Is Numerical Growth A Legitimate Goal?
by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader
We want numerical growth. We might as well say it out loud. It’s the aspiration behind so many activities and efforts in churches. Some churches are very up front and overt, clearly describing their goal to numerically grow their church. Others are more muted on this topic, yet it’s there just below the surface. Most every church wants numerical growth.
Recently, I saw this clearly spelled out in a strategic plan. Though I don’t remember what church this was, I do appreciate their candor, clearly stating what’s behind the initiatives in the strategic plans of many churches.
At the same time, what do we make of this? Every pastor and church staff person needs clarity in their perspective on numerical church growth. Every lay leader, committee chair, and disciple in church needs a way to make sense of this issue. We all need to make our peace with the numerical growth issue. Given this, here are three guiding principles regarding numerical growth. I’m sharing these in a descriptive rather than prescriptive way, hopefully providing several conversation points for you and your church leadership as you form your perspective on numerical growth.
The scriptures describe the dynamics around numerical growth in the early church.
Acts 2 is a fascinating description of this new spiritual/social movement spreading across that part of the world. Christianity is not yet a major world religion complete with institutions and professional clergy. No, it’s simply a spiritual/social movement… one that changes the world as it’s known at that time and in that place.
Right at the end of the chapter, we find this informative statement, “And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (NRSVUE) This may be elementary in your view, yet observing and engaging churches, this seems to be in the category of “things that need to be said.” The LORD added to their number. Not the pastor, staff persons, lay leaders, nor any other person. Clearly there is a Lord of the Harvest, and that’s not us. Based on this scripture, it’s not our calling to add people to the body of Christ, numerically growing the church. Yes, we have a clear role in the church’s growth, but it’s not to add people. Gaining clarity on our role is huge, equipping us for investing in that which is our calling… more on that soon. For now, it appears as if God gives the increase when it comes to healthy numerical growth.
Numerical growth is a lag measure, not a lead measure.
Previously, we started with scripture and theology. The current business world also provides concepts which help us make sense of how numerical growth occurs. Lead measures are those activities which produce something, which directly accomplish a goal, one might say. Lag measures are outcomes which are reflections of something other than themselves. Numerical growth, in healthy churches, is a lag measure; a response to something other than itself.
Returning to Acts 2, those early church disciples were busy! Notice the variety of activities described in verses 37-47. What a robust, high intensity, high engagement, and stimulating spiritual community! This is what attracted others to join them… being church, doing what churches do, loving like Jesus loves, sharing the gospel through word and deed. When people experienced this spiritual community, they joined them. So, the early church was focused on effectively carrying out its mission, resulting in strong and attractive spiritual communities. It appears as if they did not pursue the goal of numerical growth, but rather numerical growth resulting from their efforts toward being the church God called them to be. The church numerically grew because they were a vitalized body of Christ, inherently attractive to spiritual seekers.
Our calling is to pursue the mission, trusting the outcomes to God.
Missional clarity… so valuable! Remember the agricultural analogy given by Jesus in Mark ……? The farmer has a clear role in the cultivation process; cultivation to be exact. Then the harvest comes, often in surprising ways. In this parable, God is clearly in charge of the harvest, while the farmer is called to cultivate the growing environment.
Anyone remember SMART goals training? We’ve done our share of it in the distant past. Here’s a quick reminder:
Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve
Measurable: Establish criteria to track progress and success
Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic and attainable
Relevant: Align the goal with broader objectives or values
Time-bound: Set a deadline for when the goal should be accomplished
A key component of the SMART goals approach is control, described as “Achievable.” Actionable goals are those which are under our control; those we can influence. When they are beyond our direct influence, then they are not really goals. Aspirations, hopes, and dreams… yes. Goals, no. So it seems that numerical growth, when it’s healthy and theologically aligned, is not under our direct control or influence. Instead, numerical growth is often one of the outcomes when we are vitalized expressions of church. Yes, disciples in vitalized churches bring their friends to church. Yes, vitalized churches are excellent at Christian hospitality. Yet, these activities don’t guarantee numerical growth. They are some of the activities which we do when we are invested in and invigorated by our churches. Our role is to cultivate the growing environment, trusting God to bless the harvest as God sees fit.
Over the years I’ve written at least four other articles on this topic, some with greater nuance than this, yet I hope this article provides sufficient stimulation for church staffs, lay leaders, and perhaps entire congregations to enter into dialogue on this topic. Every church needs a healthy, theologically aligned, working perspective regarding numerical growth. When this is not in place, they are vulnerable to hijacking by the extreme views in our culture regarding numerical growth. When this IS in place, they remain centered, focused on cultivating the growing environment, applying their energies where they are fruitful. May we continue to grow in our alignment with the Way of Jesus, becoming super-charged disciple-making and growing church ecosystems as we go.
