International Institute of Christian Discipleship

CR 03 Principles of Leadership

and Church Growth

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

Chapter 1

A THEOLOGY OF CHURCH GROWTH

Genesis 3:9

God comes seeking Adam and Eve. The rest of scripture is about the seeking God: through the prophets, Moses, and finally through Christ.God is the One who seeks. The phrase: “Where are you?” is in the background of everything throughout the rest of Scripture.

Christianity is about God seeking people.

Other religions are about people seeking God.

Genesis 3:9

God is the One who longs for a relationship with humanity. He can't help Himself; He keeps seeking, no matter what people have done. It is always God who initiates the seeking.

Genesis 3:9

If it is the nature of God to seek, what does this mean for church growth? Those who are called of God are called to be involved in God's mission — seeking.

Genesis 3:9

It is God's seeking that is the foundation of church growth, because all of God's seeking is done through humans.The heart of church growth is the seeking heart of God.

Genesis 3:9

The church does not seek because they are in need — shrinking in membership, can't pay bills — or because we want a large church. We seek because we can't help ourselves, just like God.

Doctrine of election is for the sake of the nations; we are chosen to give the message. We have an election to join Him in this seeking movement, which is the original function of Israel, of the Christian church, and of the SDA church.

When a church ceases to be an evangelistic agency involved in the mission of the seeking God, that church ceases to be the true church, because mission is at the heart of the seeking God.

Throughout the years the church has sought to contain the seeking God for itself, but God's plan is that the church be the people of God for the sake of the nations (people who do not know God).

If the church is for the nations, then the building, the worship services, and the outreach must be user friendly.

We are the people of God for the sake of God's seeking heart.

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Counter-culture approachIf the boundary between the church and the world is high, then church growth is seen as a rescue mission. Work in the church is seen as quite different from work in the world. The result is that we train people so well for the work of the church, they can't fish anymore.

Culture-affirming approach

No boundary at all between the church and the world. Can’t tell the world and the church apart. In terms of behavior, can't tell the difference between Christians and the world. In this cultural extreme, we feed the consumer church. In this church, as soon as people’s needs are no longer being met, they will go elsewhere.

Culture-affirming approach

Church growth then becomes proselytism.People go to whoever fills their present needs.This approach feeds into normalism and secularism.

Church's call in the world

Not a fortress where we rescue a few souls and then leave the world to go to hell.Not a consumer church that so identifies with the world that there is no difference.

Church's call in the world

Church is called out of the world, redeemed, and then put back into the world to reach and transform the world.

This is the heart of church growth.

When we believe that all cultures except our own are fallen, then when other cultures join us they will look like us.

The hardest thing for the church to do is to decide what is the essence of religion and what is cultural.

The theology of the kingdom is the rule of the King who holds us together.

We live in a fallen humanity on the way to unity. The more we point to unity, the closer we move to the King. All local congregations are only partial representations of the unity of the King; it is our collective unity.

Purpose of the SDA Church

A. 1 Peter 2:9To make known the character of God.

B. Revelation 14:6-12To proclaim the three angels’ messages.

C. Matthew 28:19-20To make disciples of all nations (all cultural groups).

Biblical numbering

I Chronicles 21:1-8Numbering condemned — for self-glorification.Numbers 1:1-4, 17-19Commanded by God.Acts 2:41, 473000 in one day — others added daily.

Biblical numbering

Acts 4:45000 believed — church now 8,120+.Acts 6:7Disciples multiplied — priests obedient.Acts 9:35Whole cities turned to Christ.

Biblical numbering

Acts 11:21Great numbers believed.Acts 21:20Many thousands.

Implications of numbering

Early church very much interested in statistics and growth, because of what numbers mean — souls saved in God's kingdom.Not numbers for sake of numbers, but souls saved.

What happened in Acts that made the church grow?

