Church Growth as a Service

It’s hard to talk about church growth, but we need to – particularly in this moment of quiet revival*. We know God wants more people to be reconciled to Him. Yet pursuing growth can feel tainted by (or like flirting with) pride, manipulation, social engineering, and a predatory attitude toward people. None of that smells like Jesus, so conversations about growth often stall in awkward ambivalence.

And yet… we sacred agents remain convicted: God wants more people reconciled to Him. We’re commissioned to make disciples, and disciples are formed in community. So how do we move forward, when it feels Christian to both want growth and not want it?

The language of family makes a helpful start. In God’s extended family, our local churches are like little households. And in his mercy, he longs for more siblings to be adopted in. To those who receive Jesus and believe in His name, God gives the right to become His children. And a new place is needed at the table for each new child.

This is where churches can set tangible goals that align with God’s kingdom—without coercion, trickery, or sales targets. We can’t make people come to Christ, but we can remove barriers and make space for them.

What if a church of 50 didn’t aim to become 100 just for the sake of numbers, but instead worked to prepare places for 50 more? What if it offered that as a prayer-in-action: by buying more chairs, communion glasses, coffee cups; by preparing to run Alpha; by building a baptism pathway; by planning a sermon series accessible to newcomers; by auditing the liturgy for unintentional exclusivity; by planning ministries for generations not yet present—even building a playground when the youngest member is 57?

Some of this may stretch a church’s current capacity—but plan anyway, and pray specifically. Not just “God, send young families,” but “God, help us become the kind of church that’s fully ready to welcome and include young families.”

It’s a noble thing to prepare to feed more mouths and shelter more orphans. When a church gets this in its heart, it both lays a dare before God and also becomes confident to warmly invite others, without pressure. Here’s a great discussion-starter: “If God hand-delivered seekers and new believers to us tomorrow, how many could we take in and nurture? And what’s stopping that number from being higher?”

*Here’s a summary of a report from Bible Society UK showing soaring church attendance there – a trend also increasingly evident in Australia. It doesn’t affect all churches. It does disproportionately affect churches that are ready.