The principle is simple: healthy things grow. Just as a child or plant thrives in a healthy environment, an organization needs the right care and environment to grow. Unhealthy elements tend to wither away.
In the context of a disciple-making church, the cornerstone lies in cultivating healthy people. A church is a collective of people, and its growth is intricately tied to the well-being of its members.
Spiritual growth starts when a person accepts Christ and is reborn in faith. However, this newfound spiritual life doesn’t guarantee automatic growth. Just like a plant needs the right conditions to thrive, spiritual growth requires a nurturing environment. This nurturing environment is called discipleship – a process and place where individuals are nurtured, supported, and challenged.
A disciple-making church is precisely designed to foster growth. Its primary goal is to guide inexperienced seekers to become fully trained disciples. Similar to raising a child to adulthood, the journey involves steering individuals from spiritual infancy to becoming spiritually mature disciples. This approach is all about setting the stage for growth.
Jesus’ life and ministry reveal how His original twelve disciples grew in their faith. These once-ordinary men transformed into empowered leaders through dedicated growth. Their personal development was incredible. Ultimately, their growth propelled the entire movement forward. After Pentecost, the Church in Jerusalem experienced an exponential surge in numbers. This growth was a direct result of ongoing discipleship efforts. Acts 6:1 highlights this growth: “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number.”
We might assume that everyone desires church growth – more souls embracing faith, more lives transformed. And yet, there’s a catch. The enthusiasm for growth often fades when it requires inconvenience or discomfort. We’re okay with growth as long as it doesn’t disrupt the status quo. People are supportive of growth until it asks for personal sacrifices.
The paradox is that while everyone craves growth, they also yearn for stability. People hope for church expansion but want to park in their usual spots and keep their preferred seats. They want growth but prefer the intimacy of their existing small groups without expanding. People want growth in theory but might not fully comprehend everything it requires.
The foundation of church growth is a meticulous organization with a strategy to foster growth. This means helping individuals grow and being prepared to make collective sacrifices. The church community needs to balance expanding in numbers and maintaining intimacy through small groups. Achieving this balance involves embracing small groups that provide personalized care, allowing each member to thrive. When both growth and intimacy are nurtured simultaneously, even a large church can retain the warmth of a close-knit community.
At Impact Discipleship Ministries, we are committed to helping churches and Christians grow. We provide resources and consulting to help you lead your church to grow and help people grow. Please get in touch with us at impactdisciples.com if we can serve you in any way.
