Christ, there wouldn’t be enough evidence to convict them. There are simply too many lukewarm Laodicean Christians in our pews. Question: can you usually tell apart a true, devout, dedicated believer from a poser? Don’t you think the world can also? Be the genuine article, inspire others, and do the work.
Give these simple suggestions a try. I guarantee you they will work…or The Jenkins Institute will refund your money.
Chuck Monan
TUESDAY - THURSDAY @12:30PM DRYDEN AUDITORIUM
Preaching that will grow a church requires consistent focus It is easy, as ministers, to become distracted from the task of preaching and teaching the Word of God because the congregations where we preach are often looking for other things While we, because we are Christians, have many responsibilities that must be fulfilled, we must never lose sight of the fact that our primary and essential responsibility is to preach the Word – in season and out of season Let nothing that you are expected to do cause you to neglect the preparation required to deliver the word of truth in a rich, meaningful, and applicable way You have been called primarily to preach – not to manage an office, repair computers, or plan social events. Let someone who is better qualified handle these tasks YOU ARE CALLED TO PREACH!
Without the preaching of the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, singing, giving, and prayer lose much of their meaning to those who practice them Without the applicable preaching of God’s truth, service to the community and to one another lose their vitality and sacredness.Without the preaching of the whole counsel of God, congregations forget that their great commission from Jesus Himself is to make disciples of all nations As a result, they tend to fall victim to shifting demographics and a changing culture and age out and die a sad death.
So what kind of preaching will grow a church? Is it a matter of methodology? Are there tricks of the trade that will make our preaching more contemporary? Are visual aids the secret? Will voice modulation make our sermons more impactful?Is there one type of sermon that will bring better results than another?
While there are many benefits to different methodologies for presentations, these are not, and should not be the primary focus of the preacher YOU ARE CALLED TO PREACH THE WORD.
The people whom you stand before each week are required to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly (Colossians 3:16)
PREACHING THAT WILL GROW
PREACHING THAT WILL GROW A CHURCH,
It’s not enough that they know a few tidbits from the Bible. They must have a deep, rich indwelling of God’s truth in their souls “And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)
In His parable of the soils, Jesus makes it clear that not everyone who hears will bear fruit, nor will all those who listen remain faithful (Matthew 13:3-23) But He also makes it clear that there will be no fruit at all unless the seed of the Word of God is sown
Never fail in your sacred duty to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-5) A church that increases in number without the proclamation of the whole counsel of God is simply swelling – not growing It is through the Word that real growth occurs (1 Peter 2:1-2).
Technology and methodologies will change Preferences and presentation styles will eventually grow old and pass away “But the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25)
So what kind of preaching will grow a church? Sermons that are saturated in prayer.
In Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus saw people that were spiritually like sheep without a shepherd and, as a result, harassed and helpless He had a compassion for them which drove Him to seek to save them He saw in these lost and helpless people a potentially great harvest of souls So what did He tell His disciples to do? He told them to pray!
I cannot predict whether there will be a great revival from God among the people to whom you preach, but I do know one thing No great revival ever occurs without the Word of God and prayer!
Let your prayers be persistent (Luke 18:1), thankful (Philippians 4:6), in faith (James 1:5-8), and from a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) Do not pray that you will be successful and well-received Pray that God’s Word will change hearts as it sinks into the lives of those who hear it Pray that you will be a faithful conduit of the living powerful Word (Hebrews 4:12) There is no shortcut and no substitute for the Word of Truth and prayer
So what kind of preaching will grow a church? Sermons that are applicable to the lives of those who hear them
The difference between preaching and teaching is significant Teaching is designed to deepen one’s understanding so that they might see life through the eyes of God Preaching is designed to change lives! A sermon without an application to life is not a sermon at all
Teaching is about information. Preaching is about persuasion. Always ask yourself before you preach, “What change is God requiring of those of us who are hearing this message?”
When Peter preached his great sermon in Acts chapter 2, people said, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) The sermon wasn’t over then It wasn’t over until Peter told them how to save themselves from their crooked generation (Acts 2:38-41)
In order to grow a church, people have to be challenged to do something They themselves must individually grow in order for the church to grow Your preaching must give them the tools to effectively serve and to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12) They must be taught how to apply the eternal truths of God in a “street-smart” way
So what kind of preaching will grow a church? Preaching that comes from the right attitude toward those who hear you. If you speak with the tongues of angels but do not have love, you are just making noise (1 Corinthians 13:1) If you speak without compassion, there will be no great harvest (Matthew 9:36-38) When we speak the truth in love we give the church a chance to grow (Ephesians 4:15)
A word to those who have read this far: God grows churches – not preachers! Paul was confident of this when he said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
THE CHURCH GROWS
Chris McCurley
So, where do we start?
