Why Do Churches Grow? 

Recently at Cornerstone Community Church in Hobart, Indiana, where I’m an elder, we enjoyed our first Elder/Congregation Fireside Chat (FSC). FSC is an opportunity in a safe, family-like setting for our congregation to be listened to by their elders. We invited questions, concerns, suggestions, ideas, prayer requests for our church, etc. 

It truly was a wonderful time of open, candid sharing. One of the many great questions addressed the topic of why churches grow. Or, “Why do some churches grow while others don’t?” 

I’ve been reflecting on that question the past twenty-four hours and, rather than examining what studies might tell us, I’m pondering this biblically. Here are a few initial thoughts… 

1. God is sovereign over growth. 

The Apostle Paul said that he planted the seed, others watered the seed, but God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). God’s sovereignty extends over everything, including who comes to Christ and who comes to a particular church. So, sometimes it is impossible, from an earthly perspective to figure out why two Bible-believing, Christ-exalting, people-loving congregations can be in the same area and one grows numerically and the other stagnates. 

2. Church health is something we can strive for, church growth is something we can pray for. 

Since God is sovereign in bringing people to Christ and in leading new people to a particular congregation, we need to pray to our sovereign God about church growth. And, we need to pray that it is primarily growth from new believers and not simply from Christians leaving one good church to attend another good church. 

What we have a little more “control over” is the health of our church. As another wise person shared in our FSC, “let’s be praying for and working together toward our individual and corporate spiritual growth.” 

3. Healthy churches exalt Christ in everything. 

So, if we are aiming for a healthy church, what does that look like? A healthy church is Christ-focused. It is gospel-centered. In everything. 

The preaching is all about Christ. The worship music is all about Christ. The business meetings are all about Christ! The Fireside Chats are all about Christ. How elders relate to members and how members relate to elders is all about Christ. 

4. Healthy churches preach Christ. 

Obviously, this is an extension of point 3, just making it more specific. In a healthy church, sermons are not moral lessons where we are the hero of the story. Instead, they are transformational preaching where we are desperately in need of rescue and Christ is the Hero of the story. Sermons are not story-telling about David or Samson or Abraham or Paul. While they will be mentioned, healthy preaching doesn’t point us to human characters in the Bible’s stories, but to Christ as the central Character and point of every Bible story. Healthy sermons show us the fallen human condition and then show us that our only hope is in Christ. 

5. Healthy churches equip God’s people to speak the truth about Christ in love to one another. 

In healthy churches, God’s people are equipped to speak the truth in love. That’s exactly Paul’s summary of church health in Ephesians 4:11-16. The role of pastors/teachers/elders/leaders is to equip and empower people. To do what? To speak gospel truth in love so that the whole Body grows up in Christ who is the Head.

Thus, in a healthy church everyone is preaching Christ to everyone else all through the week. In a healthy church, the gospel is not only what the unsaved person needs. The gospel is what believers need to live by, for, and through everyday. 

In 2 Peter 1, Peter says that until the day he dies he was going to keep reminding the believers he shepherded about who they were in Christ and who they were to Christ. In a healthy church, every believer keeps pointing each other to their identity in Christ as saints and sons/daughters of God. 

6. Healthy churches have a mindset that every member is a minister. 

Again, we’re building on previous points. In an unhealthy church, the pastor robs the people when he hoards all the ministry. In a healthy church, the pastor blesses the people by equipping them for ministry, overseeing their ministry development, and applauding their ministry—putting the people in the spotlight, not himself. 

7. Healthy churches see themselves as a battleship not a cruise ship. 

On a cruise ship, it’s all about me. On a battleship, it’s all about the mission. A cruise ship church focuses exclusively inwardly. A battleship church focuses outwardly—on the mission and calling of bringing others to exalt and enjoy Christ. 

8. Healthy churches pray. 

Since God is sovereign, since church health is vital, and since spiritual health is the work of God, healthy churches pray. They don’t focus their prayers on numbers, though when new people come to Christ that’s so much more than a number! Healthy churches ask God to mature every member so that their lives invite others to Christ. 

9. Healthy churches are noticed. 

Many have said, and I agree, that churches should, “Focus on church health, not church growth, because healthy things grow.” Healthy churches will grow. As I’ve indicated, that growth is not necessarily numerical growth. It will at least be individual and corporate growth. 

However, in God’s sovereign plan, healthy churches often do grow numerically as well as spiritually. That’s why the best “marketing” a church can do is a healthy congregation that is growing spiritually.

Yes, I believe in “marketing” and getting the word out and social media, etc. But the best way to “get the word out” about a church is for people in the community to see the lives of the members of the church. When people ask us a reason for the hope within us, then we can point them to Christ and to a healthy church where He is exalted. 

Join the Conversation 

What makes churches grow? 

What are some of the marks of a healthy church? 

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