Climate For Church Growth

This being the first issue of "Tom's Pen" in the New Year, I thought it might be good to address something that is of importance, whether it be January or July. For the most part dedicated Christians know that they were saved to faithfully serve in the kingdom and to ultimately do what we can to increase the boarders of the kingdom of Christ. Evangelism is a part of the marching orders given to that first century church, and those orders have not changed in more than 2,000 years. Some years ago I came across an interesting article that appeared in Leadership magazine. I don't even know if the magazine is still in circulation. The primary focus of the magazine from the editorial standpoint was precisely what the title of the magazine suggested: Leadership-in evangelism, growth, service, etc. Though it has been at least two decades since I read that article there must have been something in it that caused me to enter a portion of its contents into my personal notes and file away for safe keeping. The author of this particular article was Donald Gerig; I do not recall if he was a member of the Lord's church, or some denominational church. But what he had to say was right on target with regard to principles involved in successful, growing churches, and particularly the climate that is conducive to such growth. I have taken the liberty to borrow some of his points, add a couple of my own, and provide you with some things to think about. Here are some things that contribute to a climate conducive to growth. First, a positive atmosphere must be maintained. The thoughts of the members must dwell on what God can do rather than on what humans can't do. Members must look for ways to build each other up and encourage others. (Phil. 4:8; I Thess. 5:1). Even the most casual reading of the New Testament will reveal to the honest reader that all of us need encouragement. It just so happens that the Lord's church is the greatest support group in the world for this precise purpose. An encouraging word can bring victory out of the jaws of defeat. Legion are those who, exhausted and defeated, have rebounded to great heights because of one little word of encouragement. Someone once said, "We live by encouragement, and we die without it - slowly, sadly, and angrily." A simple word of encouragement may very well make the difference between defeat and victory, between failure and success. Second, an atmosphere of trust must prevail. Trust is something that must be earned by the person who wants to be trusted. Trust is earned when one consistently takes right and proper actions in the everyday activities of life. Each of us needs to work to earn the trust of others. But we also need to demonstrate a willingness to trust rather than having propensity toward distrust or a fault-finding spirit. (1 John 3:11; 1 Cor.13:7). During the Civil War, a medic drove his wagon onto the battlefield in search of wounded. He came across one man who called out that his leg had been wounded, so the medic lifted the man into the back of the wagon and headed toward the field hospital. As the battle raged around him, the driver drove furiously, oblivious to the sounds around him. He never heard the shell that burst behind him; the wounded man in the back of the wagon was instantly be-headed in the explosion. A few minutes later, a captain rode up to stop the wagon and ask its purpose. The driver explained that he was carrying a wounded man to the hospital. Looking at the body, the captain said, "Medic, that man doesn't need to go to the hospital. He needs to go to the morgue." The driver, for the first time, looked back and was shocked to see the headless passenger. Then, shaking his head, the driver said, "You know, you just can't trust some people. He told me it was his leg!" Third, a striving for excellence must be evident. Mediocrity doesn't attract people; it repels them. It is our duty, as Christians, to do whatever we can do to the best of our ability. Excellence is achieved when each of us, individually and collectively, do the best we can with the resources available. Excellence should be apparent in all areas such as the bulletin, building, grounds, Bible school material, singing, preparation for class, etc. People often try to justify mediocrity rather than striving for excellence. (Matt. 5:48). They may call it being "average," but it seems to me that God's word teaches us that we should strive to be above average. Someone once wrote a "tongue in cheek" article about John Averageman, and concluded with a description of the biography of this imaginary man at his imaginary funeral: "John never gook a chance. He managed to develop practically none of his talents or abilities. He never became involved in anything or with anyone. His favorite book was Non Involvement: The Story of Playing It Safe. Achievements included: Lived 65 years without determination, goals, desires, or confidence. His remains will rest undisturbed by visits by friends in the ordinary man's cemetery." Fourth, the congregation must be orientated toward outreach. The main focus cannot be on the needs of the members. The needs of the members are met as the members grow and as they serve others. (Matt. 28:19,20; 6:38-48). The work of the church is to save the lost. If we lose sight of that noble goal, the church will be drained of its very purpose upon this earth. The Great Commission as set forth in Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15 is not, as someone once said, "the great permission." We have been a commission to "reach out," and thus fine tune our "out reach" to those who are lost and dying in sin. Fifth, an attitude of flexibility must exist; flexibility in methods and programs, not doctrine. People must be willing to adapt and change programs and methods to strengthen weakness. We must be willing to learn from mistakes and provide an environment where the fear of failure does not kill all new ideas. Methods and programs must be adapted to accomplish the eternal purpose of the church. (I Thess. 5:21). Finally, a serving spirit must pervade all activities. Each member must make a conscious effort to serve rather than to be served. Rather than ask "What can I get out of this?" the question should be, "What can I do to help?" (Rom. 12:1-8). In his book, Showtime, brother Dan Chambers address the self-centered attitude that is so prevalent in churches today: "Modern worshippers have placed themselves at the center of worship [as is] reflected in the common refrain that they will attend public worship if churches will simply design their services to give them something they want." What a contrast to the self-LESS attitude that we are admonished to demonstrate toward one another and toward our God. We may sometimes get discouraged over the lack of growth at our local congregation, but God does not measure the growth of the church by its increase in numbers in any one isolated congregation. We know that preaching will sometimes be "out of season," and growth slow, or not at all. But in other parts of the world the preaching may be "in season," and the little part we do to scatter the precious seed beyond our local area still contributes to church growth. Never forget that while some may plant, and other water the seed, it is God Who gives the increase.    by Tom Wacaster