Church Growth Movements

We want BIG. Few question the value of BIG centralized schools today. BIG is enough of a reason. No-one wants to question BIG. A Supersized Walmart outside Circleville, Ohio replaced a Walmart less than a half a mile away. The old one probably cost a few million to build, but it sits empty. Why? Why bother to ask.

WORLD MARKET (One World. One Store.) That's how one on-line store bills itself. I predict a huge success there. It may help supply the one world order under the one world dictatorship ruling over the one global community. BIG is simple, easy to hold in the head.

Cities make sense to a lot of people--bigger and bigger and bigger cities with everything convenient and everything inconvenient within easy reach.

Few seem to question the need for big churches. Most ministers want to grow them. Mega churches must often have two, three, or more Sunday morning services to accommodate the worshippers. Like a teacher who can use one prep for several sessions, a minister may preach the same sermon to each new houseful of people. Sometimes this is a stopgap measure before a larger building goes up, but oftentimes the multiple service approach is a matter of local church pride: We have four thousand people! We are a BIG church!

Along with the BIG--usually seeker friendly--style of worship is a well elaborated management team with a thorough policy manual governing all phases of the ministry. Management by objective (MBO) has come of age as anticipated. This is the unquestioned best way to manage people going about the serious business of worship, fellowship, missions, giving, and generally operating in Christ's Kingdom.

It also goes without question that the biggest churches are the ones to model. They must be doing things right. Why? Because they are BIG churches. No need to explain that. Leaders of BIG churches write books about how to build them. Everyone comes to their seminars and buys their books.

Good church growth plans include a wealth of ministries, almost as many ministries as there are hobbies, predilections, age/gender/marital/special interest groups. BIG churches will provide a rich smorgasbord of activities to maintain interest and connectivity to the larger group. Being seeker friendly requires all these ministries. The goal is to make the church the hub for all spiritual and worldly activities so the members will remain tied in to the local body.

In such an organization, much care must be taken that members cooperate to further mutual goals established by the leadership. The greatest sin is disunity or carping against an element, program, direction or management strategy of those in governance. The larger the organization the more vigilance is required to assure compliance with the philosophy, goals, objectives, and overall vision of those in charge. This will require very close personal supervision for some who still have to "mature in the faith." After all, they are neophytes still "on the milk" and not ready "for the meat."

Close attention is given to the content of sermons and lessons. People have not come to church to feel uncomfortable about themselves. They are looking for community, a sense of belonging, of being loved and loving others. They want to make close friends. Disharmony will chase them away before they can appreciate the deeper things of the faith. Preaching about sin, the degradation of mankind, Satan, and an eternity in Hell is certainly not what they want to hear. Such teaching must be deferred till later. How much later? Well . . . we will always have new people coming in . . . so perhaps they . . . . Just remember, if asked,we are a full gospel church. How do we know? Our denominational headquarters says we are.

BIG churches need not shirk on altar calls. Worship services can have invitations for people to come forward and receive Jesus. That's all they need to do, just ask Jesus to come into their hearts and start living a new life and discovering their purpose. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone can get with the program. Pay no attention to those fundamentalists talking about sorrow for sin and the need for repentance. That will scare people away. You won't find any of that kind of language in a Purpose Driven Church. When people read the Bible, they will come across all that negative stuff and know what to do with it, but only after we show them the power in positive imaging and thinking. Shuller didn't get to be as big as he is by carrying on about sin and death and repentance. Go really easy on that kind of stuff in the modern church. That's how to get ahead.

The modern day minister, like Bartholomew Cubbins, must wear a hundred hats. He must cultivate a bedside, graveside, whatever betides side manner. Old people, young people, nice people, grumpy people, smart people, dumb people, must all adore him. As a higher priest he must do all things for all people so that all people will toe the line and be radiantly happy. That is his job. Just because Peter, Paul, James and John didn't do all this doesn't make any difference. We're talking about a latter day minister. Since the Bible doesn't prohibit the pastor serving in all these ways, a modern church board and laity should impose these high and impossible expectations to the hilt. Let the minister do the sacrificing as a representative of the people. That spares the congregation from having guilty consciences for doing nothing at all.

Take a close look at the above priestly delivery of services system if it should interfere with our vision of a really BIG church. (Then again, three or four high priests are more effective than one.)

Just remember that a little church is necessarily anemic. It takes a bunch of people praying to catch God's ear. We need not think that one or two or three people can get through. It is like nuclear fission; it takes critical mass to pray. I'm not sure where the chapter and verse is for that truism, but it seems logical. A BIG church has a big bunch of people continuously praying. Just take my word for it.

A puny congregation can't raise the money to send off a bunch of missionaries either. What did one missionary ever accomplish? I mean, generally speaking. No fair mentioning Bible people or those other fanatics who trust God for everything.

These points should settle the hash of those little store front upstart churches with little drawing power. It takes a big building, lots of people, and a big name preacher to bring 'em in. Identity. That's what's needed. Associate with the with-it church, the church of what's happening now; big oysters grow the biggest most lustrous pearls of great price.

Do you want to meet the movers and shakers in the business and political realms? BIG church is the answer. Doesn't God want to be housed in a magnificent temple worthy of His Glory? BIG church will accomplish that,too. Get with the tide for a first-class religious ride. After you grow really big, then you can do stuff for the down and out, the little people with no drive and no vision. Yes, we mustn't forget the little people, but at first we need to knock on the doors of the successful. They can help us grow to where we can give the little people a hand up.

(This post still under construction, but feel free to post a comment. Perhaps you can provide input for this particular article. If you love BIG churches and what BIG churches do, don't be ashamed to say so. Perhaps you will open my eyes to your vision.) Please remember, though, I'm not saying there are no vibrant, Spirit-filled, full Gospel, huge congregations with God-fearing faithful ministers under the headship of Jesus Christ. I'm talking about man-serving, people-pleasing, dilute the Word and dose it out with an eyedropper, honey and pie, don't rock the titanic, insipid, powerless, psychology of relationships drenched, health and wealth, country club, management by man-made objectives, lost in the clockworks organizations deceptively calling themselves "The Church."