church growth

WHAT CAUSES A CHURCH TO GROW—GOD'S WAY

A. We are getting close to the new year, and this is when people start thinking

about goals and new year's resolutions.

1. One resolution that congregations often make is to have more growth

during the new year—both numerical and spiritual.

2. Statistics show that membership, not only in the Lord's church, but

generally across the board, is in decline in recent years.

a. Of course it is normal for there to be times of expansion and contrac-

tion.

b. Smaller congregations in our area have especially suffered, as people

pass on and wage earners are driven by the economy to places where

they can find better employment.

c. And, yet, that is not necessarily a sign that church growth has ceased.

(1) Just like in gardening when we have to prune back plants

does that mean that plant growth has ceased?

(a) The dead weight has been removed and the roots are being

strengthened for the next round of growth.

(b) The purpose of pruning, whether it be in our garden with

plants or Jesus illustrating how he prunes away those who do

not abide in Him and produce fruit for His cause—the pur-

pose is to reactivate and stimulate growth for more production

(Read JOHN 15:1-8)

(2) In China there grows the Moso Bamboo tree—the largest of the

variety of the bamboo trees on earth.

(a) When the seed is planted in the ground, it is carefully tended

and watered every day—365 days a year.

(b) The farmer patiently continues this routine: The first year

nothing seems to happen. The second year, nothing seems to

happen . The third year, nothing seems to happen. The

fourth year, nothing seems to happen.

(c) The fifth year on the 1825^th day from its planting, the ground

breaks open and the tree emerges out of the ground and grows

and grows and grows to 90 feet in 6 weeks—the equivalent of

a 9 story office building. It grows 3 feet every 24 hours. You

could almost sit beside it and watch it grow.

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(d) But, what was happening in those 5 long years?

(1) Underneath it was developing the required roots

(2) and the strength to support the height and width of its

explosive growth.

(e) The Moso Bamboo tree was actually growing all the time

from the time the seed was planted, although its growth was

not visible to the human eye, until it was ready to reach out.

c. We are encouraged by the fact that Jesus says “where two or three

are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of

them.” MATTHEW 18:20

And with Jesus in the midst, something is happening—growth

is taking place, although we may not see it on the surface.

d. I remember when Lydia and I went with a group to Wellington, New

Zealand back in 1973 to help establish a congregation there.

There was only one elderly Christian man who prepared and set up

communion every Sunday in his home, in case a visitor dropped in.

He had done that for years. Our group was able through Bible

studies in his area of the city to baptize 45 souls, and from that time

on to this day, a flourishing congregation has existed in that city of

over 200,000 souls.

(1) There's a saying, “God and one makes a majority”. I'd like to

clarify that and say “God and one righteous, faithful Christian

makes a majority”.

(2) Was not the church in Wellington growing even with that one lone

Christian faithfully coming before God at the Lord's table each

Sunday-in the faith that one day the Lord would bless Wellington

with a congregation of His people? Sure it was! The root was

growing stronger in preparation for further growth one day.

(3) That one-man church was a very strong church in faith and in

preparation for what occurred years later!

e. Lee Wright tells a similar story about the church in Crescent City,

California where the church declined to only one man left. He

faithfully kept the church alive for years, with the help of occasional

fishermen who came to visit when they were in the area from time to

time. When a prison was constructed there and more families moved

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into the area, the church began its numerical growth again.

f. We have a similar opportunity coming into our area this next year, as

the prison now under construction is to be completed in July and

employee families will be moving into the area communities and

will become neighbors and friends, among whom God may bless

us with souls interested in Bible study and salvation.

g. We at Lancaster, like many rural congregations in America, are small

numerically right now, but that does not mean that our activity or

influence has been small or weak.

(1) Over the years, the Lancaster congregation has established an

excellent reputation, both within the brotherhood and in the

area, for being a strong Bible-based congregation, standing

uncompromisingly for the truth and moral dignity.

(2) Several men who grew up in, or were a part of this congregation

went on to preach the gospel in other areas from Lancaster.

(3) Over the years, when other congregations needed substitute or

fill-in preachers, they often called upon the Lancaster congrega-

tion for assistance.

(4) For over 40 years, Lancaster has had a presence on the airwaves

from Albany to Cottage Grove through out radio program, first

on QWIL in Albany and later on KORE in Springfield-spreading

the gospel message to thousands of area residents. In fact, our

program is the second longest continuous program in KORE

history—second only to the Lutheran Hour, which is a national

program.