That’s the all-important question when it comes to evangelism. We know the problem. None of us need to be convinced that the harvest is plentiful. We know the workers are few. We take no issue with what Jesus sets forth here in Matthew Chapter 9 when He says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Mt. 9:37 & 38).” Our issue is where do we start? There are a myriad of strategies and ideas that have been offered as an answer to this question. There are all sorts of seminars, blogs, books, tracts, charts, programs, etc. The harvest is plentiful, and so are the proposals as to how we should go about reaching the lost. Don’t get me wrong, many of these strategies are worthy models for how one can reach those outside of Christ, but did you notice where Jesus said to start? Our Lord gives us a starting point. 11
And, surprisingly, it’s not, “Go and give them some food and then start a spiritual conversation.” Jesus didn’t say, “Go down and ask them if they’d like to study the Bible.” He didn’t suggest approaching the crowd, handing out free stuff, and then saying, “Now let me tell you what else is free the free gift of grace.” No, here’s where our Lord said to start.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Mt 9:37 & 38)”
“Therefore, pray earnestly.” Jesus is well aware of the fact that any great cause, any great movement, starts on your knees. Our greatest tool and our most formidable weapon in the battle for lost souls is, first and foremost, prayer Before carrying out the commission, we must have the connection to the Father. I believe that is the biggest reason for our church’s growth. In the next chapter, Jesus instructs the apostles then sends them out, but before laboring there was praying Prayer must be married to action, so coupled with prayer is a concerted effort to build a culture of evangelism; however, this focus on evangelism is inward before it is outward. We want to evangelize the saints before we evangelize the lost The goal is to grow inwardly so that we can grow outwardly Train the laborers to be effective at harvesting.
There is a time to gather and a time to scatter. We gather as the church, and that gathering includes praying for the mission We scatter as the church, and that scattering includes seeking and saving the lost. 12
?BrandonPressnell? ?AndrewItson? +BrandrewItsell+
preaching team-Madison in Huntsville
For so many ministers, preaching the gospel and serving in ministry are like “having your cake and eating it, too.” Loving God’s people accompanied with the joy of sharing His message is the most fulfilling and rewarding way to spend our lives But can we get real for a moment? It’s exhausting If it were not for those joyful highs and the day-today satisfaction of fulfilling your ministry, we’d all sink under the weight of its emotional toll and persistence in our minds.
We feel the burden of church growth, both internally and externally, both spiritually and numerically.We want to see individuals grow and the church by proxy. We want outreach, discipleship, generosity, and spiritual fellowship to be the things we are known for in our communities and right or wrong, many expect the preacher to be front and center for all these pursuits.
At Madison, we have enjoyed team preaching as a way to share the load, feed while being fed, and to speak to our eclectic church family from different life stages and points of view We believe this has been beneficial to our church family “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) We have found that pouring ourselves into our messages not only strengthens our study habits, but it also serves as inspiration for the next message We both feel challenged and excited to share the “what’s next” We have found that preaching in a “series format” helps us make each message a part of a larger context. This deepens our unity, shows the continuity of God’s word, but also allows our individuality and communication styles to be received with mutual appreciation. Our love for each other, our endorsement of one another, and our unified messaging gives our church family a peace of mind that competition is not welcome We are brothers, humbled to be working with one another, open to be challenged by one another, and joyful in our preparation and participation
While we share in preaching duties, we do have other specific roles for which we believe lead to a wonderful, first-time experience for our guests One of Andrew’s emphases is community engagement. Not only is Andrew actively engaged in community involvement through various organizations, but he is acutely focused on the people walking through our doors Andrew helps coordinate our engagement and follow-up efforts with our guests.
