If your church has had no growth in the last five or ten years, or perhaps is even shrinking in size, would you like to see growth begin to take place? If so, you need to know that growth doesn’t automatically happen. It will not happen if your church is totally satisfied as it is. Growth happens only when the church as a whole wants it to happen and becomes actively involved in doing those things that make growth possible.
People choose the church they attend for many reasons: the capability and commitment of its church staff, the programs and ministries it offers, its friendliness, proximity to where they live, etc. Several different studies have shown that a majority of people initially chose the church they currently attend because they were invited by a neighbor or friend. If you want your church to grow you should begin by asking the following questions:
How much emphasis does it give to the Bible? In other words, does the pastor base his sermons on the Bible? Does he preach with both boldness and compassion? Is the Sunday school material adequately based on the Bible? A church that does not base everything it does on the truth found in God’s Word will not meet the spiritual needs of people. People in the twenty-first century are no less spiritually hungry than those in prior generations and centuries.
Is it concerned that people find salvation in Jesus Christ? Does it give an opportunity at the close of each worship service for persons to choose Christ as their Savior and Lord? If not, in what other way does it give those who are not Christians the opportunity to make a public profession of faith to become a disciple of Jesus Christ? A growing church will always have a visitation program that seeks to visit the people in its community who do not attend church – especially those who have visited its worship services.
Does it support missions? A church that is not concerned with sending out missionaries and in supporting missionary causes is itself a mission field. Your church will not grow, and cannot grow, if all of its members gather for worship on Sunday, then drive home past the homes of neighbors to whom they have never witnessed or invited to attend your church. It would be little more than a private religious club. Unfortunately, this description fits many churches.
Does it minister to every age group? People attend church where the spiritual needs of every member of the family are met. For example, young families with children will obviously attend the church that seeks to meet their children’s spiritual needs. If your church feels this is unimportant, it is only so many years away from extinction.
Do its members love one another? This is not true of many churches today. Divisions, cliques, personality conflicts, gossip, negativity, criticism, and other similar problems can transform any church into a battleground. To the degree that this is true of your church it will not grow, and cannot grow. How many times have you heard someone say, “I attended a certain church and nobody said a word to me?” Love for one another is how the world recognizes who we are. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
If you will ask these questions concerning your church and can give it a positive grade, it will grow both spiritually and numerically. If, on the other hand, your church gets a failing grade, it needs to seriously reevaluate its priorities. You can become an instrument of positive change by doing these things: (1) Evaluate your own relationship with God and rededicate yourself to the goal of being a better church member; (2) Pray for your church and its ministry daily; (3) Ask God to help you share your faith with specific friends and neighbors who do not know the Lord.
When you have done these things, and get others in your church to do the same, watch what happens next!
The Paper Pulpit 
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