Presents: Four Ideas To Becoming A Growing Church; Three Tips You May Not Have Heard Of Yet; and Four Myths To Avoid

Ten Secrets To Getting Beyond Plateau
Or Decline

By: Danny Von Kanel


My first personal computer was a Tandy 1000 RLX. Its arrival brought a gleam to my eye because a computer had been on my wish list for a long time. I knew the computer would help take my ministry to new heights. The only problem was I knew nothing about computers. I had to depend upon someone who had grappled with computers all his life -- one who knew user ideas, tips and things to avoid.

You may have just arrived at your new church with the thinking that all it needed was a new pastor. Serving a vibrant, growing church has been on your wish list for a long time. Now that you have arrived, you realize the church is not growing and its programming is anything but vibrant. Complicating matters is your knowledge of what’s needed is limited. You need help.

I am no church growth expert but I have spent 20 plus years grappling with the issue. I have learned four ideas on how to become a growing church, three tips you might not have heard of yet, and three myths you must avoid. When I use the term church growth, I am speaking specifically about numerical and evangelistic growth.

Four Ideas To Become A Growing Church

1. Everything We Do Must Relate To A Central Purpose

My computer expert, Dick Brown, told me the keys on the keyboard have a purpose. Find out that purpose and I will unlock the door to what that key does. Each key relates to the other keys by working in tandem to bring about an overall purpose -- a functioning computer system.

All programs we do in church must have a stated purpose. Each purpose must support the overall church mission statement. Each program relates to the other programs as they side by side bring about, in its entirety, the established mission of the church. “Absolutely nothing will revitalize a discouraged church faster than rediscovering its purpose.” If our church is plateaued or in decline, the first step we should take is to lead our church to write a mission statement and then lead all programs or ministries in seeking to fulfill that statement.

2. Lead All Programming To Pursue After Excellence

The computer I bought was limited in what it could do, but what the computer did do, it did well. My expert tactfully pointed out that when something does go wrong, the failure was usually the operator and not the equipment. The computer will rise to the level of its limit -- to its defined capabilities.

Our church is also limited by its degree of people, money, and resources. We can do well with what we have by rising to a level of excellence in all areas. When something goes wrong, we can usually trace it back to leadership who gave less than their best. “In today’s society, satisfying felt needs through excellence in effort is the only sure ticket to growth."

Moving beyond plateau and decline behooves us to begin raising the standard of excellence in all phases of our ministry.

3. Make Evangelism A Priority While Discarding or De-emphasizing Ministries Without Such A Focus

Dick was quick to point out my computer ontained some programs I would never use. He said I may want to discard these so that I will have room for programs I would like to add. My priority for the Tandy 1000 RLX was for word processor needs. So, I added a Word Perfect program while eliminating some art and graphic files.

Evangelism must be our priority in all areas of ministry. Growing churches have a 17:1 baptism ratio while the SBC is 39:1. If the baptism ration of our church is over 17:1, we may want to renew our efforts to lead our church to become more evangelistic. This may include discarding or at least, de-emphasizing programs that fail to have as their ultimate purpose the desire to lead people to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Only we can decide if conflict would result if we choose to discard a ministry. From the pulpit, to the pew, to the classroom, evangelism needs to become central if we are to move from plateau or decline to church growth.

4. Go To The One Who Has All The Power To Bring About Growth

Computer needs surface at unique times. Many a night, I called Dick to my house. He always came. Never once did Dick belittle me for my ignorance. He simply used his expertise to correct the problem -- showing what he did and why.

We have not because we ask not. God desires for our churches to experience vitality and growth. Instead of laying awake at night worrying and fretting, albeit, sinning, we would do well to take our hearts desire to God and ask for spiritual and numerical growth. God will use His ingenuity to help us move toward expansion -- showing us what to do and why. Don’t be surprised by what begins to happen.

Once we have completed these four ideas for growing our church, let’s give these next three
tips a try.

Three Tips You Might Not Have Heard Of Yet

5. When Growth Has Stalled, Jump Start It With An Extraordinary Night Of Visitation.

Occasionally, my computer would freeze up. Nothing would work -- my mouse, arrow keys, or scroll bar. Dick said not to worry. All I had to do was reboot the computer by holding down the control, alternate, and delete keys at the same time. This would restart my computer.

