The layers of church growth
Following his time as Senior Minister at KT in London, Mark Ryan is now Elim’s ‘Project Lead for Church Growth’ – a new role created to encourage churches to break into their next level in God.
As Donkey reminded Shrek that he was like an onion, in that he had many layers, so too when we come to the issues of church growth, we must see it as a layered and multifaceted issue.
One of our important transitions is to stop using one-dimensional language to describe all churches and move to a grace conversation about the values and worth of all churches, no matter their size.
Although some might think that having a larger church is an idol to a few, most pastors of larger churches will tell you that people are people no matter the size of church and all the attendant joys and frailties of pastoring still apply! Churches rarely grow like a sales graph in straight lines – there is a precious story and journey to all churches, and so let us to see more of a biblical picture when thinking of growth issues.
The Bible does not really ever talk in terms of big, small or mid-size, but rather it speaks more in terms of fruitfulness, effectiveness, faithfulness and flourishing.
We need to stop the language of pressure and comparison and move to a more biblical way of expressing our good desire to see the work of God prosper.
… story continues
