Facing the Fear of Church Growth
Remember the TV show “Cheers”? There’s a lot of truth in the lyrics of that theme show that could apply to life in a church:
"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.No doubt about it, we all want to feel like we’re surrounded by caring friends—accepted and loved. On Sunday mornings, it feels like a family gathering because we all know and care about each other, as evidenced by the hugs exchanged through the Lobby. So what’s wrong with that?
You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name."
According to Bill Hoyt, author of Effectiveness by the Numbers, many churches that claim to want to grow hit a wall at around 200 people. So common is this phenomenon, that Hoyt refers to it as the “famous 200 barrier”. One main contributing factor to this is that congregations with fewer than 200 people can still feel like a small group, or family—a place “where everybody knows your name”. More than 200, and that starts to change.
“When fear is a factor in a plateaued or declining church, peel back the fear to its core, and you will discover it’s not really a fear of growth; it’s a fear of loss,” writes Hoyt. If we really want to be a church that reaches people and guides them into a saving relationship with Jesus, that means that we will be bringing in lots of people—and not all of them will be just like us! It might mean that we need to find the place “where everybody knows our name” in a Life Group, instead of knowing everyone in the sanctuary. We can still hug our friends on Sunday morning, but hopefully there will be so many unfamiliar faces around us that we will need to introduce ourselves first!
Finally, Hoyt identifies a major root of the problem in a plateaued church—“an absence of passion for lost people”. Go back and read that again, because that’s the sentence that God used to open my eyes. Do I long for lost people to find the Lord—of course! Do I feel “passion” for them? Ummm…I don’t think I have, and that’s painful to admit. I think that I’ve enjoyed my church family, been happy when visitors come, but beyond that, I’ve let myself become content.
Now, as I really think about what’s at stake for my good friends in my neighborhood, at work, and in my own family, how can I possibly feel content?!
I challenge each one of us to examine our hearts, and look for the passion for lost people. What are we willing to do to bring the good news of Jesus (with its eternal consequences), to them?
Great blog, a good diagnosis of where the church stands. I appreciate your honesty about feeling very comfortable with the church as it is. I wouldn't be surprised if many people feel the same way (but are in denial about it). But since it is written in the mission statement that SCFBC wants to be the church that builds new churches and disciples other, I think some key things that would fulfill this are:
ReplyDelete*Humbling ourselves enough to realize that we are not the only religion that has moral truth. People from other faiths and backgrounds are delighted when they are asked about what they believe and why they believe it, and it makes their ears more receptive to our beliefs. It's just important that God be in the discussion. Additionally, if non-Christians feel like they are respected as they are, they can feel comfortable going to the sermon to listen without feeling pressured by a strong hidden agenda.
*Gay outreach/ministry. One of the reasons Christians are so antagonized by people and by the media is because of the angry Christian homophobes who bully gays and tell them God hates them. SCFBC would gain so much good P.R. and respect in our community if we publicly show love to homosexuals. It would even be as easy as making an appearance at the next gay pride parade with a "God LOVES Gays" sign.
*Having an Easter musical/festival similar to Bethlehem. I think the Bethlehem is the most successful outreach program because it is so darn cool and fun that everyone wants to go see the live show. A similar event that shows what Easter is all about (with a grown-up Jesus) would just be fantastic.
You did a splendid job diagnosing a great problem with the church. Those were my three suggested solutions toward achieving the church's goals! =)
You make some really important points Wendy. I think that when we become so insulated in our own tight-knit little community, we lose all sense of how we are perceived by those we want to connect with. I just read a great phrase for churches--you have to "earn the right to invite". In other words, we need to get to know people, not with a hidden agenda, but with real love and caring before we invite them to church.
DeleteThanks for your thoughtful response!