1. Church had an internal spiritual revival. Churches grow as they are spiritually revived.

2. There was a sense of the centrality of their mission. Reason for existence of church was proclamation of gospel.

3. Proclaimed gospel both publicly and privately.

Facts that should have hindered church growth in the book of Acts

Growing Greek influence in society — secularization of societyFormal religion (Jews)Strong materialistic influence by RomeSmall church considered by many to be a sect

Chapter 2

CHALLENGE OF THE HARVEST

"Time is short. Workers for Christ are needed everywhere. There should be one hundred earnest, faithful laborers in home and foreign mission fields where now there is one. The highways and byways are yet unworked."

—Fundamentals of Education, p. 488

"We are not, as Christians, doing one twentieth the part that we might do in winning souls to Christ. There is a world to be warned, and every sincere Christian will be a guide and an example to others in faithfulness,

in cross-bearing, in prompt and vigorous action, in unswerving fidelity to the cause of truth, and in sacrifices and labors to promote the cause of God.”

—Christian Service, p. 12

WALK THE TALK1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WALK THE TALKTALK THE WALK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The world's population

2 billion people name Jesus as

Lord.

1 and ½ billion may have heard

of Jesus.

3 billion have never heard the name of Jesus.

The world's population

Percentage of the world in major Christian and non-Christian groupings:

1900 1985 2000 2012

Roman Catholic 16.8% 18.5% 18.7% 17.4%

Protestant 9.4% 7.9% 7.0% 11.4%

Non-Religious/Atheist 2.0% 20.8% 21.3% 18.0%

63.8%

21.4%

8.8%

6.0%

1970 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

72.7%

17.2%

6.1%

4.0%

1980 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

79.3%

12.0%

5.0%

3.7%

1989 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

84.3%

8.0%

4.3%

3.4%

2000 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

91.5%7.0%

1.0%0.5%

2005 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

92.0%

7.0%

0.5%0.5%

2012 Distribution of SDA's

Africa, Asia, Latin AmericaNorth American DivisionEuropean DivisionAustralian Division

The world's population

Funding ratios:North American Division 78%All other world divisions 22%

Where is the real mission field today?

North AmericaEuropeAustralia

Twenty years and counting

Urban Population:1985 41%2007 50+%2012 52%

Twenty years and counting

First identified:1981Deaths since 1981 to 201236 millions

AIDS

Twenty years and counting

World population:1988 5.1 billion2007 6.6 billion2012 7.06 billion

Twenty years and counting

Church membership1988 5,816,7672007 15,435,4702012 17,881,491

IMPOSSIBLE?

Russia 2012Population 141.9 millionMembership 34,982Population per Adventist 4,056 to 1

Cambodia 2012Population 14.8 millionMembership 5,911Population per Adventist2,504 to 1

Mongolia 2012Population 2.8 millionMembership 1,897Population per Adventist1,476 to 1

Northern India 2012Population 300 millionMembership 340,894Population per Adventist880 to 1

Sudan 2012Population 37.2 millionMembership 83344,657 to 1

Rapid Progress1863 373,143/11900 21,487/11950 3,300/11988 8 8 2 / 12008 407/12012 394/1

Countries of the world1988

2006 2012– UN Count 215 229 238– Adventist Work 184 203 216– No Adventist Work 31 26 22

What does it mean to:“Enter” a country“Finish” the work“Share” the message“Preach” the everlasting gospel

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

North AmericaHindu 77%Buddhist 64%Muslim 32%

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

EuropeMuslim 81%Buddhist 68%Hindu 42%

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

Australia 2012Population 23.3 million

Buddhists 582,500Muslims 512,600Hindus 302,900

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

Brazil 2012Population 194 million

Buddhists 215,000Jews 107,925

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

France 2012Population 63.4 million

Muslims 6,000,000Jews 480,000Buddhists 1,000,000

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

Mexico 2012Population 113 million

Arabs (Muslims) 111,000Buddhists 108,701

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

Russia 2012Population 141.9 million

Muslims 16,600,000Buddhists 1,500,000Hindus 140,000

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

South Africa 2012Population 52 million

Hindus 1,684,283Muslims 780,000

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

United Kingdom 2012Population 63.7 million

Muslims 2,802,800Hindus 628,100Jews 312,130Buddhists 254,800

Unreached groups in “reached” countries

United States 2012Population 312.8 million

Jews 6,600,000Muslims 6,500,000Buddhists 4,066,400Hindus 1,251,200

Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV)

“If you have raced with men on footand they have worn you out,how can you compete with horses?