(5) Our building for years was the official voting polling place for

area residents. And, over the years we have helped with

weddings and funerals for people we had never met, because

they had heard that we were non-denominational.

(6) It was the Lancaster congregation that first suggested and hosted

the first area-wide fifth Sunday singings, which have offered

times of great fellowship and made it possible for congregations

to get acquainted with one another and share.

h. Also, with our 50^th anniversary coming up in August, on the day

when we host the fifth Sunday area singing, we have the

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opportunity to contact former member families, with whom we may

influence for Bible study and possibly win to Christ, or restore back

into fellowship those who grew weak in the past.

(1) We'll have evangelism training opportunities to prepare for these

events for any who want to avail themselves.

(2) I'll be more than happy to work one on one with anyone wanting

to learn how to use the Open Bible Study, or who wants to

become a WBS (World Bible School) teacher on the internet,

or who may want to work with correspondence courses, or

start a tract outreach, or learn how to refer your friends and

others to have someone contact them for a Bible study.

In fact I'm set up in the fellowship room for anyone who might

want to take an hour before or after services, or at another

appointed time, to plan together.

(3) We may not be seeing a large growth in numbers right now, but

that does not mean that the congregation has been dormant.

(a) Because of the activity of several in our Lancaster congrega-

tion, through World Bible School, other internet outreach and

our support of a dynamic work in Jamaica, the gospel is

being taught and obeyed on 5 continents—helping increase

growth of the Lord's church in Africa, Asia, Australia,

Europe and North America.

(b) By way of Skype on the internet, the Ladies Bible Class often

has participation from Kuwait, England, Canada the Ukraine

and various locations in the US from Pennsylvania to Oregon

(c) Through WBS, two professional athletes in Kenya were

taught by Aiden, they were baptized, and are leading others

to Christ. They have begun preaching the gospel, and

they are being trained by Ernest, Aiden, Lee Wright, myself

and others through Bible study, by email, phone, and

mailings. We have had other WBS students in Nigeria and

South Africa. Ernest has students, and WBS is always

looking for Christians who will grade lessons, since there are

far more eager students waiting for teachers, than there are

teachers.

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(d) We have had a hard-working team improving the building

and grounds.

(e) Over the last 50 years I have the names of 142 people who

were baptized at Lancaster from 1971 through today. I don't

know the names of those baptized over the previous 6 years

from 1965. Some years from 1971 there was only one or

two per year. In other years, there were many more. And,

according to our semi-rural area statistical demographic, our

number of baptisms per capita ranks well above the average

when compared to larger city congregations.

(f) Every household in Junction City, Harrisburg, Monroe

and the rural area has received gospel mailings from House

to House, Heart to Heart. A Baptist preacher in Junction City

said he used many of the articles for his class lessons.

(g) Lancaster has been blessed with generous givers that make

possible the spread of God's Word. This is especially great

when you consider that most of our wage-earners have left

the area, in this economy, for jobs in other areas.

(h) We have teachers and encouragers and exhorters. I

appreciate Larry Wren's entree-tees for us to look first into

our hearts for changes in our lives and attitudes. It reminds

me of the psalmist David who prayed: “Create in me a

clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast

me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit

from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and

uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach

transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto

thee.” (PSALM 51:10-13)

(i) Are not all these things we have mentioned root-strengthen-

ing for growth—both spiritually and numerically? Of course

they are.

(j) Is not the growth in the areas of the world where we have

been planting the seed of God's Word , also a part of our

congregational growth? Certainly it is.

(k) As we are scattering the seed of the Word in this area and

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abroad we must pray more fervently for the harvest and

prepare ourselves for the increase.

MATTHEW 9:37-38 “The harvest truly is plenteous, but

the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the

harvest, that he will send laborers into his harvest.”

i. God gives the increase when our faith becomes strong and our hearts

are renewed and changed. Paul said, in I CORINTHIANS 3:6

“ I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

j. So now let's go to God's Word and see what makes churches

grow—as God would have them grow.

B. In Acts 2 we read of the beginning of Christ's church on the first day of

Pentecost, Sunday, 50 days following His resurrection from the dead.

1. The Jews had come from all over the world for the celebrations of

Pentecost. Some historians estimate that as many as a million people

could have come to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

2. Even though many, if not most of the people, gathered there from all

over were religious people, religion in general didn't seem to do much

for them.

a. One reason for this, among other reasons, was that religion, in

general, and the religious leaders and their followers didn't stand for

very much.

b. There was ritualistic performance and religious profession, but little

spiritual depth. Their heart was not in it.

