Okay, before we reveal this mind-blowing answer, let me offer a disclaimer: this has nothing to do with the size of your church, currently or in the future. Seriously.
So with that out of the way, are you ready? Drumroll, please…
Answer: Evangelism.
Okay, remember: I told you this isn’t rocket science. But here’s the reality: unless you enjoy sheep-stealing because in some perverse way you think your church is more awesome than all the others in your area, naturally occurring attrition will eventually whittle your flock down. And there are only two ways for effective evangelism: you either (1) go and find people who are far from God or (2) you attract them. Find or attract.
Either way—and honestly I don’t know why it can’t be both/and—you have to measure whether you’re accomplishing that or not. Can you imagine a farmer who never really measured or cared how many bushels of beans his farm produced? With an attitude like that, the farmer could really care less about planting or watering or fertilizing or weeding or whatever. Unsurprisingly, that farmer will be out of business in a few years.
And then think of this: how many parables did Jesus tell us about being productive…or “fruitful” in his words?
In other words, if you’re a “go-and-find-them”-church—which means you believe your weekend gatherings are for discipling and equipping people to do evangelism beyond the four walls—you have to ask: are your people really doing that? And how are you measuring if they’re being productive? Are the people they’re leading to Jesus being assimilated into the beautiful Body of Christ somehow and somewhere?
Or if you’re an “attractional”-church—which means you gear your weekend gatherings to be super-welcoming, inclusive, user-friendly, and invitational—are people actually being transformed into new creations in your gatherings and expressing their newly-rebirthed life in growing ways? Are you measuring that in some way to assess your productivity?
Again, this isn’t rocket science. But to mix metaphors, you have to keep your foot on the gas pedal of evangelism constantly. Let’s be honest: how often do you wrestle with and discuss this with your leadership team?
And if you don’t have a leadership team—and I mean an effective team whether paid or volunteer—that’s a whole other topic...or problem—for another time.
But for now, remember: there’s only one way to honestly grow your church. And that’s the E word.
“For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” ~Jesus
Question of the Day: What do I need to change today to make sure this happens tomorrow?