Church Growth
Church growth isn’t what you think it is. It isn’t about numbers of people in the pews. It isn’t about collections. It isn’t even about how large a temple the Church needs on a Sunday morning. Although these are all indicators of church growth. Actual growth is different.
With so much attention given to the so-called ‘convert surge’ in the Church, today’s message from Saint Paul hits home. There is a greater purpose to increasing the number of people in Church than just growth. The purpose is grace and communion with God.
Brethren, since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2nd Corinthians 4.13-18
“As grace extends to more and more….it may increase thanksgiving.” Are we thankful to God for His grace, or do we complain that the Christian life is too hard? Are we thankful to God that He has allowed us to be in His Church, or do we exert our ‘rights’ to join?
The smallest temple in a distant village, filled with faithful Christians living in total communion with God, has more growth than any megachurch in the city. Our problem with church growth isn’t the numbers. Our problem is the goal. Church growth must be about communion.
Ok. I know parishes have budgets that need to be funded. Stewardship can take care of that. Anyone who is living in total communion with God has no hesitancy to giving in abundance to the work of the Church. If you want church growth, then stop worrying about money.
Some of the largest parishes in America struggle the most with finances, so growth can’t be about how many members are on the list. Church growth isn’t about cost leveraging so the bills are paid. That’s how corporate America measures growth. The Church is different.
What is growth? Saint Paul says, “Our inner nature is being renewed every day.” Church growth is an ‘every day’ reality. Is every person in the Church being renewed today? Are we all growing closer to God? Are our eyes on heaven or our bank account? The answer matters.
There have been surges in Church membership before. The Book of Acts references thousands joining the Church in single moments. Those were the same members who later required stern letters of correction from Saint Paul. Surges come and go. Communion is forever.
Let’s stop focusing on the surge and begin focusing on renewing our inner nature today. Our inner nature can only be renewed by God’s grace and our thankful participation. Forget about your ‘rights’ to membership. Be thankful you haven’t been pruned by God yet.
The thing about growth that makes the difference is accepting that there is growth required in the first place. We cannot be renewed if we think we have already arrived at our goal. Don’t be lulled to sleep. God is coming and we must be ready for Him.
Surge or not, filled pews or not, budget surpluses or not, God is coming to claim His Church. The only real growth He will be looking for is our hearts being in communion with Him. Anything else is just another corporation. Corporations go out of business. The Church is forever.
In the spirit of tomorrow’s Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, spend today renewing your inner nature for God’s grace. If that means changing something, then go ahead and change. If that means thanking God, then go ahead and thank Him.
We are either growing or dying. There is no staying the same. I pray we don’t wake up tomorrow the same. That would be death. God doesn’t want death. God wants growth.
