Today’s guest post comes to us from author, seminar speaker and the world’s premier bible lesson writer, Josh Hunt. Here he examines the assumption that there is a “key” to church growth.

Jim Collins has a helpful metaphor on why this assumption is wrong. He calls it the flywheel principle.

Imagine a huge flywheel. It weighs 5000 pounds. It is 2 feet thick and about 30 feet in diameter. Your task is to get the flywheel spinning. You put a shoulder to it and after two or three hours it makes one rotation. The second rotation in one hour less. The third rotation is even quicker. Each rotation of the wheel moves more and more quickly. Momentum is your friend. Jim Collins says:

Then, at some point—breakthrough! The momentum of the thing kicks in in your favor, hurling the flywheel forward, turn after turn … whoosh! … its own heavy weight working for you. You’re pushing no harder than during the first rotation, but the flywheel goes faster and faster. Each turn of the flywheel builds upon work done earlier, compounding your investment of effort. A thousand times faster, then ten thousand, then a hundred thousand. The huge heavy disk flies forward, with almost unstoppable momentum.

Now, suppose someone asked, “which push of the flywheel was the key push?”

Huh?

There was no one push that made all the difference. Successful change agents know it takes 1000 tiny pushes to create a change.

People often ask, “What is ‘THE KEY’ to church growth?”

My answer: “THE KEY to church growth is realizing there is no one key to church growth.” Changing a church to becoming a vital, vibrant, growing church is about a thousand little changes.

Click here to read this article on Josh Hunt’s website.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. One of those thousand little changes should be implementing an Evangelism System to reach more of the unchurched in your community. That’s why through Monday only, I’m offering my proven Evangelism Seminar for HALF OFF – only $49! Because this fall is the perfect time to start an evangelism campaign and involve everyone in your church in reaching their friends and neighbors!

Click here to pick up this complete, “done-for-you” three-hour seminar for just $49 – today through Monday only!

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.