Is this a good desire or a subject to avoid? I used to shy away from talking about church growth in regard to numbers. It seemed vain and elitist to do so, supposedly not championing spiritual maturation. But then I read the book of Acts. Luke moved me in the direction of praising God for reconciling handfuls and hoards of people to Himself. Take a brief tour with me (additions and emboldening mine):
Acts 1:14: All these [(11 apostles)] with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
1:15a: In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120).
2:1: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all [(approximately 120 individuals)] together in one place.
2:41: So those who received his [(Peter’s)] word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
2:47b: And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
4:4: But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men cam to about five thousand.
6:1a: Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number…
6:7: And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
8:14a: Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God…
9:31: So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
11:1: Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
11:21: And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
11:24b: And a great many people were added to the Lord.
And on and on the narrative continues. The company of persons is still expanding today. Why are the numbers important? They are critical in understanding that Christ takes the work of building His Church seriously (cf. Matt 16:18; Acts 1:8; 20:28; 1 Cor 3:5-9). The people are the proof of His work. Pastor Mark Dever asserts, “A growing church is made up of growing Christians” (Biblical Church Growth, 1). The numbers indicate not only that Christ is fulfilling His promise to build His Church, but that His means of growth are effective. Gimmicks found no home in the expansion of the early church, but the Gospel did!
In the upper room, the apostles and a trickling of others were devoting themselves to prayer (cf. Acts 1:14). A portion of thousands of devout men from every nation were “cut to the heart” and “received [Peter’s] word” upon hearing that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ (cf. Acts 2:36-41). This moved Christ’s followers to devote themselves “to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers,” etc. (cf. Acts 2:42-47). The apostles daily continued “teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (cf. Acts 5:42). Even when scattered by persecution, they “went about preaching the word” (cf. Acts 8:4).
And so on the narrative continues to this day (cf. Matt 28:18-20). Do you see what provided the basis for numeric growth? Prayer. God’s Word. Fellowship. When Christ’s means of growth are utilized, we should expect to see an increase in disciples among our midst. Christ is glorified when His laborers stick to His strategy for growth. It may not be flashy or popular, but it is glorious and never fails.
This is why at Providence, we prayerfully labor to prioritize what matters most to Christ. God has kindly entrusted us over the years with both modest and major numeric growth. Membership classes have recently been fully occupied. Ministries are enhancing by way of manpower and eagerness to proclaim the Gospel to the lost and minister it to the saints. This is not the scheming of marketing geniuses; it is the gracious work of God to give members and leaders alike at Providence the vision and resolve to keep the Gospel where it belongs: at the center of everything.
Let us not be naive, though. With numeric growth comes a plethora of unique challenges. More people equals more preferences, more input on the trajectory of the church, more questions about why certain policies exist, etc. Notice “unique” as the word opted for, not “bad.” We are in a season of working together to maintain unity (cf. Eph 4:3; see also Phil 2:1-4) and continue as a “pillar and buttress of the truth” (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). Some of us have come to Providence with little to no previous church exposure. Others have attended church since birth. Still yet, many now attending Providence have experienced churches of various evangelical traditions. No matter how God moved us to Providence, or how many unique things we face as a church family, there are three actions we must remain faithful to in order to live as a Christ-exalting congregation:
1. Stay tethered to what is primary.
What is primary has already been communicated. Prayer, God’s Word, and biblical fellowship. The lingual emphasis in Acts 2:42 is motivating. We could posit “devoted” as “giving constant attention to.” If we are giving constant attention to the things that matter (i.e. the things that God blesses), we should have no time to prioritize items of lesser significance. We must remain a people who pray often for and with one another. As we store up the Word in our own hearts (cf. Ps 119:11), let us be eager to stir up others with what we have gleaned (cf. Heb 3:13). Not only on Sundays, but our Mondays thru Saturdays should be flooded with efforts to “stir up one another to love and good works” (cf. Heb 10:24-25). “God-Centered. Bible-Focused. Gospel-Driven.” is not a clever marketing slogan. (The elders wouldn’t know where to begin!) It is what has been lifted from the pages of Scripture and remains our call as a local expression of God’s global people. All throughout Paul’s letters, he expresses in prayer that which is primary: faith in the Lord and love toward the saints (cf. Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; Philem 1:5).
2. Stay flexible with what is preferential.
If we are determined to remain tethered to what is primary, we will learn flexibility with issues of preference. I have them. You have them. The elders have them. Even kids in the children’s ministry have them. Knowing this should move us to the comfort found in trusting the leaders over us (cf. Heb 13:17) and the freedom found in blessing our brother or sister (cf. Phil 2:3-4). God has blessed Providence with many creative and intelligent minds. Because of this, we have sufficient opportunity to learn from one another and enjoy God-honoring success in ministry as a result of laying down preferential pursuits. As we grow, flexibility will be the key. This flexibility will most certainly grow from increased humility and zeal for primary things.
3. Stay purposeful.
When Barnabas was commissioned to assist the church in Antioch, he “exhorted [the disciples] to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” (cf. Acts 11:23-26). It is one thing to offer mental ascent to the first two points; it is another to remain active in upholding Scripture’s prescription for a healthy church. Consider this from Paul’s address to the Thessalonian church:
Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:12)
Twice in this passage, Paul motivates Christ’s disciples to do certain things more and more. I am thrilled to be part of a fellowship where personal and corporate godliness is championed, yet we must remain steadfast. The enemy would love for this fellowship to grow comfortable, to subtly forget the primary things, to emphasize that which is of no eternal consequence.
We must continually strive by God’s grace to remain steadfast in purpose. This could take the shape of multiple applications. Allow to me quickly offer a handful:
A. Frequently access the church directory to pray for the saints of Providence.
B. Using the directory, welcome folks into your home on a regular basis to show hospitality and enjoy mutual encouragement in the faith.
C. Form a habit of reading through Providence’s identity statement on a regular basis, as well as the church covenant.
D. Pray for a perpetual heart of flexibility. (I’ll admit it. It can be difficult to grow in this area.)
E. Establish a rhythm of gratitude to God for the many resources and people He has and continues to entrust to Providence.
F. Remember that every day spent together in joyful, albeit incomplete, fellowship moves us one step closer to savoring eternity together with the One who is surely coming soon (cf. Rev 22:20)!