From the moment a visitor arrives in our parking lot, we have a team of volunteers to meet them and welcome them into the facility Andrew makes certain they are engaged, introduced to others, and helps them find a seat for others to surround them We believe these efforts have helped build relationships, inspired Bible studies, and have led to several conversions One of Brandon’s key emphases is the organizing and purposeful planning of our worship We believe in keeping the heart and mind of the worshiper actively engaged in contemplation of God from the moment we begin until our dismissal Because of this, we start with the message of the service and coordinate everything around that theme Every song, prayer suggestion, communion remark, and scripture reading help build the continuity of the messaging Our service introduces the teaching concept and reinforces it through every avenue of our worship together with little to no pauses between each element We believe in creating a comforting, challenging, and spiritually motivating experience for our first-time guests, centered in truth and simplicity But of course, our established members benefit from this type of thoughtful worship as well. These emphases coupled together make our Sunday mornings special and keep us excited in our learning
Working as a team also doubles our efforts at times Every minister laments that there are moments where two members have simultaneous surgeries in different locations.
Sometimes we are able to call our people together and pray with them over the phone when getting to both procedures is not practical We are fortunate at Madison to have several ministers on staff to help support our members, but it is especially incredible to have a cohort sharing in some of those high-risk procedures, dividing if necessary, so that our church family feels our care for them in their time of need. We like to say that we are “representing each other” in those moments Our members feel loved and sharing that load has been wonderful
It must be said that this arrangement only works well for two men who love and respect each other, who celebrate each other’s successes We have that at Madison and it is a blessing
Imagine all the benefits of working alongside someone where you both preach, both have time for connection, sharing in responsibilities of reaching out to visitors and family members who are sick, hospitalized, in elder care of some sort, or in need of a face-to-face conversation We are allowed time to detach from ministry for short windows to focus on our studies because we are assured that these necessities in ministry are covered by our teammate Consider the blessing of having a week to study, followed by a week to minister to your church family Consider the refreshment you receive when you come to worship, sit with your family and receive a message every other week, having your cup filled That experience fuels your joy and excitement in your own preparation for the next message. Burnout is lessened, excitement grows, and we believe it has been a catalyst for better coverage in our outreach, discipleship, generosity, and fellowship. This is growth, no matter how you slice it and we are so thankful that God is blessing our ministry together 15
prayer for wisdom, courage, faith and love for His will to be accomplished. We must rely on Him as we patiently press forward in His work. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am YOUR God; I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU, I WILL HELP YOU, I WILL UPHOLD YOU with my righteous right hand.” We know and believe the power and love of God, but we must ask ourselves, that based off of our actions, do we TRULY believe that God can do great things through us and the church if we are constantly walk by sight and not by faith.(2 Cor. 5:17) We must remind ourselves, that if we don’t walk by faith then how can we expect anyone else to. Faith in God and His plan is vital to the spiritual and numerical growth of His church.
Next, the elders have great importance to the growth of the congregation. I remember meeting with the elders before I started the work at Summertown. In the meeting, they acknowledged that the congregation had become stagnant and had been declining for a while. They wanted to strengthen the church spiritually and wanted to help the church to grow numerically, they just didn’t know how to make it happen. I felt confident at that point that these were a group of men that I could work with. As the work began, I realized that even though they want growth spiritually and numerically, change was hard. Not only for them, but for the congregation. One valuable lesson that I learned is that good elderships may HESITATE, but they don’t HINDER. I can honestly say that there have been many times that I have been discouraged because things weren’t happening as quickly as I wanted. In my mind, there is work to be done so let’s get busy. I am so thankful for my wife and the many times during these moments that she reminds me to PRAY for the elders. That God will give them the wisdom, courage, faith and love they need to make these decisions to move forward or to wait for a better time. I have to remember that these men, as Godly as they are, are still growing as elders and they have a tremendous responsibility to make decisions that will help the Lord’s church to grow as a whole and this isn’t an easy task. I can tell you that praying and working with the elders and patiently waiting on God’s time has worked out time and time again.
