Are you gearing up for growth? Brothers and sisters, we are heading into the fall of the year, which is a prime time for church growth. I’m so excited to see what God is going to do!
Perhaps you’ve not thought about it in this way, but there are at least five different types of church growth. One type is “biological growth,” which I like to call “baby growth.” It’s when the physical church family grows through the birth of children or adoption. Now don’t think that I’m going all Presbyterian on you here. While these children are not part of the Kingdom of God or the New Covenant until they come to Jesus, they are nevertheless an important part of the local church family. I can’t wait to meet the new bundles of joy that God is bringing to our churches through Christian moms and dads and look forward to leading them to Jesus!
Sadly, Christians are less and less focusing on this type of growth while false religions major in this area. Christians having or adopting babies certainly doesn’t guarantee Kingdom growth, but it certainly does guarantee Kingdom influence. This type is one that we Christians need to revisit and think serious on.
A second type is “transfer growth.” This type of growth happens when Christians who are already connected to a church move to a new one. Transfer growth is like the red-headed step-child of church growth because it has such a negative connotation. Of course, we should not be out to steal sheep from other churches, but God has a tendency to move His people to local churches that are healthy and faithful in gospel ministry and discipleship and away from churches that aren’t. Therefore, we should rejoice when God sends Christians our way so that His sheep will be fed and put into position to make a greater impact on our community and world. And, when we have folks transferring out, we should take a long, hard look to see if we’re doing something wrong.
A third type of growth is what I call “reconnection growth.” There are many Christians around our cities who are truly followers of Christ but are just not connected to any church. Perhaps they’re new to the area. Most folks with children move into a new area during the summer before school starts and begin looking for a church in the fall. On the other hand, perhaps they are like the prodigal son who went wayward for a season of his life, and they are now returning to the faith they had once professed. These folks will be looking for a church home too. Of course, there are other scenarios as well, but whatever the case may be, some of our neighbors are looking to reconnect to the local church, and I unapologetically pray they find their way to our churches.
“Conversion growth,” which I like to call “Kingdom Growth,” is the fourth type. Friends, I like church growth of all kinds, but ultimately this kind should be our driving force. This type of growth happens when people are saved by repenting of sin and believing on Jesus Christ. We want to see more souls saved for Jesus through our church ministry! Therefore, we must be intentional and strategic and faithful and at the same time organic in our gospel ministry.
Finally is “internal growth.” This type of growth is not numerically measured because it happens as Christians become more like Jesus. As people get the teaching of Scripture poured into them and as they go live it out through serving others, their spiritual roots grow deeper in the faith and their branches of fruit grow higher toward heaven. It’s always a blessing to see this type of growth, and I pray that our churches see bushels of this sort.
So again, are you gearing up for growth this fall? I pray so. Pastors and key leaders should be planning many opportunities for their people to not only you grow spiritually, but also for their churches to grow numerically. However, every single one of us needs to see the role that we play in that growth. Growth takes work. Are you ready to put forth the effort it takes grow? I pray we are, as we look to the Lord of the Harvest to bring the growth.
~Ben Simpson : @JBenSimpson : JBenSimpson.com : Eastwood Baptist Church
Great article! very motivating!!
Good article
God has a tendency to move His people to local churches that are healthy and faithful in gospel ministry and discipleship and away from churches that aren’t.
This is a great way of putting a thought I’ve been mulling over in my head for a while. People are quick to disparage transfers, but some churches are healthier than others, and I hope people join a church where they can be properly discipled and grown in the Lord.
Amen.
Good thing to pay attention to! Thanks Ben
I appreciate Ben’s thoughs here but would caution my erudite friends Ben and Luke to be a bit wary of concluding that transfers are from unhealthy to healthy churches and are to be welcomed on that basis. That runs counter to my experience over the decades and sounds more like a rationalization by the receiving church than a conclusion based on evidence. When a new member says “We just weren’t getting fed at our old church” it is a heady thing for the new pastor to hear. Chances are, it had nothing to do with being fed or not fed.… Read more »
William T.
My experience tells me that yours is very astute observation. I have received some transfers that were real blessings. However, i have receive some that i would like to have been able to send back. As a young inexperienced pastor i received several folks from a church that was splitting by the day. I lived to regret that “growth”. From that I learned that it is wise and good to look a gift horse in the mouth. I became much more “investigative” when people letter in after that experience.
DL, I’m curious what your investigations consisted of and what you did if you didn’t like what you found. Please share with us because I believe it’ll be helpful. I have also found that some folks who were a “problem” in one church don’t necessarily become one in other churches. For whatever reason, they and the previous situation soured, and a fresh start often solves many of those problems. I’ve certainly had people who have soured so much on a church I was pastoring that I lovingly told them to find another church for their own sake, and they did… Read more »
Of course not all transfers are good. But not all are bad either. Many (most, maybe) transfers have little to do with preaching. Besides those actually moving to a new town, many transfers have to with politics and personalities. Ministering in a small town allows me to have a little more knowledge about people and churches than I would in a big town.
I don’t have a solution either. Other than better discipleship. That’s my one size fits all answer!
William,
I appreciate the caution that you’ve pointed to here concerning transfer growth. Surely, some of the transferring that happens is for poor reasons such as mere consumerism, but not all of it is.
I’ve had numerous folks over the years, as I bet you have as well, that got connected with my church through transfer growth and became great blessings to the church. I was saddened to hear that they left their church for whatever reason, but given the fact that they left, I sure have been glad that they came my way.
Ben
this is a conversation that must avoid extreme or dogmtic statements. People , as you point out transfer for various reasons…some good, some not so good. The wise pastor will consider each transfer objectively, honestly and prayerfully. One size does not fit all.