Miracles, bibles and methods can’t fix our problems.
It’s not the lack of miracles. I’ve seen miracles, I’ve experienced miracles, but the miraculous does not mean salvation. Jesus healed seven lepers, but only one came back to Him. Jesus warned two towns that witnessed a bunch of miracles that their lack of unbelief would be their undoing.
Bible knowledge is not the answer. The western world has more bibles available to more people in more languages written in more styles on more mediums than ever before
Refining the same method – a slow suicide. Better music? More church amenities? An even shorter message with an even greater “punch?” We’ve relied on these tactics for the past 40 years and… it isn’t working! Listen, I’m not anti-mega-churches. Churches should come in all shapes and sizes. But measuring church success solely through numbers has been proven to be very unhealthy, over and over again. Not to mention it’s putting unfair egotistical pressure on pastors with big congregations and unfair insecurities on those with smaller congregations.
“You will know a tree by its fruit”
So then what? What is keeping our churches from growing?
It’s very simple, but I don’t think the answer is what you expect….the answer is simple it’s… YOU!
That’s right, this entire time you have been looking up at the leadership, your parents, other church members, but it has always been you and it has always been me.
You are responsible for the growth or lack of growth in your church, right here, right now.
Not convinced? Let me prove it to you.
First, perception is that the church which does not grow is only seen and understood by those closest to it or in it. Since the “church” is essentially people, when you don’t see growth in those people, that is an indicator that you are not helping those people closest to you.
“Wait wait wait, Ryan, wait a minute…growth happens by an increase of Sunday attendance, more life groups, more baptisms, etc, it’s an official thing!” Oh really? Well, I’ve definitely been wrong before, so instead of arguing my opinion, let’s see what the bible has to say.
Day of Pentecost – “ “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41 NIV
No welcome meetings, new member meetings or new believers classes. All of the 70 in the upper room got knocked for a loop by the Holy Spirit, spread out around the city and then took responsibility for the folks nearest them and then started preaching and baptizing them. They didn’t wait to be given permission to share the love of Jesus, Jesus already gave His permission before His ascension.
Interested in more? Stay tuned for “What’s Keeping Churches from Growing – PART 2″.
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