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Christianity Today, April (Web-only), 2009 |

Soulwork

How to Shrink a Church

It's not that easy, but hopefully it's the new evangelical trend.

Mark Galli | posted 4/23/2009 10:17AM

The "strict-church thesis" says that strict religions thrive while lenient religions decline. This has been a favorite among evangelicals since first articulated in Dean Kelly's 1972 Why Conservative ...

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John	Posted: May 06, 2009 10:00 PM


t the end of the day all I need to know is these words 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' strick or not what count what the Lord final word, that is the success of the believer. final.

Asen Suhendra

Posted: May 04, 2009 11:25 PM

John the Baptist was set aside in the wilderness from all the comfort of the ancient world, and the dead liturgy of Jerusalem Temple, to be prepared to straighten the path for Jesus first coming.Then he appeared to the Israelite with the fresh, shaking and powerful preaching.God did not seek and will never seek a dead congregation, with only shallow teaching, comprised doctrine and an ignorance attitude to His heart.To become a servant who prepare the way for the Lord to work on, we have to be purified in the wilderness, not seeking success in our own term. Those who teach a truncated Gospel actually do not show people the Way to the Lord but just make use of Him to glorify themselves.And those who attend these kind of churches just want to please them self and will never understand how to please the King of kings.

Jyoti

Posted: May 01, 2009 3:15 AM

Dear Mark, Thank you for raising these fundamental questions! When you talk about church shrink experts and "pews need to be full if we're going to pay rent and salaries and sustain a church's ministries, all of which are quite worthy of funding", then immediately Wolfgang Simson comes to mind. His "Starfish Vision" or "Houses that Change the World" are excellent books about the DNA of the church; principals from the New Testament church for our times. A short introduction can be read in the "15 Theses" of Wolfgang Simson. It's really widened my horizon, inspired and equipped me and many young people in my area struggling with these issues. but beware: at first it may sound very radical. and exactly what we need. God bless you on this quest!

Chris (UK)

Posted: April 30, 2009 10:56 AM

I don't know about over there, but on this side of the pond "Evangelical" is becoming a by-word for religious intolerance. We need to be careful about the language we use if we are to avoid the traps of denominationalism and division. The tone of this article indicates the negative view that the writer has of the "mega-churches", but if you check out what some of them are saying before dismissing them you can see that some of them are attempting to be RELEVANT to the culture in which they find themselves, and their messages are about the personal responsibility of each indivdual - Jesus brought the same message and he was culturally relevant too! Don't dismiss it just because you don't agree with it, and remember that none of us can be 100% sure that we hold "THE TRUTH" - we just hold to what is true for us. You're not going to convert anyone or get them into a church by banging them over the head with a bible.

corpsuchristioutreachministries

Posted: April 30, 2009 6:47 AM


Osteen, Mclaren, paula White! How in the world are the authors defining 'mega ministries'? The emrgent leader is fo course very influential [and controversial] but mega? Come on

Johann

Posted: April 29, 2009 4:22 PM

Evangelicals are strict adherents to a conservative faith?? In what universe? Is it really that difficult to be opposed to homosexuality (something 98% of us are never tempted by) or abortion (another thing that doesn't really effect a large number of us)? That's hardly taking up one's cross to take a position against those things or to put a Jesus-fish bumper sticker on your car. What's difficult for an evangelical? Following the Gospel and working for peace instead of being a blood-thirsty, war mongering Bushbot. Following the Gospel- the true Gospel- about divorce! Loving one's neighbor, caring for the sick and the poor, i.e. the things that those holy men and women in monasteries and convents do all over the world. Maybe we can't all go to Africa like them, but I certainly wouldn't want to go before God and say that I lived my life like a typical American evangelical.

John S

Posted: April 29, 2009 9:39 AM


Megachurches are trying to attract and maintain a large crowd. Pleasing or entertainig the crowd will slowly corrupt it. Downsizing will better allow the truth to live and work. Christianity is concerned with individuals, not crowds.

Joe S.