If you stumble in a safe country,how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”

Doing the numbers

Unreached people:

2.64 Billion

increase

1988 2012

01,000,000,0002,000,000,0003,000,000,0004,000,000,0005,000,000,0006,000,000,0007,000,000,0008,000,000,000

(population minus membership)

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

Mexico 2012120.5 million

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

Nigeria 2012168.52 million

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

Brazil 2012197.33 million

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

United States 2012

311.63 million

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

Pakistan 2012

184.33 million

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

China 20121.35 billion

Unreached peopleIncrease since 1988

India 20121.22 billion

Unreached people:2.64 Billionincrease

1988 2012

01,000,000,0002,000,000,0003,000,000,0004,000,000,0005,000,000,0006,000,000,0007,000,000,0008,000,000,000

(population minus membership)

Churches & companies 1988 2006 2012Churches & co 29,039 123,179 141,968Pop/church & co 175,625 53,218 49,709Churches & co/million 5.7 18.95 20.12

Churches & co per million people 2012SPD 142.2SID 124.5ECD 66.2IAD 68.6SAD 75.4

WAD 20.3NAD 17.7SSD 11.1ESD 22.25

SUD 7.4EUD 9.4NSD 3.6TED 6.1

Churches & co per million people

Divisions on next slides:Countries with 1,000,000+More than 50 churches/co per millionLess than 5 churches/co per million

SPD - Churches & Coper million 2012

Papua N G (Pop. 7.17 million) 534.7Australia (Pop.22.7 million) 23.8

SID - Churches & Coper million

Zambia 412.1Zimbabwe 303.9Malawi 198.7Angola 113.7

Mozambique104Botswana 105Namibia 64Madagascar 67.6

ECD - Churches & Coper million

Rwanda 197.9Kenya 211.8Tanzania92.7Uganda 76.7

Eritrea 2.5Somalia 0

SUD - Churches & Coper million

India 7.51Nepal 3.93

NSD - Churches & Coper million

S Korea 17.4

Mongolia 5.0Taiwan 3.7Hong Kong 3.0

China 3.3Japan 1.1N Korea 1.0

WAD - Churches & Coper million

Ghana 118.7Cameroon 63.4

Congo 2.1Guinea 2.2Mali1.7Senegal 0.3Niger 0.4Mauritania 0.6

ESD - Churches & Coper million

Moldova80.3Georgia 3.5Tajikistan 1.2

Azerbaijan 1.2Uzbekistan 0.5Turkmenistan0.6

SSD - Churches & Coper million

Philippines 69.4Timor-Leste 9.0Cambodia 2.4Sri Lanka 2.9

Bangladesh 2.7Thailand 1.8Singapore 1.6Laos 2.5Viet Nam 1.6

EUD - Churches & Coper million

Romania67.4Spain 3.2Belgium 3.0Italy 2.2France 2.2

Libya 0.2Algeria 0.1Tunisia 0.1Turkey 0.05Morocco 0.1Iran 0.03Afghanistan 0

TED - Churches & Coper million

Latvia 26.0Croatia 23.7Serbia 27.8Norway 12.8Finland 15.0Sudan 4.7

UK 4.7Sweden 4.3Poland 3.8Netherlands 4.0Israel3.0Greece 1.9Albania 2.5Lebanon 1.3

TED - Churches & Coper million

Pakistan 1.3UAE 1.2Ireland 1.2Cyprus 2.0Jordan 0.5Oman 0.4

Kuwait 0.4Egypt 0.3Iraq 0.1Saudi Arabia 0Syria 0Yemen 0

Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand 1.9 per millionBangkok 0.5 per million

Kolkata, India

World 1:407India 1:903Kolkata 1:23,321

People groups

13,000+ distinct people groups394 groups of 10,000+No known Christians118 groups of 100,000+No known Christians

Languages

0.5% 5.9%

93.5%

Adventist Work

AWROtherNone

Spoken 13,540– AWR Broadcasts

70– Other Adventist Work

805– No Adventist Work

12,665

Languages

13%

23.00%

14.00%

50%

Spoken 13,540Written 8,50010,000+ 2,937- None 1,459- Portion 423- NT only 681- Entire Bible 374

MissionariesIn 1600:8,500 Jesuit missionariesWorld population: 545 million (½ of India's population today)Same ratio today?

