Break The Next Growth Barrier

By Nelson Searcy

In North America, church growth lags way behind population growth.  Every year we see that while the population continues to grow, the church continues to lag behind.  It has been estimated that over the half of the congregations in the United States are less than 100.  Other estimates have told us that over 80% of the congregations in America have less than 250 people on an average Sunday.

Most churches generally face growth barriers when Sunday attendance approaches 65, 125, 250 or 500. I’ve observed through direct research, personal experience and dozens of consultations that there are two critical decisions every pastor must make regardless of the attendance barrier they face.  In this article, I want to explore those two decisions, but before we do, I want to make sure we are asking the right questions when it comes to breaking attendance barriers.

Wrong Question: How do I get my Church to Grow?
The wrong question in breaking growth barriers is “How do I get my church to grow?”  Starting with this question can lead you not only to wrong conclusions but also to dangerous conclusions.  Its easy to reach wrong conclusions about church growth when you think that growth is completely dependent on what you do or don’t do.  At the same time, asking this question can be dangerous if it leads to extreme examples of trying to grow at any cost.  So what’s the right question to ask?

Right Question: What is keeping my Church from Growing?
The right question when it comes to breaking growth barriers is, “What is keeping my church from growing?”  Healthy organisms grow.  As pastors we must constantly be on the search for the real issue behind a lack of growth.  In my study of growing churches, I have identified the nine most common growth barriers but there are indeed many more.  Your job is to identify the barriers and work to remove them.

Once you ask the right questions, its important that you make two very important decisions as you prepare to break the next growth barrier.  Here’s the first one.

Decision 1: God Desires To Grow My Church
Determine that it is God’s will for your church to grow.  This may sound simple, but I meet a lot of pastors who do not have a full belief that God desires their church to grow.  2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) tells us that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  God wants everyone to be a part of His family, the church.   Do you believe that scripture?  Have you made up your mind that it is God’s will for your church to grow? 

This is an important decision, because some of us may have been trained in seminaries where there was an indirect (if not direct) school of thought that says it is not God’s desire for our churches to grow.   A few of us may have a faulty theology when it comes to reaching people and we may have a casual theology when it comes to church growth.  Casual theology leads to casualties in the pew.  Let’s determine that it is God’s will for our church to grow.  Make that decision.  Nail it down.  Become convinced that you have God on your side and that He desires for you to reach people with the Gospel, for your church to grow and for His family to be expanded. 

Decision 2: I Desire To See My Church Growth
Determine that you personally want your church to grow.  You may say that you really believe that it’s God’s will for your church, but maybe you are not willing to do what it takes.  Maybe when you think about the next attendance barrier, it drains you and you say, “I just don’t know if I have the energy or if I have the steam to make it through.”  But maybe you do.  I believe that is why you are reading this article, because you are one of those pastors who say, “Whatever it takes!  I am going to do whatever it takes as long as I am within the boundaries of proper theology, I’m willing to work hard, think harder, confront some issues, deal with some messes or handle some difficult people.  God, whatever it might be, I’m willing to do it.” 

Here’s a challenging question related to this decision: Have you given up on your church?  If you are thinking about moving or leaving your church within the next couple of months, then don’t even start this process of trying to break the next growth barrier.  It is a disservice to your people, and it is a disservice to you.  But if you have a long range view; if you still have God’s vision for your area; if you are willing to make some of these difficult decisions to do whatever it takes for your church to grow and if you are willing to hang around long enough to see it happen, then I think the future of your church and ministry is very bright indeed!

Now that you’ve determined that its God’s will for your church grow and that you want to see it grow, let me challenge you to keep your eye on the Harvest field.  As we think about attendance barriers, we must remember, it’s not ‘really’ about attendance numbers, it’s about people.  Why should we bother to break the next growth barrier?  Because there is a harvest.  You see, eternity really does hang in the balance on what you and I do in our churches.  Keep your eyes focused on the harvest.  Jesus said in John 4:34 (NKJV),

"My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”  You are going to need God’s strength when you decide to growth through the next barrier.   Jesus continues in verses 35 – 38 of John 4:  “Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

God is already doing the work in your area.  He is already doing the work in your life.  Don’t lose sight of the harvest that is there. 

The final command of Jesus, I believe, must be the first concern of the church.  You know the final command from Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV), reads,

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

As you think about breaking attendance barriers, God is pulling for you!  He is on your side.  He sees so far beyond where you are right now.  He sees what can be in your community.  He sees the day that He talked about in Luke 23, when His house will be full.  Do you see that day?  I hope you have captured that vision.  I hope you have that internal motivation and now I hope you have made some key decisions that begin to move you in the right direction.  Remember the harvest.  You can break the next attendance barrier!

For more on Breaking Growth Barriers, see the Breaking Growth Barriers Workshop Live Recording.