Posted: April 28, 2009 3:21 PM

I am sure Mr. Osteen is a Godly man, but his services are certainly vanilla. He is an excellent motivational speaker and his services definitely have a feel-good kind of tone. BUT, I have rarely if ever seen anything that would challenge a christian in their walk with God and there is not much scripture. This is just an observation of the dozen or so services I've seen on TV, but I imagine many in his congregation would probably leave if he started to challenge them. I do have to question the devicive motivation of bringing race into the discussion. My church (mostly white) usually gets out at noon on Sunday, but our pastor tells it like it is from Gods word. It does not matter how long the service is if there is no depth or substance to the message. I sure didn't see much forgiveness from Rev. Wright. If were stereotyping, should I catergorized all black churches that way? Of course not. Maybe you should examine the racist pole in your eye before speaking of the speck in others.

Lori	Posted: April 28, 2009 12:51 PM

I miss the traditional chuch I grew up in. They were strict and taught right from wrong. The chuches today are just trying to appease the masses. If it's not PC, it is not discussed. I've watched one particular preacher on TV and his view is that God wants us to be upbeat, prosperous and happy. this is rubbish and why are kids are so confused. We're not there to be entertained and served, we're there to serve others.

dave ferguson

Posted: April 28, 2009 7:42 AM


Seems to be a prevailing theme in today's organized religion. Entire sermons and group studies are dedicated to relearning the truth as clergy and laity need to turn themselves around as Mary did to see it is Jesus who is at the center of of our worship and not the polity of a denomination. Pray for teachers in truth.

PK with his own faith

Posted: April 27, 2009 6:41 PM

This makes the excellent and unpopular point that most of Western Christianity, numerically, consists of baby Christians. They are in the door, and saved, but still know very little of Christ and His church. Some hardly know what distinguishes Christianity from other religions save the fact that their figures have different names. It is time for the Church to grow up, and growing pains will have to be there. It's time to have some growing pains, because the Church cannot be a giant daycare, with a few mature Christians spoon-feeding the 20-yr-old babies that have yet to ever seriously read and study God's Word. I figure if Jesus, who showed His all-surpassing love on the cross, could get tough with people, so can we. Jesus didn't humor everybody just to pack the house; He was straight-forward, and that left only the real followers, not just groupies hanging out for the free coffee.

jackie humphrey

Posted: April 27, 2009 6:14 PM

I, too, have wondered what and when we are going to teach baby Christians that there is more to Grace than just believing....that Jesus "meets us where we are", but He never left, nor does He choose to leave us "there", He has a better way! Those of us raised in a different generation have been taught (& as I read the Scriptures for myself) that He always admonished those He encountered, forgave, healed, etc to "follow" Him...as he told the young woman "go and sin no more"....don't remember Him ever saying "you're forgiven, so just keep on in your present lifestyle". We can't even use the sin word anymore, it seems, for we might offend a seeker. Like so many other words in our culture, if it's an "ugly" word, change it. i.e. Adultry became and "Affair", Homosexuality became "Gay" and the words "Repent or Confession" are very seldom, if ever, used anymore. Doesn't "repent" mean to "turn"?

Dale G

Posted: April 27, 2009 4:35 PM

Ok. What comes to mind is When Jesus confronted the Crowd about their motives. John 6:26. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. a. Jesus did not come to find everyone with a "physical" malady to heal. it was the Soul that needed healing B. the rich young prince, turned away, because of what Jesus asked of him. Matt 19: C. Jesus told the paralytic go and sin no more lest a worst thing come upon thee. Again, folks forget the Letter to the seven churches in Asia. Revelation 1, 2, and 3. no don't read Revelation, it will scare people away!!! many are going to fall away, heaping to themselves teachers - because of itching ears. so, many prophets were killed for hard truths.

Paula Ruth

Posted: April 27, 2009 12:56 PM

As a marketer and a Christian, I have to ask "which would Jesus want?" I would have to answer that he would want people to know that he is the one who saves them from their sins. His reaction to the woman who sinned was to ask those who were without sin to throw the first stone. None did. There is no one perfect, and for some to claim to sit in the judgment seat that is reserved for God will not further the cause of Christ.

Wes W.

Posted: April 27, 2009 12:24 PM

While I (think I) agree with the basic message of this article, it asks, in part, a confused question: "How do you insist firmly on faithfulness without becoming legalistic?" Quite simply, being faithful to the Bible is not "legalistic" - it is precise and authoritative. To insist that correct belief is important - no, even essential - isn't "legalism" - it is orthodoxy. It would be "legalistic" to teach that correct belief and behavior has merit before God, or that we trust in anything apart from our justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We long for the day when evangelicals aren't so skiddish or apologetic about being clear and authoritative on Truth.

superman

Posted: April 27, 2009 4:16 AM


You can find that Jesus in the Catholic Church today. Jesus' church is still alive and will remain so until the end of time, like He Himself promised.