Country Adventist MissionariesChina 20,275India 17,156Trans-Mediterranean 4,050Middle East Union 3,634

Missionaries8,500 in 1600 = 102 million todayAdventist Missionaries Today

IDEs 919Global Mission Pioneers 2,293AVS Volunteers & SMs 544His Hands Volunteers 1,000Trained Tentmakers 200Gospel Outreach Evangelists 2,507AFM Missionaries 64AFM Short-term and SMs 23

Total 7,550

U.S. population today: 280 Million

55,433,052 confirmed members (protestant)53,385,998 Catholics3,540,820 Mormons112,369,870 on church books

137,064,509 adherents (people professing to belong to a church - includes members listed above)143 million hard core unchurched25 million religious unchurched (claim religious affiliation, but not on the books of any church)

U.S. population today: 280 Million

56 million on the books but rarely attend (½ membership)224 million unchurched people in the U.S.Only two countries in the world have a population larger than 200 million (China and India).

U.S. population today: 280 Million

Forty-one percent of Americans (115 million) report attending church on a typical week-end in 1999, compared to 49% in 1991.

Why churched people attend church

1. The theological beliefs and doctrines of the church

2. How much people seem to care about each other

3. The quality of the sermons that are preached

Why churched people attend church

4. How friendly the people in the church are to visitors

5. How involved the church is in helping poor and disadvantaged people

6. The quality of the programs and classes for children

Why churched people attend church

7. How much they like the pastor8. The denomination the church is affiliated with9. The quality of the adult SS classes10. The convenience of the times of the weekend

services

Why unchurched people attend church

1. Learning more about God2. Getting religious training for their children3. Improving their personal understanding of the

contents of the Bible4. Meeting other people5. Discovering ways of handling daily challenges

more appropriately or effectively

Most churches are simply baptizing people from other churches: Southern Baptists report that 60% of adults baptized in their churches in 1993 had been baptized before, 35.8% of which had been baptized before in Southern Baptist Churches.

Eighty percent of all church growth in America is due to either transfer or biological growth.

There are approximately 324,000 churches in America. Based on the best estimate and research, we could double the number of churches without over churching America.

PROSPERITY weakens spiritual life

Seventh-day Adventist church growthDecade average growth per year

1863-1870 7.9%1870-1880 18.6%1880-1890 9.1%1890-1900 12.4%1900-1910 3.6%1910-1920 10.4%1920-1930 6.9%1930-1940 6.1%

Seventh-day Adventist church growthDecade average growth per year

1940-1950 5.0%1950-1960 6.5%1960-1970 6.5%1970-1980 7.0%1980-1990 7.8%1990-2000 7.7%2000-2005 4.97%

North American church growthYear Members Year Members

Avr Growth1965 380,855 1970 439,726

3.0% 1970 439,726 1975 525,247

4.3%1975 525,247 1980 604,430

3.0%1980 604,430 1984 676,204

2.4%1984 676,204 1989 743,023

2.0%1989 743,023 1994 822,150

2.1%1994 822,150 1999 914,106

2.2%

Membership if 12.4% growth rate had been maintained since 1890

1890 - 29,7111900 - 66,2371910 - 148,3711920 - 332,3631930 - 744,4931940 - 1,667,664

1950 - 3,735,5671960 - 8,367,6701970 - 18,743,5801980 - 41,985,6191990 - 94,047,7862000 - 210,665,000

Membership if 18.6% growth rate had been maintained since 1870

1880 - 15,5701890 - 44,5301900 - 127,3561910 - 364,2381920 - 1,038,0781930 - 2,968,903

