Healthy Church Growth: 7 Types of Growth Pastors Should Understand
By Kevin Harney
“All publicity is good publicity.”
This saying, often attributed to P.T. Barnum, was popularized in the early 1900s by theater producer George M. Cohan. The idea is that if people are talking about you, whether what they are saying is good or bad, it is all positive because you are getting attention.
A similar kind of thinking is making the rounds in many church circles: All growth is good growth. But after almost four decades as a pastor in the local church, I have learned that not all church growth is equal. Some ways your attendance numbers can increase honor God, but others can be unhealthy.
Let’s take a look at both Gospel-centric growth and complicated growth.
Gospel-Centric Growth
In my experience, the following ways churches can add to their numbers should be encouraged:
-
Conversions
We all have friends, neighbors and acquaintances whom we pray will come to a life-changing faith in Jesus. We pray, share our stories of faith, and invite them to church services. We build relational bridges between these people and believers in our life that we think they will resonate with.
When these people come to faith in Jesus, they need to be part of a church community. This is glorious, Jesus-honoring growth that every church should be praying and striving toward.
Be ready to welcome these people. Create moments in the life of your church where attendees hear the good news of Jesus and have an opportunity to follow the Good Shepherd of their souls. Establish discipleship opportunities where new believers can connect with mature Christians and begin their journey of faith.