Mrs T

Posted: April 26, 2009 10:28 PM


Very clever idea/satire! Just do the right thing & let God do the growth! If church growth means Biblical growth, fine. If it means just numbers, please opt for the shrinking paradigm.

Timmy

Posted: April 26, 2009 8:16 PM


I just wonder why being smaller wasn't glamorized when you evangelicals thought you were the ones with the biggest crowd. I really am not being argumantative. I just wonder why you glamorize the decline when you think it is you that is shrinking?

Jim Henderson

Posted: April 25, 2009 8:31 PM


Your idea wont work - Here's why "pews need to be full if we're going to pay rent and salaries" Here's an alternative. Give people a way to do what you suggest in the context of their ordinary life. Help them cut off their hand a little at a time. Show them how to give a cup of cold water and pick up pennies. It works and it is already going on inside and outside the church.

Danny

Posted: April 25, 2009 12:49 PM

A hard word of truth to the church. If we really were to take Jesus seriously and we put aside our entertainment driven worship, and our marketing approach to doing church and sincerely called people to follow Jesus the way he called people to follow him (ie. Mark 10 - the rich young ruler) I think Mark's article would prove true. Many people in our churches today could not sit or would not sit under the full message of the gospel. The wimpy half gospel that is so often preached today, although attractive to many, is not the gospel preached by Jesus or his disciples.

Cory	Posted: April 25, 2009 9:06 AM

Rick Warren and his church are doing more to spread the gospel and help the needy then most churches big or small. I don't believe the size of a church is the issue. The issue is the health of the church/people. There are healthy vibrant churches that seek to serve God and the world, and there are churches that focus on the wrong issues. God will bless those that seek Him and His Kingdom. This article does make me think and reflect.

arnold

Posted: April 24, 2009 10:24 PM

I think the writer is on track. A flaw today is big vindicates the ministry, thus means success and Godliness. I must say that Joel Olsteen's ministry is so shallow( do you honestly believe Jesus would preach a message called "your best life now" ) that I believe his father would be ashamed. Some "big" churches are sound and some are not. When will we learn that the true test is the proclamation of the gospel that saves souls and changes lives to the glory of God. To try to break it into strict or loose is meaningless. Wisdom is vindicated by her children, said our Lord. the real question is not the size but the result of the ministry.

ROOSEVELT AMALU

Posted: April 24, 2009 7:05 PM

The language and concepts pulled from secular scholarly field of business and psychology like "the giftedness and 'bottom-up' paradigm” needed in order to really GROW" all push the kind of growth that ends in death (the Eden example). The "old boys" ensure the preservation, transfer and continuity of the DOCTRINE of Christ (1Timothy 5:17, 2timothy 2:2). The emphasis of material needs, considering those who died for this glorious path, has no real impact on our eternal destiny; rather the pursuit has left the church spiritually bankrupt. The over emphasis on gift is in total darkness to the fact of end time signs given by Christ, “the many" who demonstrate these "gift" as a credential are the same He said He did not know. We need a drastic rethink about holding fast the old faithful words not the innovative hemlock of bloodless cross. Gods approach is not bottoms-up but top-bottom, the anointing runs down from the head of Aaron to his skirts.

carly

Posted: April 24, 2009 4:31 PM

umm .... except immigrant churches and immigrant-led churches are growing as a result of missions to the US ... and they hold to "strict" Christianity with hours-long meetings and many, many hours of collective prayer. And African-American churches have a long tradition of wholistic Christianity that preaches, worships, prays, forgives, and understands the responsibility to serve Christ in the marketplace. Maybe it's just our white evangelical churches that need to shrink. Or ... umm ... are already shrinking?

Tom	Posted: April 24, 2009 4:07 PM

Very interesting article. I think the key is to develop a church with a culture of commitment without succumbing to a "we are the remnant" exclusivity. For a number of years I was a member of a parachurch group that required a high level of commitment and accountability. Yet we worked with all kinds of churches, not to judge them but to help them. We definitely had a feeling (not promoted) that we had something that the churches lacked. But we knew that the churches were doing good things as well. The "remnant theology" that some groups and churches develop is not conducive to healthy evangelical growth in the wider culture.

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