1940 - 8,491,0621950 - 24,284,4381960 - 69,453,4921970 - 198,635,5801980 - 568,096,1001990 - 1,624,754,5002000 - 4,646,796,400

Global Mission 1990 – 2000Goal:

Put SDA presence in every people group of 1 million or more 2300 groups identified

Results:Established SDA church in 2000 groupsWorld population added 600 new groups of 1 millionStill need to penetrate 900 groups

Averaged 4-5 new churches planted per

day 1990 – 2000

10/40 window advancesCambodia

1990 – 0 Churches, 0 Members2000 – 65 Churches, 4,000 Members

India (Haryana State – North India)1990 – 11 Members2000 – 400 Members,100 Churches5,000 Attending

ChinaNearly 60,000 baptisms 1990 – 2000

World baptisms 1999

Total – 1,090,8482,986.58 per day124.44 per hour2.07 per minute1 every 28.9 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

World baptisms 2001

Total – 961,5422,632.56 per day119.69 per hour1.83 per minute1 every 32.8 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

World baptisms 2002

Total – 978,0592,677.78 per day111.57 per hour1.86 per minute1 every 32.3 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

World baptisms 2003

Total – 991,7172,717 per day113.2 per hour1.88 per minute1 every 31 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

World baptisms 2004

Total – 1,071,1352,935 per day122.3 per hour2.04 per minute1 every 29 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

World baptisms 2012

Total – 1,082,6542,996.2 per day123.59 per hour2.06 per minute1 every 29.13 seconds

©Dr. Matthias Schreiber/Churchphoto.de

SDA and world population1997 - 1 for every 602 people1998 - 1 for every 583 people1999 - 1 for every 547 people2000 - 1 for every 519 people2001 - 1 for every 491 people2002 - 1 for every 482 people2003 - 1 for every 458 people2012 - 1 for every 394 people

Largest Christian religious bodies in the world 2012

Catholic 1,228,000,000Orthodox/Eastern 300,000,000Anglican 80,000,000Assemblies of God 66,400,000Ethiopian Orthodox 45,000,000Evangelische Kirche 25,400,000in Deutschland

Largest Christian religious bodies in the world 2012

Iglesia ni Cristo 27,000,000SDA 17,881,491Southern Baptist 16,000,000Jehovah's Witnesses 19,200,000LDS (Mormons) 15,000,000

Largest Christian religious bodies in the world

United Methodists 12,100,000New Apostolic Church 11,239,935Coptic Orthodox 14,000.000Church of God in Christ 8,000,000

Fastest growing religious groups in the US (alphabetically)

Animal rights activistsAssembly of GodBaha'i faithChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsEnvironmentalismEvangelicals

Fastest growing religious groups in the US (alphabetically)

HinduismInternational Church of ChristIslamJehovah WitnessesLubavitcher Hasidic JewsNon-denominational community churches

Fastest growing religious groups in the US (alphabetically)

Primal-indigenous religion/Revitalized tribal and “first people’s” organizationsSeventh-day AdventistsSoka GakkaiUnitarian UniversalistsWiccaZen Buddhism

How can we meet the challenge of reaching the vast populations of earth with Adventism’s special message?

A. We must reach people where they are itching. We must understand the concept of meeting the felt needs of the people in the community and not just the religiously-oriented person. Our evangelism must begin to be targeted to unchurched people rather than churched people.

B. There must be increased lay involvement and a full utilization of the spiritual gifts of the laity.

C. We must continually be planting new churches in new people groups.

D. We must keep the fire burning.

Chapter 3

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH GROWTH

Church growth is a DIVINE-HUMAN enterprise

The divine dimension:God is at work in our world. Jesus is drawing people to Him. Holy Spirit is working in people's hearts directing the salvation enterprise.

Church growth is a DIVINE-HUMAN enterprise

The human dimension:People must have a right relationship with God. Man must have the right vision. Man must have the right goals. Man must have the right tasks. Man must be in the right time and place. Man must reach the right people.

Churches grow when they see that it is GOD'S WILL for the church to grow

1. Develop a church growth consciousness — bothers them when church does not grow. Can never let the church reach place where it is satisfied with non-growth.