Last, don’t limit God. Week after week, we stand in front of the congregation and preach, “Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). I really believed for a long time I was doing that, but what I realized is that I was only truly trusting God as long as it was the way it’s always been done or at least the way I thought it should be. Make no mistake about it, all of us agree that EVERYTHING we do must be according to Scripture. Let me give you an example of how I was limiting God. We had a new family start attending worship with us and they had some basic understanding of the Gospel, but were really pretty young in the faith. One day, the husband asked if there was a time I could help them to understand more about God’s word and will. Of course, we are all waiting for opportunities like this. Before we set up a time, we thought of another family that might benefit from a Bible study. We began meeting on Tuesday nights at my house. They would bring their kids and we would eat together and have a Bible study. After a couple of weeks, we added another family that was young in the faith and another family. We have been meeting on Tuesday nights with these five families for almost 2 years. I had never asked people, because I thought, “no one would want to study God’s word outside of Sundays and Wednesdays.” I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see the Spiritual growth in these families. God is good!!! Because I saw the greatness of God, I have also started a Bible study on Thursday nights with people 50 years old and older. Some had left the church and are just now coming back, one couple hardly goes to church anywhere, one person admitted they had been coming to worship for years, but really doesn’t understand much about God’s word and will. God has really opened my eyes to how much He can accomplish if I will truly trust Him and allow Him to work in my life and patiently love others in the condition they are in and help them grow to be faithful and obedient children of God.
ThePreacher’s Ministry can HELP
THe CHURCH GROW
STEVE BAILEY
Many years ago I learned one way doctors are taught to share their experience and pass on what they have learned. It is the “See one done (meaning a specific procedure), do one, and then teach one” method. I think there is a lot of good in that process.
Preachers have a high calling of teaching, preaching and being actively involved with people. Some of these people are in the Body of Christ and some are involved in the community. People watch what preachers do and say. Often (continued)
there is not a lot of privacy or “downtime.” That being said, there are many opportunities for the preachers’ ministry to help The Lord’s Church grow.
First, I would suggest that preachers ought to preach sermons that are well-crafted as to entice non-Christians to come hear the saving message of Christ. Sermons or classes that will help the average person who works 40-60 hours a week make it till the end of the month will always be appreciated and remembered. By preaching a message of hope and sharing that hope is an opportunity each minister has to help the local congregation grow.
I often say, “I can live a month on one good comment about a sermon preached!” The thought is to me at least, there must have been a connection between me and the listener. Maybe I can do that again next Sunday with someone else. Maybe by giving hope, sharing some joy and kindness, a Bible study, or a spiritual conversation can take place and nudge that person toward Jesus.
Second, I would suggest the preacher be an active worker in the community. Back in the 1980’s in Oklahoma City area, I worked with a good man named Doug Lawyer. As computers became more readily available, I can still hear him say to me and other younger ministers of the area, “Boys, there ain’t no souls in those computers; get out where the people are.”You know what? He was right. How many men spend 20-25 hours a week on one sermon and never get out of the office and away from the computer screen and actually rub shoulders with someone not a member of The Lord’s Church? I dare say it happens more than we would like to admit. Preachers who want the Church to grow are preachers who are seen in other places other than their offices or auditoriums. In years past many preachers have sequestered themselves in the office saying we are reaching people by our preaching. There is an element of truth to that statement, but why isn’t the Lords Church growing in small towns as well as larger cities? Did Jesus stay in the presence of His disciples one hundred percent of the time, or did he go where the people were? Years ago, in the days of “Little House on the Prairie” the preacher was known as “The Parson!” Everyone knew him, everyone in town called him by name, he attended many community activities and made a dynamic impact on the townspeople. Preachers today need to get out of the office more and “rub shoulders” and “nudge people” more. Work, hard work is honorable and so needed today.
I conduct a lot of funerals in my ministry. One way to connect with people is to let your ministry serve people. When the community knows the preacher at the local church of Christ, you may get a call to serve a family in one of the most devastating times in their familie’s life. When a family member passes away, you can serve people. Using that connection with the funeral director and the family, you can plant a seed with that family helping them through the grief process. In doing that small act, you might open a door to helping them take their next step toward Jesus. Just being at the office and always in the 22
computer preparing a lesson or sermon is part of being a preacher, but what if there is no one to hear you preach that sermon? How does that help the Church of Jesus Christ to grow?
I will pose this question to all preachers. If you suddenly left your current congregation and moved somewhere else, how long would it take the community to know you were gone? You see, our scope of influence goes far beyond the walls of the church auditorium. People will tolerate a poorly preached sermon once in a while, but they will always remember how you helped them during the death of a loved one, or your prayers or the work in a community crisis.
A preacher needs to be getting invitations to lead a prayer at community events like City Council Meetings, High School graduations and Commencement Services. I’ve received calls to pray at County Governmental events and always was humbled to be invited. It always has been a place of making “people connections” by being part of a special day. Giving God the glory and saying thanks to God is an honor as well.