3. You see, the during this time the Roman Empire was in its “heyday”.

a. When Rome conquered a nation, they did not wipe out the existing

religions practiced in those countries.

b. Instead, Rome would simply tolerate them and absorb these religions

into their own culture, with the result that they became somewhat

complacent and compromised within the society.

C. But, the church of Christ was different. It did not compromise and it was

not complacent.

1. From the day of its establishment on Pentecost it began exploding

from Jerusalem across the Roman Empire, and shook the very

foundation of the empire from one end to the other.

a. We know that ACTS 2:41 says that 3000 obeyed the gospel on the

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Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the church.

b. By ACTS 4:4 the number of believing men was 5000 not counting

the women, who may have even outnumbered the men in being

baptized into Christ!

c. ACTS 6:7 says that the number of disciples continued to multiply

daily in Jerusalem.

d. And as the disciples were scattered abroad through persecution,

ACTS 16:5 says that the membership of the church “increased in

number daily”.

2. The church of Christ was such a militant, dynamic force of influence

that ACTS 17:6 says it was referred to as those who had “turned the

world upside down”.

a. ACTS 28:22 says Christians were “everywhere spoken against”.

b. However, In spite of opposition, by the turn of the first century, its

estimated that throughout the Roman Empire Christians numbered

around a million!

c. About 30 years after the day of Pentecost, COLOSSIANS 1:23 says

that the gospel had been preached to “every creature under heaven”

3. How did this happen? Why was the church of Christ such a powerful

and forceful influence? How did it grow so rapidly, dynamically and

wonderfully?

D. The answer to why the church of Christ of the first century grew so

impressively is found in simple, plain Bible teaching. And when it is

applied consistently today, we will also see impressive results.

1. To illustrate this as true to fact, I would like to go back nearly 50 years

ago to a wide-spread study that was featured in newspaper articles

across the nation.

I'll be quoting from an article as it appeared in the Memphis,

Tennessee Commercial-Appeal newspaper dated June 17, 1967.

“The fastest-growing major religious body in the United States is the churches of

Christ, an evangelical protestant communion which has its greatest strength in the

South and West.

Its membership has increased 135 percent—from one million to 2,350,000—since

l950.

During the same period, a UPI survey showed, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

Day Saints (Mormon Church) registered a membership gain of 61 percent, to make it

the second fastest-growing major body.

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Other fast growing denominations were the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, 60

percent; the American Lutheran church , 58 percent; and the Southern Baptist

Convention 58 percent.

The average growth rate for all Protestant bodies during the 15 year span was 31

percent.

The Roman Catholic Church showed a gain of 37 per cent.

Of the 14 Protestant denominations with memberships larger than one million,

only one showed a dedline during the period, That was the American Baptist

Convention which had two-tenths of one percent fewer members in 1965 than it had

in 1950.

Growth rates for other denominations were: Episcopal Church, 35 percent; United

Presbyterian Church, 31 percent; Lutheran Church in America, 29 percent; National

Baptist Convention, Inc., 24 percent; Methodist Church, 15 per cent; Disciples of

Christ. 9 per cent; United Church of Christ, 8 percent; and National Baptist

Convention of America, 1 percent.

If any pattern can be discerned in the statistics, it is that the highest growth rates

are found in the more conservative Protestant bodies, which place a great emphasis

on personal evangelism.” (emboldened emphasis mine--SS)

2. A similar report was cited by Time Magazine in 1975, when the

churches of Christ were still number one. But in the 1980's the

growth rate began to plateau out and began to trend down.

a. By 2006, churches of Christ were the 6^th fastest in in growth.

Today we are ranked number 13 in America.

b.The current fastest growing groups are the large mega community

churches with little doctrine and an emphasis on what's called the

social gospel. They attract the ignorant and folks more interested

in programs and entertaining, feel-good services than the Truth.

E. Looking back to these articles about church growth statistics, the question

arises--How did churches of Christ have such phenomenal growth--to

number one in the USA? And this brings up the second question, Why

aren't we still there now? As we answer these questions we will learn

some important insights of what makes the church grow—God's way.

1. First of all it's obvious that we did not grow because of highly

educated theologian-type preachers.

a. You may have noticed that the denominations that require seminary

training for their preachers were among those that had a low rate of

growth.

b. During the period of the survey, between 1950 and 1965 very few

gospel preachers in the church had theological degrees. Also...

