Here is a paragraph that is very important for many in churches today: "Some today think that a person can be a "baby Christian" for a whole lifetime. Growth is treated as an optional extra for zealous disciples. But growth is a sign of life. If a tree is alive, it grows. It an animal is alive, it grows. Being alive means growing, and growing means increasing and advancing, at least until death intercedes."
But, how do we measure growth? As we learned this past Sunday, it isn't necessarily by "bodies, budgets, and buildings".
Dever offers these possible ways:
- Growing numbers being called to missions
- Older members getting a fresh sense of their responsibility in evangelism and in discipling younger members
- Younger members attending the funeral of older members out of love
- Increased praying in the church and more prayers centered on evangelism and ministry opportunities
- More members sharing the gospel with outsiders
- Less reliance among members on the church's programs and more spontaneous ministry activities arising from members
- Informal gatherings among church members characterized by spiritual conversation, including apparent willingness to confess sin while simultaneously pointing to the cross
- Increased and sacrificial giving
- Increased fruits of the Spirit
- Members making career sacrifices so they can serve the church
- Husbands leading their wives sacrificially
- Wives submitting to their husbands
- Parents discipling their children in the faith
- A corporate willingness to discipline unrepentant and public sin
- A corporate love for an unrepentant sinner shown in the pursuit of him or her before discipline is enacted
Where are we seeing "church growth"? Where are you seeing personal growth in your life today?
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