Third, I would say, every preacher should be known as “the hardest working preacher” that congregation has known! Never allow yourself to be lulled into the fantasy world that you work harder than your members. Remember unless you get up at 4 am and work on a farm till it is dark seven days a week, and you are so tired you can’t wait to get to bed, you probably have not worked. A man who works in a coal mine, and enters that mine in the dark then travels miles below the surface of the earth does not know if it is daylight or dark till he emerges from the mine.Then he gets a few hours of rest and does it all again the next day. That is work. A man or woman who teaches school and hears those terrible words, “Well, at least you get your summers off” will not be very sympathetic with you if you have two sermons on Sunday and VBS in the same week. That happens once a year.
Jesus was out among the people and people knew His name. Yes, and because he was so visible He was criticized and abused and often times we are as well. But our responsibility is to “wear out” for Jesus, not to “rust out!” We just can’t hide behind our computers and closed doors.
I once knew a man who parked his car at the church building so people would think he was “working” all the time. The scam was up when someone came in the office to visit the preacher and that preacher had not been in the office for two days.
The preacher can help The Church grow by first preaching well thought out connecting sermons. The Church grows by working hard for Jesus. Second, the preacher helps The Lord’s Church grow by getting connected in the community. And then third, I would say The Preacher can help The Church grow by being the hardest working preacher that congregation has ever known. I will conclude with these wonderful words spoken by a beloved preacher friend: “I have been tired many times “in the work” but I never have I grown tired “of the work.”
Within the first year, the preacher and his wife could try their best to ensure every School teacher, School administrator, City official, Police officer, Fireman, and even Waste Management Team knows the church and what YOU are there to accomplish. This can be much more challenging in larger communities. My wife and I enjoyed the freedoms to show up at the Elementary School during parent-teacher conferences and provide warm homemade pans of food for the teachers. It was always, “From the Church of Christ”, not you. Host all the Fireman and their wives in the church fellowship area, with a banner saying, “Thank You for Your Service to Our Community.” One time we hosted the Waste Management Team, (those who haul off your trash) for breakfast to let them know how thankful we are for their hard work. Many people in small towns still read the Newspaper, so we made certain there was an uplifting article in it every week. The Radio Station Manager was named Doug, and he allowed me a thirty-minute pre-recorded spot every Sunday morning for a fraction of what they charge in my current location. All glory to God, this turned into a fantastic friendship with Doug. Turn the “smalltown-talk” into something good. It wasn’t long and my wife and I were invited to coach 5th grade girls basketball, and we took the whole team to pizza afterward. Include every member in everything and move forward with thick skin. The whole College Basketball team once filled the back of the auditorium with lunch prepared by the ladies afterward. I will never forget preaching and seeing extremely tall players (many from other countries) standing at the back of the little church auditorium.
The Minister and his wife should of course consider their hospitality. By opening your home regularly, you will learn the value of what can occur across the table (1 Peter 4:9, Hebrews 13:2). Many times, there were several high school basketball players dunking on our home goal, playing music outside at 11pm, and feasting at our table. One time our table hosted the Baptist minister and his wife. They sat at our table for a long dinner, and we had a great study together. Not long after, he and his wife wanted to be “baptized into Christ for the remission of sins”, and still today they are worshipping in the Lord’s church with their extended families. We plant seed no matter where we are, and we pray that God will give the increase. Opening your home provides a prime location to plant seed, and by the teaching of God’s Word, He truly does bring the increase. Ministers in small cities know change can be challenging, and leadership can often be difficult. Constantly the Minister will be showing the broader scope of the gospel, aiming members outward opposed to inward. This can and will prove to be difficult, yet so rewarding. Remember the Apostle Paul’s vision for unity in diversity (1 Corinthians 12:12ff) was to move as one body in Christ, not one man. Communication should be high priority, and everyone must know where your heart is before they know your plans. Every single soul matters no matter what age, nursing home, VBS pew, teacher or student at the school. This is your mission, here is your field, and you know the message. May God bless you and watch over you, as you bring the saving message of Jesus Christ to the world. What a great opportunity God has given you! 26
BENEVOLENCE
EVANGELISTIC ATTITUDE
Family Atmosphere
DISTINCTIVE APPEAL
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For Christian young adults...These six ministers all sat together seeking to encourage you in love. We wanted to uplift you and elevate your eyes toward what God wants for you in His word during the next years of your life. All six of us wrote these chapters to challenge you with these words about the church: what matters to God, ought to matter to you, because you matter to Him. The Church Matters. $10 each
Look for the very sick. Jesus was called out once for eating with the tax ollectors and “sinners.” Jesus’ response was “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick” Mark 2:17 At Westhill, we have a program that is called ARK (Addiction Recovery Counseling ) As with many communities, we have our fair share of drug and alcohol abuse. The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to help even the heart of an addict. ne of our members has spearheaded a support group that is open to those in our congregation and those in the community that have dealt with ddiction. This group has become a great beacon of hope for the community, nd a source of encouragement for the congregation. Sin causes the heart to be sick. We need to be able to look at all people and have compassion for them (no matter what type of sin is making them sick).
