Growing Churches

The attendance in churches is falling everywhere. Some leaders are not concerned and they even claimed that they were growing their online congregation. Shoddy theology leads to shoddy practice. There is no substitute to in person attendance when one is a member of a body, and as members we serve one another with our gifts in love when we meet together. So there is this great challenge in growing churches. I had a measure of success in my first two churches. From 200 to 450 on average is not bad in 5 years. In Ranau the congregation grew from 250 to 350 within 12 months.

On some Sundays more than 400 came to worship the Lord in two services and I became known as the pastor of the largest church in Ranau in terms of people on a Sunday though we only had one shoplot. Then my third church I could not judge as by the third month the pandemic had closed most of the churches down. 

We opened our doors whenever it was allowed and by the third week the church hall was filled to capacity. I know no other church that could say that as even the so called big churches of 1,000 members could not get 50 of its people back to worship in person when the church opened its door. So I did not do badly at all with an average of 100 people in attendance during the pandemic and about 250-400 people would watch my sermons online which consisted of people from near and far. 

But I may yet face the greatest challenge if I am appointed to a church of less than 50 people. Can I lead it to grow to 100 or 150 people in two years? It is God alone who gives growth and those who plant and water have their roles to play.