If growth has come to a stand still in our churches and nothing seems to be moving, we may need to reboot our ministries. I have found that by having an exceptional night of visitation, excitement can be regenerated for coming weeks. This night I call, “40 Men & 40 Women For God On Visitation”. Such a night involves asking for commitments over a months time from men first and then women, putting names on a wall display once they make the commitment, and securing enough prospects for eighty people going out in twos. Anywhere from 100 to 125 home visits can be expected. Just the sight of that many people showing up at church to visit will produce excitement. This enthusiasm tends to carry over into other areas of church life. The above scenario happened while I served First Church, Lucedale, Mississippi.

6. We Can Reclaim Some Lost Members By Leading Our Sunday School Classes To Ask, “Where Have All The People Gone?”

I have recently deleted some files in my computer only to find I needed them. I could give various reasons why they were deleted but none seem reasonable. Again, my expert Dick comes through. He says, “Look in the Recycle Bin."

The difference in my computer files and church people is some computer files I never want back. People are always wanted and needed. People leave our churches for an assortment of reasons. If we find out why, looking into the recycle bin of their hearts, we will be better able recycle or reclaim lost members back into productive use no matter how absurd we may view the reason given for leaving.

Doing so requires Sunday School classes to ask, “Where Have All The People Gone?” This involves looking at reasons in the physical realm -- sickness, physical handicap, moved, and new job; emotional realm -- unmet needs and feelings of non-acceptance; and spiritual realm --apathy and indifference, lack of commitment, rearranged priorities, and dislike of leadership. From each reason ascertained, we should brainstorm ideas to address the explanation. Concrete actions in reaching out to the inactive members need to come from each class.

7. People Have A Way Of Responding When We Present An Idea With A God-like Dimension

I had tried to install a program into my computer but it wouldn’t take. Dick asked, “What is the system requirements for the new program?” Looking, I realized my 286 could not handle a
program designed for a 486 or higher processor. In effect, my computer could not accomplish
anything with greater dimensions than it was designed.

Not so with people if God is in control. I am amazed at how people will rally when something
seems impossible (Ex. 40 Men And 40 Women For God On Visitation). Once they get over the
shock of what’s been asked, faith conscious people will take an idea and run with it. If God is in the concept, and all concepts from God have a God-like dimension requiring faith, we can be sure He will see the idea fruitfully completed. In visitation, attendance drives, revivals, and other
church growth events, we can find out what God wants, present His desire to the people, and step back while God stirs their hearts to action.

We have seen four ideas that can activate growth. The three tips can further enhance increases when it seems things are not moving, when members need reclaiming, and when faith needs expanding. Now we are ready to leave our computers and hit the road with new ideas and tips for expansion but first... let’s look briefly at three myths we must avoid.

Three Myths To Avoid

8. Revivals Are Longer Effective

Thom Rainer analyzed growing churches and concluded in his book, Effective Evangelistic
Churches5, that, “Revival evangelism is alive and well.” Slightly less than half of the 576 growing, evangelistic churches surveyed, continue to hold regularly scheduled revival meetings as an evangelistic tool.” We would do well to again embrace the idea of revivals for evangelistic
and church growth.

9. In Order To Reach People, We Must Target The Right Audiences

Not according to the latest research. “In fact, target evangelism had one of the highest
negative ratings of any of the methodologies. Nearly 44 percent of the respondents saw this
approach to evangelism as one of absolutely no value. And over 60 percent said targeting was
a methodology of no value or questionable value.”

10. A Seeker Service Is Necessary For Growth To Occur

This myth has found it’s way into church growth circles. Specifically, a seeker service is a service designed explicitly for unsaved persons. “When asked the leaders of 576 growing churches, “Is a seeker service a factor in your church’s evangelistic effectiveness?”, a resounding 60 percent responded no.”

My Tandy 1000 RLX has long since been replaced with a much powerful HP Pavilion 4535. The difference from what I had and now are unbelievable. The upgrade happened by simply purchasing a more advanced computer. Growth past plateau and decline is not that easy. But we can improve our chances for renewed growth by adhering to these ten secrets. So, let’s cut our computers off -- having mastered it’s mysteries -- and begin to upgrade our ministries for growth. We too may find the difference is unbelievable.