Church Growth

Church Growth
Are You Pushing Pastors to Build Bigger Churches? Please Catch Us When We Fall
Many pastors feel pushed to grow, but they don’t feel like they get the help they need from church leaders when that growth fails to materialize.
Are You Pushing Pastors to Build Bigger Churches? Please Catch Us When We Fall
Image: Boss Tweed | Flickr

The push to build bigger churches continues full steam ahead.

I regularly get cries for help from small church pastors because of the damage this push is causing.

Today I’m posting two of them.

Because of the personal nature of these messages, I’ve left the names off. ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Perry Noble, NewSpring Church and Our Obsession with Numbers
Our numbers obsession continues to leave victims in its wake. Now Perry Noble and the tens of thousands of members of NewSpring church are on the list of walking wounded.
Perry Noble, NewSpring Church and Our Obsession with Numbers
Image: Image from PerryNoble.com

I don’t want to pile on. Honest I don’t. So I pray this post doesn’t come across that way.

I was sad when I read the news about Perry Noble being asked to step down from NewSpring church this past weekend. I still am. (If you haven’t heard about it, catch ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Grow It or Close It? Is there a Third Option for Struggling Small Churches?
We need to assemble and promote the best ideas we can find to help struggling small churches become healthy small churches.
Grow It or Close It? Is there a Third Option for Struggling Small Churches?
Image: David Amsler | Flickr

What are we going to do about all those struggling small churches?

That question has been the subject of endless hand-wringing in the last several decades. A lot of time and money has been invested in conversations, books, seminars and classes attempting to fix this problem.

Struggling ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Never Apologize for Church Growth
Church growth should always be a part of every pastor’s prayers, passion and strategy. Especially when it’s kingdom growth.
Never Apologize for Church Growth
Image: Dave Keeshan | Flickr

In case you were wondering, church growth is a good thing.

Because of The Grasshopper Myth and this blog, I’ve had so many conversations that range from fantastic to heartbreaking in the last few years. I’ve met and heard stories from hundreds of small church pastors ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Why Didn’t the Disciples Ask Jesus How to Measure Success?
Would Jesus have responded to the question “how will we measure success” with anything less than a face-palm?
Why Didn’t the Disciples Ask Jesus How to Measure Success?
Image: Sean MacEntee | Flickr

“If it’s okay for a church to be small, how do you suggest we measure a church’s success?”

Since I’ve begin ministering to small churches, I’ve been asked that question more than any other. Maybe more than all other questions combined

At first ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
7 Times When Church Growth Isn’t Worth the Cost
There is no cost too high to pay for the salvation of souls. But there is a cost too high to pay for bigger churches.
7 Times When Church Growth Isn’t Worth the Cost
Image: Tim Samoff | Flickr

Church growth is an essential element in the Great Commission. But bigger churches are not.

This is not an anti-big-church rant. I love big churches. They're great. They're like padded seats, air conditioning and microphones. They can all be valuable tools, but they’re ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
How to Grow a Big Unhealthy Church (Or a Healthy One of Any Size)
Churches stay unhealthy when we drive for greater numbers at the expense of greater health. Whatever size they may be.
How to Grow a Big Unhealthy Church (Or a Healthy One of Any Size)
Image: Rosmarie Voegtli | Flickr

Jesus never told us to make bigger churches.

He told us to make disciples.

When disciples and disciple-makers get together, they create healthy churches.

But sometimes we put more energy into making churches bigger than making churches healthier. Usually because of an agenda that ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Why Church Growth Is a Shockingly Inexact Science
Have you ever wondered why some mistakes will stop the numerical growth of one church, but not even slow another one down?
Why Church Growth Is a Shockingly Inexact Science
Image: Eric Skiff | Flickr

Why won’t my church grow!

Have you ever wondered that? Me too.

After all, it’s not like we haven’t tried. And there are plenty of people offering us seemingly surefire help to bring growth. Every day there’s another blog post with a list of Seven Reasons ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
Megachurches Can't Reach the World for Jesus Alone
It’s time for the 90 percent of churches to come alongside the 10 percent and get our hands dirty together.
Megachurches Can't Reach the World for Jesus Alone
Image: Ogilvy PR | Flickr

Megachurches, we’re with you.

You’re our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our partners in ministry.

We know that the task of reaching our communities, nations, cultures and world is an enormous one. And an enormously important one. We don’t expect you to do it ...

Continue Reading ...
Church Growth
The Best Way to Promote Church Growth? Support Small Churches
More people are led to Jesus, discipled and sent into ministry from small churches than by any other means
The Best Way to Promote Church Growth? Support Small Churches
Image: Nattu | Flickr

I want my church to grow.

I want your church to grow.

But more than anything, I want The Church to grow.

I want as many people as possible, all over the world, to know Jesus.

The good news of the gospel can’t be confined within the walls of my church, the distinctives of my ...

Continue Reading ...

Read More from Karl

Follow Christianity Today

Free Newsletters