There’s nothing anyone can do to guarantee that any particular congregation will grow numerically.
No, I’m not being pessimistic, I’m being realistic. There are simply no absolutes in church growth. At least not for the numerical increase of an individual congregation.
Not every church that uses church growth principles grows as a result of them. If that’s the case, some may wonder, why try at all? Here’s why.
Because, while using the right principles doesn’t guarantee growth, not using them will guarantee that we won’t grow. Or be healthy. Or have a positive impact for the kingdom of God.
Author
-
Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.