It's not about the numbers but…
As church plants or shrinking churches start the process of becoming a multiethnic church I see some potential problems or rather excuses potentially arising. One of the big ones that come to my mind is this: It’s not about the numbers.
Being part of a small church myself, it’s nice to know that you’ll be missed when you can’t attend one Sunday. It gives me and my family a sense that we’re valued. AND…in the smaller church there seems to be a close community feel, but we can’t stop with our small group of believers can we?
I agree…it’s not about the numbers. At the same time, I wonder why we aren’t actively reaching out. Are we afraid of changing the dynamics of our close-knit church by inviting other believers in? Is prayer enough?
Or do we think that our church will automatically grow because we’re striving to be multiethnic? Or do we believe that living out our faith means sharing the gospel without saying a word?
These are questions I’m wrestling with as I take another critical look at my own church. (Let me just point out that my family loves going to the church that we do. We’ve made a lot of great friendships over five years and we don’t intend to stop going there anytime soon.)
John 15:5-8 says: I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
It makes me sad when I hear leaders of small churches get down on “mega churches”. There’s this sense like “WE’RE DOING CHURCH BETTER BECAUSE WE CAN NAME VERY PERSON IN OUR CONGREGATION…or something ridiculous like that”.
Every church, whether you’re big or small, has things they do well and things they don’t do well. Maybe we should be focusing on collaborating and learning from one another instead of condemning one another.
I just hate to see the same problems that we’ve seen in the monoethnic church transfer to the multiethnic church. It’s about enriching the Church culture and having a fully functioning Church body by inviting more people.
Share your story and your life…
Sincerely,
Peter Park
Blogger/Worship Leader/Speaker
peterpark@redemptionboulevard.com
(800) 453-3284
© 2010, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
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