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(1) Most Christians then were known as people of the Book, and

they had a great love for the church—to keep it pure, just as the

Lord said to do in Ephesians 5:27; and, free from the worldliness

that has now become commonly accepted in the church today--

and is one contributing reason for the church's decline today.

(2) Gospel preachers of that era preached the truth without apology

and were not afraid to declare the whole counsel of God.

(3) They exposed sin for what it is and sought to bring folks to

repentance. And...

(4) You will notice that it was the conservative churches that grew--

Why? Because honest souls are hungry for truth and righteous-

ness, and can easily spot the arrogance and phoniness of

liberal soft-soap preaching and the social gospel.

2. Secondly, you notice the church of Christ was not the fastest-growing

church in America because of expensive and ornate buildings.

a. Denominational buildings are often very expensive, expansive and

ornate and meant to attract. And those denominations that were in

decline in the survey were housed in these palaces of worship.

b. But, during the years of the survey, most churches of Christ had more

functional and modest places of worship.

(1) Christians then knew that truth, through simple gospel preaching

and teaching, attracts those who hunger and thirst after

righteousness and want to worship God in spirit and in truth,

more than ornate buildings will.

(2) And, the church grew to number one in America without style and

entertainment.

3. A third important observation is that the church of Christ did not soar

to number one in church growth because of seeking fellowship with

denominations or joining with the ecumenical movement.

a. The ecumenical movement seeks to bring denominations together.

(1) However they want to do it through union and compromise

instead of the unity Christ prayed for.

(2) And the participating denominations are still in membership

decline today.

b. One reason we are in decline today is because of the progressive

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movement in the church is seeking common ground and implementa-

tion of denominational ideas to promote themselves.

4. A fourth observation is that we did not grow to number one by

seeking to avoid prejudice, persecution and bad press.

a. The church has always been hated by the world and by denomina-

tionalism. In the first century it was “everywhere spoken against”.

b. Jesus said, “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he

that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (MATTHEW 10:22)

c. The early church grew like wildfire under the fire of hatred, opposi-

tion and persecution, and so will we—if we equip ourselves with the

armour of Ephesians 6 provided for us by the Holy Spirit.

d. The church of 50 years ago did not grow because of compromise

and the attitude of surrender—peace at any price.

e. James DeForest Murch, a church historian, in his book—Christians

Only (page 313)—tells why the Lord's church has grown, in these

words:

“Its people have stood like the Rock of Gibraltar for the faith that was once delivered

unto the saints, amid doubt super-induced by liberalism. They have challenged the

spirit of compromise and worldliness and dared to be a peculiar people teaching

and practicing what they believe is the Bible way of life.”

CONCLUSION:

A. The Lord's church has always had periods of growth and decline

throughout its history.

1. Thousands were added to the church shortly after it was established

and it grew rapidly because:

a. In great faith it trusted the one true God consistently and without

compromise.

b. Early Christians were totally committed to the Word and taught the

gospel with faithfulness and zeal.

c. The church defended the faith whenever the Word of God was

challenged without fear or favor.

d. Those early Christians lived the gospel with all their being—they

wanted people to see Jesus through their lives. So, they sought to be

personally faithful in their lives.

e. And, church members, being the body of Christ, were united in love

for one another (Acts 4:31-33) and for lost souls (Acts 8:1-4 5:42)

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with a positive, optimistic outlook.

(1) They recognized that their mission is to continue Christ's mission

on the earth.

(2) They did not see their Christianity as “Lord, what can you do for

me?” but “Lord, how can I serve you today?”

2. There are many books written on ideas for church growth.

a. Somewhere I have a publication entitled 104 ways to grow a church.

b. But, if we start with only two:

(1) Being united in our love for the Lord and for each other;

(2) And you developing a love for the lost that causes you to realize

you are an instrument of God with the mission first of all to seek

and save the lost...

(a) Watching for opportunities,

(b) Having a prayer list of people you would like to have with

you in heaven,

(c) And asking for help from a fellow Christian work with you in

reaching out to these souls—until you gain the

confidence of Hebrews 5:12 “When for a time ye ought to

be teachers...”

c. If you do these things, we will grow as God would have us grow.

B. A poet has written:

Don't be concerned nor be surprised if what you do is criticized

For there are always those who usually can

find fault with every different plan.

Mistakes are made, we don't deny,

but only made by folks who try.

God bless you in your trying.

Stanley Sherman

stansherman@comcast.net

541-998-8989 541-729-2329 (cell)

29285 Lingo Lane Junction City, OR 97448