On Numerical Growth in Churches

Let's say that there was a great invasion happening, and in the midst of the invasion, you are introduced to the general of the defending army. Let's say you asked him how the battle was going, and he replied, "Well, we're getting more and more new recruits, so we must be doing something right." Wouldn't you be a bit confused at his answer? What does the number of recruits have to do with how it's going on the battlefield? What does it have to do with whether or not the general is making the right decisions?

Is this not a close analogy to the priority we've put on numerical growth within the church? Indeed, numerical growth and maintenance is not only a priority in most churches in western culture, but it has become a gauge of victory. We consider our churches successful if they are growing or large in numbers, and we consider it a failure if it starts shrinking.

But when we turn to Scripture, this doesn't seem to be a priority for God. Let me give you two examples:

John 6:60-71 - To a church leader that thinks numbers are important, this ought to be a confusing passage. When the multitude starts grumbling about how Christ's teachings are hard to understand, does Jesus try to placate them or "keep the peace", as it were? No. He effectively (and almost literally) turns and says, "You think THAT was offensive? Well wait until you hear this...." He then watches as all but Twelve turn away from following Him. In our typical church, this sort of behavior would be scolded as inciting and divisive. But Christ is not concerned with the multitude... He is concerned with the small number of truly dedicated believers.

Revelation Ch. 2-3 - This is where the Lord addresses the seven churches, which many think are symbols of various states of Christianity in the world. But whatever the case, the seven churches are commended or warned of impending doom based on their actions. Their numerical size is not mentioned even once in the two chapters. God doesn't seem to concerned with their size, but with their actions.

Indeed, God doesn't care about the size of a group, but its heart and actions. It doesn't matter how many people are in your church: what is it doing? Your church's numerical growth is not a sign of success, any more than the rate of recruitment in an army is a sign of victory on the battlefield. In the same way, we can be encouraged that the shrinking of numbers in a church does not necessarily mean that it is failing or doing anything wrong... indeed, it may even be a sign that it is doing the right thing (such as in John). The church was created for a purpose, and we must ask ourselves if we are, as a church, fulfilling that purpose, not simply growing in numbers.

God is passionately concerned with a church's obedience and heart, not with its popularity as an institution.


PS - I do not mean to paint a cold, heartless image of the church. We ought to mourn those who leave, and rejoice with those who stay, but our priority MUST be obedience to His word at whatever cost. Far too often we hold back from leading people toward full obedience out of fear that they will not like it, or will even abandon us altogether. Preaching what people want to hear, or in the way they want to hear it, is not loving them, nor is it merciful. Indeed, withholding God's truth or refusing to lead them in His perfect way is, perhaps, the most merciless thing you can do to someone. It is akin to a shepherd who will not take his sheep through an unpleasant and rocky path to escape a pack of wolves.

Our Insatiable Appetite For The New & Exciting

I have long struggled with a certain aspect of my personality. I enjoy new things tremendously. New music, new styles, new technology, new movies, the ever-changing aspect of my job... I love them all, and get bored with things all too easily. I am fully aware of the downfalls of such a personality, and the dangers of shallowness that it carries with it. I am not defending it, per sei.

But as I thought about this trait, and how it is prevalent (to varying degrees) in every single human being, I began to think that perhaps this is not merely because of the Fall, but is part of His design for us.

My reasoning goes something like this: we were created to enjoy God, and God is infinitely interesting, giving us new revelations of Himself for all eternity. Therefore, in order to enjoy an infinitely interesting being, we were created to have an infinite appetite for new and exciting things (Him).

It is the Fall that twisted us. In our sinful natures, we turned our voracious appetite to fashion, inventions, possessions, and people. But in the end (usually sooner than later), we are bored with whatever new thing draws our attention. This is because we are attempting to satisfy an infinite hunger with finite things. Fashion, gadgetry, new friends, new hobbies.... none of these things can satisfy because they are all limited, and we were not ultimately created to enjoy limited things.

I think this is why Solomon lamented in Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun." In the modern day, he could have had a new car every single day, a new woman every night, a new set of clothes for every meal, and a new song written for him every time he wanted new music. But in the end, he was only disappointed, disillusioned, and bored... none of it could satisfy his never-ending hunger.

Indeed, even the finite things we truly enjoy, we enjoy them because of what they say about God. I enjoy my wife because of what marriage says about our relationship to God, just as we enjoy a wedding ring because of what it symbolizes, or the smell of food because of what it means to our hunger.

And so if we are to truly enjoy any finite thing, we must treat it as it is: a passing smell that causes us to think about food. Thus, we can learn how to praise an infinite God with finite things, and learn how to let them go. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the smell of food, but it would be ridiculous to choose the smell over the food.



Side Note: This also further confirms the untrustworthiness of the "Prosperity gospel". We should never trust someone who demeans Christ's work, saying or implying that He died so that we could have the mere smell of food.