The Foundation of Church Growth

By Dean Collins

There are countless books and seminars on church growth. Often, their content is drawn from the experiences of one or more pastors who have seen their churches grow and then share what they have learned in hopes that other churches might experience similar results. I have read some of these books and listened to pastors explain the “how-to” of their growth. Sometimes, perhaps even often, these pastors acknowledge that they are sharing their own experiences rather than offering a blueprint for success. Yet many pastors and elders latch onto the content and try to replicate it, hoping for similar results.

When we read Acts 9:31, we find a description of significant growth:

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

It appears that reverence for the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit were foundational to the church’s growth. I really can’t recall ever hearing a church growth expert emphasize these things. (Perhaps they do, and I just haven’t heard them.)

I’ll be honest. In my years of ministry, I have tried to evaluate many areas of church life to identify and improve things that might impede growth. These include:

• Is the building or facility clean?

• What is the first impression of someone entering the church for the first time?

• Are there welcoming greeters?

• Is there a group of people dedicated to praying for the church and its various gatherings?

• Is there a vibrant children’s and youth ministry?

• Is the worship music good?

And the list goes on.

All of these things are important, but perhaps Luke is pointing us toward something even more foundational to the health of our churches. His words raise two important questions: Do we live in awe of how great our God is? And do we experience the comfort and presence of the Holy Spirit in our relationship with God?

When we read Acts 8 and 9, we quickly see that Saul, after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, moved from vigorously opposing the good news of Jesus to boldly proclaiming it. This radical transformation confused and angered both Jewish leaders and some of Jesus’ followers. At this point, we might acknowledge that the enemy of God will use any means available to disrupt the ministry of the church and hinder the spread of the gospel.

In Paul’s case, had some wise Christian leaders not encouraged him to leave Jerusalem for Tarsus to escape the angry opposition, he might have been killed. I don’t want to suggest that simply removing Paul caused the church to grow. However, I do wonder whether the resulting peace gave the church an opportunity to refocus and mature in its faith.

Without much explanation about how long Paul was away or what he was doing during that time, Luke later brings him back as a central figure in the expansion of the gospel. Other New Testament letters help us connect some of the dots and see that Paul may have been away from Jerusalem and the other apostles, but he continued sharing his faith wherever he went.

It is interesting to consider Paul’s later instructions to the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 4, he offers some compelling words that reflect a concern for spiritual maturity and for how believers interact with others:

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1, ESV).

Later, he encourages them “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, ESV).

Notice that Paul encourages the Thessalonians to continue walking in the ways they have been taught while growing in those practices. In particular, he calls them to live quietly, mind their own affairs, and work with their hands so they can conduct themselves properly before those outside the church.

Paul’s words remind us that spiritual maturity involves more than passion for the gospel. It also involves learning how to live, work, and relate to others in ways that honor God. We cannot know precisely how Paul’s time away from Jerusalem shaped his development, but his letters certainly demonstrate a deep concern for the character and conduct of believers.

This is good news for you and me! We can all grow, mature, and learn to treat others with a servant’s heart. Sometimes, our passion to do God’s work can get ahead of our spiritual maturity. We may need to step back, listen, pray, and allow God to reshape not only what we do but also how we do it.

You and I may not need to move miles away for years to learn how to walk in ways that please God. But we might need to find ways to pull back, pray, seek wisdom from others, and serve in ways that teach us to depend more fully on God.

When we do, God will meet us there. And as we live in awe of God and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, we might just experience the joy of watching many come to faith in Christ.

Prayer: Father, give us wisdom to know when we need to lean in and when we need to pull back from tensions that threaten the work you have called us to do. Teach us humility, deepen our reverence for you, and grant us the courage to wait on you. Help us depend more fully on your Spirit and grow in the way we live and serve others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Acts 9:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 11–12 ESV

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