TEN CONDITIONS FOR CHURCH GROWTH

Gordon McDonald The church is facing whether it has the faith and energy to break through a natural growth ceiling. Many churches fail to take the steps needed, and they flatten out at that plateau. Later they may move into a state of slow decline both in numbers and vitality. The plateau is when a congregation reaches a regular attendance of 1 ! in its ma"or services. # second plateau is attained at $ !% !!. &till a third appears somewhere in the range of ' ! ( 1,!!!. )aving broken through a plateau or ceiling, a church usually begins a steady trend toward the ne*t ceiling. There the same kind of trauma sets in again until people feel certain of themselves and God+s leading. , am convinced that a large ma"ority of the following conditions must be in force within a congregation, or whatever growth there is will be forced and probably temporary. To be sure, a church can grow on the singular strength of a charismatic personality or a local situation in which there is an influ* into the community or a kind of momentary programming fad. -ut is this the kind of growth we wish. /ertainly not0 1e seek honest, long%range growth in which disciples are being shaped in the image of 2esus /hrist. Condition 1: _____________________ # growing congregation has somehow made a decision that it will pro"ect a ministry to its people built not on the present but the future. This means that it builds structures, hires pastoral staff, and sets in motion programs ba ed on anticipated !ro"th, not actual growth. The same, obviously, could be said about buildings and programs. -uilding for growth in terms of staff, space, and strategy is an act of faith. -ut as in miracle of the fishes, 2esus fills only those nets that are out of the boat and in the water. # church wishing to grow builds space, staff, and strategy today for tomorrow+s needs. Condition #: 3333333333333333333333 1hen a "et plane crashes through the sound barrier, it sets up an aerodynamic tension. 4ngineers tell me they must design an airplane for this possibility. Many churches are based on a constitutional and programmatic structure put together when they were one%fifth their present si5e. They wonder why growth is not taking place, and the answer may lie in that yesterday+s configuration makes them incapable of crashing the growth barriers. # larger church re6uires centrali5ed policy making but decentrali5ed policy implementation. 2ohn Gardner, in an article on organi5ational renewal, said that a growing organization reviews its constitutional and strategic structure annually with an eye to changing virtually anything that limits growth and efficiency. Today a church should be willing to change anything except its doctrinal distinctive . ,t should be prepared to conclude any program the minute it does not reach its expected potential. #nd it should be prepared to put into action anything wise leaders feel can work to achieve biblical objectives for the health of the believers.

Conditional $: 333333333333333333333333 The instant a church pushes through a ceiling of 1 !, it consists of at least two or more subcongregations. These are groups with an affinity7geographical location, similar tasks within the church structure or shared similarities of age, education, or professional interests. The choir of a church can be a subcongregations. &unday school teachers, youth staff workers, and the evangelistic calling team are subcongregations. &o are the young married group and the senior adult class. The point is this8 the larger a church becomes, the more subcongregations will appear. They are the basis of fellowship for each believer. 1hen someone says, 9The church is getting so large , don+t know everyone,: the answer is simple8 9;o one has to know everyone< "ust make sure you are a member of a subcongregation. ;o one can relate to more than forty or fifty people anyway, and the subcongregational structure allows for relationships within a large church.: The 2erusalem church was obviously a large church, and its subcongregations met 9from house to house.: Condition %: 33333333333333333333333333 Growing churches must give serious attention to the multiple%staff concept. Many churches wait far too long to implement this. =nly after the pastor has begged and ca"oled, only after he has worked himself into e*haustion is the congregation willing to respond. # good formula for multiple staffing is this8 ,n addition to senior pastor of some kind must be appointed for every >!! regularly attending persons. &taff pastors offer a church speciali5ed styles of ministry8 youth, children, music, administration. ?sually a church responds to the most critical need on the surface. @outh is one e*ample. The greater hidden need in many churches may be in the area of administrative coordination. A sensitive and prayerful leadership willin conjuction with the pastordetermine the need for staff well ahead of the panic moment. Condition &: 3333333333333333333333333333 #s a church grows larger, it needs to make sure that participants in ma"or services sing, read, and lead at the highest possible caliber. #llowing un6ualified people to carry out leadership functions simply because 9everyone ought to have a chance: cannot work in a large church. ,f reasonable e*cellence cannot be achieved, the person in 6uestion should be e*posed to other opportunities in which his or her gifts can be better used and appreciated. The 6uestion of e*cellence is fre6uently confused with )ollywoodism. , am aware that , shall never convince all the skeptics on this one, but the fact is that a growing church has newcomers each week who are making long%range decisions on first impressions. They are confronted with e*cellence every day of the week in entertainment, business, and community. The work of God cannot be represented by anything less than the standard to which the culture is accustomed. &habbiness in preaching, music, administration, and programming will 6uench a growing church+s momentum every 6uickly.

