blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
The purpose driven thread got me thinking about church growth. I was wondering (and feel free to answer any or all of the questions ... (or none)):
1. As pastors or elders, are you ever 'pressured' by your congregations to do something to increase the numbers?
2. If your church doesn't grow numerically, does the congregation blame you? Would your position as pastor ever be in jeopardy?
3. How important should church growth (numerical) be? Obviously, God adds to His church such as should be saved. How does a church avoid resting too much on this truth and becoming stagnant?
4. Have any of you ever been asked to step down because the church wasn't growing?
5. Is this pressure to grow the church numerically more of an evangelical thing, or does it exist in reformed churches as well?
6. If you're training to become a pastor, how would you deal with a congregation that came to you, STRONGLY desiring the church to grow numerically, and suggested something along the lines of Warren's stuff?
1. As pastors or elders, are you ever 'pressured' by your congregations to do something to increase the numbers?
2. If your church doesn't grow numerically, does the congregation blame you? Would your position as pastor ever be in jeopardy?
3. How important should church growth (numerical) be? Obviously, God adds to His church such as should be saved. How does a church avoid resting too much on this truth and becoming stagnant?
4. Have any of you ever been asked to step down because the church wasn't growing?
5. Is this pressure to grow the church numerically more of an evangelical thing, or does it exist in reformed churches as well?
6. If you're training to become a pastor, how would you deal with a congregation that came to you, STRONGLY desiring the church to grow numerically, and suggested something along the lines of Warren's stuff?