©Rafael Schaeffer/Churchphoto.de

Churches grow when they see that it is GOD'S WILL for the church to grow

2. Theology of outreach and proclamation is deeply rooted in the psyche of the church.3. The church is willing to pay the price of growth — committed to growth.

©Rafael Schaeffer/Churchphoto.de

Churches grow as they develop “church growth eyes”

Growing churches have aMULTI-FACETED ministry

Receptivity Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Growing churches have aMULTI-FACETED ministry

Receptivity Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Growing churches have aMULTI-FACETED ministry

Receptivity Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Growing churches have aMULTI-FACETED ministry

Receptivity Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Growing churches are people centered

Growing churches recognize the need to meet the felt needs of the community.

“Christ's method alone will give true success

in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow me.’”

—Ministry of Healing, p. 143

Growing churches plan for a PROCESS OF GROWTH

GoalsEffectiveResourcesMaterialsEvaluationAccountability

Process of growth

1. We like “quick fixes.”2. It takes 24-48 months to move a church from

plateau to growth.3. A growth process is more important than a

growth event.

Process of growth

4. A growth process is where growth thinking permeates every aspect of the church.

5. Should we have an evangelism committee in the church?

Growing churches successfully mobilize, train, equip, and DEPLOY laity in ministry

Programs # ofPeopleServed

Participation Base

Growing churches successfully mobilize, train, equip, and DEPLOY laity in ministry

Programs # ofPeopleServed

Participation Base

Growing churches successfully mobilize, train, equip, and DEPLOY laity in ministry

Programs# ofPeopleServed

Participation Base

Involvement of laity in churches:

Declining 27%Plateaued 45%Growing 60%

Growing churches evidence Christ's love both to those within the body and to those outside the body.Churches grow by:Proclama

tionAttraction -

way they live and love

Growing churches implement appropriate and effective evangelism to new groups and in new ways.

“In the cities of today, where there is so much to attract and please, the people can be interested by no ordinary efforts. . . Put forth extraordinary efforts in order to arrest the attention of the multitudes. . . Make use of every means that can possibly be devised for causing the truth to stand out clearly and distinctly.”

—9 T, p. 109

“The methods and means by which we reach certain ends are not always the same. [You] . . . must use reason and judgment. . . .”

—GW, p. 468

“Different methods of labor are to be employed to save different ones.”

—Ev. p. 166

“Different methods of labor are really essential.”

—TM p. 251

“New methods must be introduced.”—Ev. p. 70

“God would have new and untried methods followed. Break in upon the people—surprise them.”

—Ev. p. 125

“We must do something out of the common course of things. We must arrest the attention.”

—Ev. p. 122-123

“Your efforts are too tame.”

—Ev. p. 279

“As field after field is entered, new methods and new plans will spring from new circumstances. New thought will come with the new workers who give themselves to the work. As they seek the Lord for help, He will communicate with them. They will receive plans devised by the

Lord Himself.” —6 T, p. 476

“Church organization. . . is not to prescribe the exact way in which we should work. . .”

—6 T, p. 116

“There must be no fixed rules; our work is a progressive work, and there must be room left for methods to be improved upon.”

—Ev. p. 105

“Some of the methods used in this work will be different from methods used in the past, but let no one, because of this, block the way by criticism.”

—7 T, p. 25

“There is to be no unkind criticism, no pulling to pieces of another's work.”

—Ev. p. 106

Growing churches build on the NATURAL SOCIAL NETWORKS of people for effective evangelism

A. Walk in 3-4%B. Special need 2-3%C. Pastor 0-3%D. Visitation 1/4-1%

Growing churches build on the NATURAL SOCIAL NETWORKS of people for effective evangelism

E. S.S. 3-4%F. Program 3-4%G. Friend/Relative 70-90%

Growing churches develop appropriate and effective infrastructures

Growing churches are successful in incorporating new and older members, thus closing the back door.