>

Condition ': 333333333333333333333333333 Long%term real church growth rests heavily on a systematic ministry of preaching that feeds people. -asically, it is a ministry that comes from one preacher. =ver a long period of lAtime, it cannot be shared by a team of preachers Balthough they are few unusual e*periments across the country that speaks to the contraryC. , am convinced that most #merican churches demand a one%man pulpit ministry that systematically teaches the 1ord of God. /hurches can grow for a period on the basis of attractive programs< they can momentarily benefit from the work of specialists being flown in for special functions. -ut long%term growth depends upon whether or not the senior minister can preach well enough to feed the inner spirits of worshipers. The preaching must be biblical in base, applicable to life, and confrontational in terms of re6uiring a constant series of decisions about personal living standards and relationships. Deople need to know how they should live and how they should cope with the pressures crushing down upon them each week. 1hen there is a pulpit giving honest answers to real%life 6uestions based on e*position from God+s 1ord, there will be growth. Condition (: 333333333333333333333333 Growth in numbers must be accompanies with total commitment to church education. This is not "ust &unday school, although it begins there. #nd it is not education targeted only at children, although it includes term. ,t is education aimed at every human being in the church, beginning with four%week%old infants, who are brought to a warmly lit and comfortable nursery to gain their first impressions of church, to the most aged member sitting in a class on -ible e*position. Eull%spectrum education includes classes and learning e*periences for new /hristians as well as mature /hristians. ,t provides a curriculum in which all parts of the -ible and /hristian doctrine are e*amined. #nd it offers practical courses on ethics and ideas, where /hristianity challenges the modern world view. Eull%spectrum education implies not only a massive effort toward good teaching, but it demands that no reasonable costs be avoided to provide the most comfortable and effective learning facilities. Long%term real growth cannot happen without everyone involved in /hristian education. Condition ): 33333333333333333333333333 1hen , speak of a disciplined membership, , am talking about at least two things8 membership that is not cheap, and membership that compels involvement. # growing church sets high standards for anyone wishes to identify with the church family. ,t makes every wise effort to ascertain a person+s personal relationship to God and God+s people. ,t tests integrity through interviews, classes, and confrontations with the needs of the church. &hort%term artificial growth can be achieved by making membership a simple matter, but long%term growth cannot happen unless the 6uality of members is ensured.

#n involved membership is also part of discipline. Members should be e*pected to contribute at least four things8 ( ! their loyalty to the major services of the church" (#! their willingness to use their spiritual gifts when called upon" ($! their financial gifts on a proportional basis to %od&s blessing in their lives" and ('! their positive and encouraging support of church leaders. %rowth cannot happen without this. Condition *: 3333333333333333333333333333 (o church that is relationally cold will grow for very long. This condition begins with the pastor" who must show a sincere and honest love for people. ,f he is genuine in his love and capable of e*pressing it, the effect will be contagious. ,n a world that tends to e*ploit and dominate, people crave to be loved. 1hen they find it in a church fellowship, they wish to be part of it. 1armth can be easily engendered in a large congregation as well as in a small one. -ut it begins with the leadership. The relational emphasis must pervade the church program, emphasi5ing the family structure and meaningful friendships that support people in times of need. %rowing churches must find ways to break people down into small caring groups7perhaps different from subcongregations % where immediate attention can be given when a person faces a need caused by sickness, death, or professional difficulty. )ith such a relational emphasis" no one will ever feel lost" unneeded" unloved. %rowth demands it. Condition 1+: ,old De-i ion /hurch growth is ultimately accomplished in a climate of faith. ;o church has ever been blessed by God+s &pirit if it restricted its decision making to the obvious and 9safe:. *aith demands the willingness to take large risks" which aren&t really risks at all . #s the disciples put nets into a sea seemingly bereft of fish, so the church is called upon by %od to make bold moves to which %od can respond with power and approval. -old decisions are not stupid ones. They are not the result of one person who wishes to build an organi5ational momentum to himself. Gather, they are the believing decisions made by a prayerful leadership of men and women of faith who are trusting God for great things. +old decisions are made by people who are not totally sure of the results" but they know their church belongs to the ,ord" and where he leads it will be his concern. They step forth in faith, and God responds. )here these conditions prevail" the plateaus of growth are easily passed . The church grows more significant to all of us as society becomes more anti%/hrist. 1e cannot wait another moment< we must bring these conditions to pass than more might hear, that more might be won to 2esus /hrist, and that churches everywhere might grow. .ntidote for En/0 If I think about your success,plan for your success,pray for you success,genuinely hope for your success, and work for your success,then I will rejoice in your success. - 7Gil Beers