ARE CHURCHES SUPPOSED TO GROW?

Are churches supposed to grow? Should it be the goal of a church to grow numerically? There are countless books that have been published about church growth. They have all kinds of plans, ideas, and strategies for “getting your church to grow.” But no one seems to ask the basic question about whether or not a church should try to grow. Does God want churches to grow? I think the answer has to be yes, without a doubt! But are God’s reasons for wanting a church to grow the same as a church’s reasons?

Why do many churches want to grow? Is it just so there will be more people in their chairs on Sunday morning? Is it so there will be more money coming in to pay for all the programs and buildings? Is the pride of the pastor or the leadership the driving force behind wanting to see growth? Do people believe the success of a ministry is measured by numbers? None of these is a good reason for trying to grow a church

I believe God wants churches to grow and I think he has given us a clear direction and strategy for growing our church. First, the motive: We want to grow our church for the glory of God! How is God glorified through the growth of a church? He is glorified because more and more people are coming into relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ. Second, the means: Churches grow when they are faithfully bearing witness to the work of Jesus and when they are seeking to continue his work as the body of Christ. Do you want to see your church grow? Then we need to focus our attention on being good witnesses and being the body of Christ.