A typical church loses 5-11% per year through death, transfer, and reversionAn average church also has 30- 35% of its membership inactive

Prospect

New Member

Non-active Member (Attends 2-3 times per month)

In-active Member (Attends 2-3 times per year)

Drop Out (Rarely attends)

80%

15%

5%

Active Responsible Church Member

(Attends 3+ times per month plus role or task)

Pastors of growing churches spend 1 ½ hours daily in prayer

Growing churches clearly plan to grow by analyzing their growth

1. They examine excuses 2. They recognize growth restricting obstacles3. They keep accurate records so they know

what is happening4. They analyze and understand the community

They analyze and understand the community

They understand the barriers that separate peopleThey study their neighborhoodThey test the soil

Church growth and evangelistic outreach methods

Entry events

Radio-TV

Public evang

Friendship evang

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 9043

60

34

58

78

21

86

87

21

53

21

48

60

12

80

79

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and number of worship services

One worship Two or more worships05

101520253035404550

23

47

2219

38

25

1610

Fast-growing churches Moderate-growth churchesStable churches Declining churches

Church growth and worship style in two or more services

Similar style Somewhat different Very different0

10

20

30

40

50

60

31 31

52

20

31

10

29 2923

19

8 10

Fast-growing churches Moderate-growth churchesStable churches Declining churches

Church growth and worship elements

A time to greet each other Drama05

101520253035404550

34

47

19

2926

1820

6

Fast-growing churches Moderate-growth churchesStable churches Declining churches

Evangelistic outreach

Visits

by pastor

Friendsh

ip evang

Visits

by members

Public evang

Newpaper

Direct

mail

Seeker service

Entry events

Radio-TV

Newcomer o

utreach

0

20

40

60

80

100 88 85 8474

59 5543 47

331811 12 13

25

46 4351 58 59

78

Done in last year Willing to start doing

Church growth and members participating in small groups

None

Hardly any (1%-10%)

A few (11%-20%)

Some (21%-40%)

Many (41%-60%)

Most or all (61%-100%)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 407

35

29

18

8

3

21

36

24

14

2

3

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and teaching spiritual disciplines

Abstinence from premarital sex

Abstinence from alcohol

Dietary restrictions

Family worship

Personal Devotions

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

30

42

11

73

63

14

39

2

52

50

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and goals for growth

Goal of more than 10% per year

Goal of 3%-10% per year

Goal of 1%-2% per year

No goal

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

37

45

2

16

36

32

2

31

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and follow-up with new attenders

Have no method to get names

Don't follow-up

Contact within 1-2 months

Contact within 1-2 weeks

Contact within a few days

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

5

26

3

36

30

5

40

7

29

19

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and serious conflict

About behavior of a member

About pastor's behavior

About pastor's leadership

About authority

About program priorities

About worship style

About finances

About theology

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 2013

5

7

5

3

5

4

3

17

12

19

16

8

12

5

15

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and congregational dynamics

010203040

37 3630

1828 25 29

1425 27 27

42

9 11 8

25

Fast-growing churches Moderate-growth churchesStable churches Declining churches

Church growth and the year congregation was founded

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1947-1959

Before 1946

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 5012

13

13

9

8

38

5

12

13

8

9

48

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and type of community

Metro area larger than 250,000

Metro area less than 250,000

Town 10,000-50,000

Town less than 10,000

Rural area

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4020

22

29

14

12

8

15

39

22

15

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and pastoral tenure

4 or more pastors in last 10 years

2-3 pastors in last 10 years

1 pastor in last 10 years

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

28

67

9

39

59

2

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and budget for local church staff

Over $7,500 per year

Under $7,500 per year

None

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

28

21

52

25

18

58

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Church growth and budget for local mission work

$5,000 or more per year

$600 - $4,999 per year

Less than $600 per year

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

46

44

11

17

59

25

Declining Churches Growing Churches

Eight characteristics of growing churches

1. Empowering leadership2. Gift-oriented lay ministry3. Passionate spirituality4. Functional structures5. Inspiring worship service6. Holistic small groups7. Need-oriented evangelism8. Loving relationships

International Institute of

Christian Ministries

©2012 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

Principles of Leadership and Church Growth