Church Growth

by    Mark Wingfield and Jim Newton                                                                                                                                       Vol. IV, No. 6, August 1991

Getting people into a church building through gimmicks is not biblical church growth, said Darrell Robinson, vice president for evangelism with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board. Speaking at the HMB's first School of Evangelism and Church Growth at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center in New Mexico, Robinson said that occasional gimmicks may bring some people into the building but that persistent use of gimmicks will not result in true church growth. "You have to build a foundation."

Robinson offered five techniques the early church used as biblical means to reach unbelievers:

1. Public proclamation. While the early church proclaimed the gospel publicly, the modern church proclaims it in a building where only believers come, he said. "We've either got to proclaim the message outside the building or get the people who need to hear it inside the building.

2. Caring affirmation. Citing the biblical ministry of Dorcas, he said, "One of the most powerful techniques for reaching people is ministry-evangelism."

3. Mighty works. Robinson cited the biblical account of Peter and John healing a blind man at the temple gate, gathering a crowd, and seeing 5,000 Christian commitments.

4. Geographic saturation. Robinson suggested churches should provide a "caring touch" for every resident of their communities every six months. "Not many people are saved through saturation," he said, "but it creates a climate for evangelism."

5. Personal confrontation with the claims of Christ. No matter what church growth techniques are used, the unchurched must be personally confronted with the gospel in a way they can understand it, he said.

Larry Lewis, president of the HMB, spoke about seven unchanging principles of church starting and growth which he discovered as a pastor in Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, and Missouri:

1. Vision: The pastor must have a vision, not a program. "You can't depend on the program handed down from Nashville or Atlanta. You must have a vision from the Lord."

2. Spirit: The church must have a spirit of evangelism and enthusiasm. "There is no easy way for a church to grow; it takes work, and a spirit of enthusiasm."

3. Compassion: The church must have a compassion and love for people. "You need to develop a loving and caring fellowship that draws people like a magnet. A lot of people don't go to church because they went once and didn't feel welcomed or loved."

4. Prospects: The church must develop a specific list of prospects for every Sunday school class and a list of evangelistic prospects.

5. Workers: The pastor should not do all the visiting and witnessing, but should multiply his efforts by involving Sunday school workers in visitation. "We have to get off our seats, on our feet, out into the streets, and into the homes of lost people."

6. Visitation: The top priority of every pastor and every church ought to be soul winning and visitation. "What you model for your people in your lifestyle of witnessing is more important than what you preach to them."

7. Anointing: The anointing of God is the most important principle, for without God, nothing is possible.

Most Southern Baptist churches are not growing because they depend on transfer growth and biological growth instead of evangelistic growth, Lewis said. He urged Southern Baptists to respond to the HMB's 15,000 campaign to start 1,500 new congregations each year until the end of this century, saying one of the best ways for a church to grow is through establishing new missions.

More than 300 people attended the Glorieta school. Specialized training was offered on a variety of topics ranging from the family to street evangelism. A similar conference will be offered at Ridgecrest (NC) Baptist Conference Center 3-6 September.   [BP]