Is Church Growth Always Good?

"While in many cases, growth can be the byproduct of health and right focus, it is not always the best litmus test."

Second, some are overly cautious of growth.

One of my main concerns with the second group is that their reaction to the first group will be, well, an immature overreaction to their excesses.

There can be a tendency to simply say, “If this is what organized church growth is all about, then I don’t want anything to do with it.” That’s a wrong attitude.

To this overly cautious group, I would implore them to have the wisdom and maturity to chew the meat and spit out the bone.

Let’s learn from leaders and thinkers who care about growth, but learn from them discerningly with biblical fidelity and evangelistic passion.

We can learn from others through research, glean what God is doing through their church to see what it can teach us, and seek to understand practical best practices. We can consider them through a biblical filter and a local context that leads to wise application.

Furthermore, as we focus on a goal of gospel fidelity and propagation, growth is often a byproduct– and a good one.

Growth is something we should want, plan for, and often see flow from our church’s focus on the right things.

Yes, we can and should make plans in such a way that can facilitate that growth– all while focused on gospel fidelity and propagation as the bigger goal and focus.

Balance is the key for a mature and healthy response to church growth…and for ninjas as well.