ely on the creativity of your members. We would never think that Preachers nd Elders are the only ones with the ability or talent to evangelize. Yet, if we are not careful, we might act like that is the case. I love the example of Dorcas in Acts 9:36-39. Here is a woman who decided she was going to make Tunics and Garments for the widows. The weeping widows by her death bed indicate just how important her ministry was. A ministry that the Apostles probably would not have come up with on their own. The elders here have empowered our members with a voice for Church Growth. Several times a year, in lieu of the traditional Wednesday night Bible Class, we have what we call Focus Group Night. During those meetings, members are allowed to choose which type of group they want to go to. One of the groups is called the Outreach Group. Brainstorming and planning come out of this meeting. Some of the ideas our members have come up with is reading to underprivilege kids at a local elementary school; feeding the local fire stations on September 11th; Sending care packages to inmates (which has helped our ARC program), etc.
Beware of having a monastery mentality. Here are two truths: The world is full of sin; and the church is a refuge for the Christian. Yet, if we are not careful, we may decide to never be in the world. We see in Acts 5:13 that “the people held them (the church) in high esteem.” How will the church meet souls that need saving by Jesus if we are not meeting new souls? Many of Westhill’s current prospects are coming from Friendships with people through school, sports, workout groups, etc. It takes time to foster those friendships. Show them that you care about them, and Lord willing, one day you will have the opportunity to show them that Jesus cares for them too.
The sad truth is that many congregations are not growing, many smaller congregations have closed their doors and a number of larger congregations have struggled in recent years. Facing these challenges is more than important, it is essential.
I have discovered that there are three factors necessary to changing the trends and going from a stagnant congregation to a growing congregation.
1. Pay attention to your situation.
One thing that I learned from teaching church growth across the United States is that we are not always aware of what is happening in our own congregations. I would ask the elders whether they were growing steadily, holding their own or losing ground. Most would say they were holding their own, but an investigation would show that they had lost members and were actually shrinking. I would ask them to keep the statistics on the number of active attenders. Then add the numbers of those who are baptized or begin attending your congregation through the year. Then take away those who have died, moved away or left your congregation. I think this is a biblical process. Luke took notice of such things. He recorded the growth of the Lord’s Church in Acts 2:47, 4:4, 5:12, 6:7, etc.
Some can celebrate their growth! Sadly, most congregations are finding that they have less active members than in previous years. Unless something changes, the congregation will diminish. Once we know and face the problem, we can with God’s help, become a growing congregation.
2. Go outside into your community.
We have become a fellowship of those who do little outside of our church buildings. If we are to grow, we must go outside and serve among our community. A beloved teacher of mine, Norman Gipson, used to tell preaching students, “You can’t catch fish in a baptistery, sink or toilet bowl. You are going to have to go outside to be a fisher of men.” We are commissioned to “Go!” (Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16). We were not commissioned to “Stay” or “Wait.”
We have grown too comfortable in offices, classrooms, auditoriums and fellowship areas. We will need to go out, as individual Christians and as congregations and serve in our communities. As it get harder to find those who will visit our assemblies, this becomes even more important.
3. Understand our key demographic.
There are many things that denominations and community churches do to attract people to their buildings. Many of those things are not practical or permissible for churches of Christ. We will have to realize the key characteristic of those we can easily attract to our services. We must focus on those who value God’s Word and want to know what the Bible says to them. We need to find the Berean’s in our community (Acts 17:10-11)! There are always those yearning to know what God has said to us all! We must find them!
