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 Why Churches Don't GrowFive barriers to church growth. Also of Interest
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Healthy people grow. Healthy animals grow. Healthy trees grow. Healthy plants grow. Healthy churches grow. Growth is a characteristic that God supernaturally breathed into all living things. And the body of Christ—the local church—is a living thing. So, when a church is not growing, it is helpful to ask: "Why not?" Here are five "growth-restricting obstacles." If we understand the reason for non-growth, it is easier to accurately diagnose and prescribe the cure. Growth-restricting obstacle #1: The Pastor. There are three different causes for the pastor's inhibiting the growth of a church:
Growth-restricting obstacle #2: The church members. There are often competent and skilled clergy in non-growing churches, because the problem is in the pews. Church members can keep a church from growing when: Members have no priority for reaching the lost. "Sure, our church should reach people," some say. "But me? I've got three kids, a job, membership at the health club, and a lawn to mow. Someone else with more time should feel compelled." Members have a self-serving attitude about church. When members believe the priority of the pastor and the church should be to "feed the sheep," the message that newcomers hear is: "We like our church just the way it is…which is without you!" Members fear that new people will destroy their fellowship. When "community" is the number one priority in a church, members will act in a way that communicates to newcomers: "We're just fine with the people we have, thank you." Growth-restricting obstacle #3: Perceived irrelevance. Growing churches start with the issues and concerns of the people in their community, and then relate the gospel to those points of need. Stagnant churches are seen by the unchurched as having an irrelevant message to their life. Growth-restricting obstacle #4: Using the wrong methods. Any farmer knows you can't harvest ripe wheat with a corn-picker. Using inappropriate methods can be worse than no methods, since they create resistance to the gospel. A bullhorn on a street corner, tracts in an urban neighborhood, youth outreach in a senior adult community…none of these methods are wrong. But they are inappropriate for the harvest field. Growth-restricting obstacle #5: No plan for assimilation. Over 80 percent of those who drop out of church do so in the first year of their membership. A new member does not automatically become an active member without an intentional plan by the church on how to assimilate them into a caring, loving, Christian community. There are many reasons why churches don't grow. But there are no good reasons. Healthy churches grow. God wants your church to grow. He created it to grow. Sometimes it's just a matter of finding out why it's not growing, and removing those obstacles. What about your church?
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ekene %%var.lastname%%
this is a good one, because our churche has been having problm of growth, i belive with this i have leant and the grace to impliment it in Jesus
Moronta %%var.lastname%%
Well. I am a pastor of a small church. We had up to 45 members at a time. We been in ministry for 5 years. We have evangelized and have gained souls for the Lord and members through that. My experience with those members that are evangelize is that they come for a couple of months and wither away. And we call them and fellowship with them, when the were at church. And the last thing we speak to them about when we notice them not wanting to come back, is talk to them that they should not stop coming to church. What has really has made our members go away is gossip, divisions, rebellion, disobedience, weeds. Those people that when the trials and the afflictions come are drawn away or when the desires of this world draw them from the Lord. I've had a former Christian tell me that they just love to dance and party more then they love to do the will of God. Our church has sound doctrine, and we disciple all our members, we reproof them with the Word. But people don't like the TRUTH.
Karen B
I'm attending services at a little church close to my house. This church, as sweet as the members are, does not grow. I've indicated a desire to join the church, and yet, at the end of every service there is no altar call. I find this perplexing. I also don't understand the lack of planning for additional growth. Certainly the church isn't there to serve every whim, but it does seem to me that there should be a certain degree of planning for growth. The church has a webpage they don't maintain. They have a website they've allowed to lapse. There isn't any visitation. I think I need to bring these things up to see if our leadership will move toward, at least, do a little electronic outreach. I'm not a member, but I really need to know the church is willing to evangelize and reach others in the community before I give them my "John Henry." It is very frustrating to have to sit on the sidelines and want to invest my energies without any place to put them.
Rayan Hines
This is very good, because it open my eyes to new things and more excellent way of how t grow a Church. God bless y keep up the good work! Yours, Rayan
The Truth
Always - the church does not growth because there is some "bad apples", usually those are in the positions and have titles - translated that as Church Politics. The "bad apples" does 4 things: 1) They started with a rotten core inside. They put up their spirituality front - even using all the right words in public prayer. 2) They are self-serving to raise their self-esteem by controlling or contemptuous others for being less spiritual than they are. 3) The "bad apples" can show more charisma than the pastor; therefore, more people follow the "bad apples". They knock down the vision of the pastor by suppressing him/her vision and corner the pastor when the pastor shows the pastoral authority. 4) The "bad apples" wait for every opportunity to attack those who challenge or disagree with them. Jesus said: A house divided cannot stand on its own. The "bad apples" are there to stay until they are rotten from inside out to show their true shelves. People just IN, then Out.
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