The Pain of Growth
Last week I was asked, “If our church is going to double in the next two years (from 500 to 1000), what will it take?” Here is what I shared…
- Some of you won’t have as much access to the senior leader. This has to be okay with you.
- Ask: Are you more committed to maintaining the tight-knit staff size and your proximity to the pastor? Or are you more committed to the church growing?
- Some of you are doing okay as a leader in a church of 500, but that’s not going to cut it at 1,000. You need to be willing to step aside into another role.
- Ask: Are you more committed to keeping your position and title? Or are you more committed to reaching more people?
- You will need to anticipate the strain and pressure before you actually feel it. You are the leader–looking ahead, around the corner.
- Ask: Are you comfortable? If so, you probably aren’t anticipating growth adequately.
- You will have to be as willing to stop stuff as you are to start stuff.
- Ask: What are you doing that takes time and energy and diverts your focus? What has God uniquely gifted your team to do where you should put more focus?
- You will have to drive up the level of excellence. When people walk up to a fair booth to buy food, they have one expectation of service and quality. At McDonalds, it’s another level. And when they walk into a Houlihan’s, it’s yet another level. As you grow, so will the expectations of your guests.
- Ask: What areas of the ministry would not be considered excellent if you were a church of 1000?
What would you add to the list?
Posted by Tim Stevens | 17 comments
rknelsfam
Ouch. Thanks for those words.
Tom Jamieson
Great post! These are questions church leaders and pastors should be thinking about at any level. Our church is very small (< 50) and we are going through this process right now. Thanks for this post! God bless.
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Andy
one last thought, ha!
What about Christ formation? John 15:1-3? Prayer? Reliance on the Holy Spirit? Cultivating a culture of discipleship and costly grace? Mobilization and releasing of your people to do the work of the ministry? Incarntional presence and gospel witness?
I feel that no matter what you do or how you shift, if you don't have these things you will never experience genuine growth and gospel movement. Jesus builds his Church…through us.
Tim Stevens
Andy – there are quite a few assumptions built-in to my answer. All of the things you mention, along with many others, I'm assuming shouldn't change. In other words–a church of 500 or 1000 or 5000 all need to rely on the Spirit and have a culture of discipleship. That isn't a change that is required to go from 500 to 1000. Added to that would be prayer, integrity, holiness, and more.
Andy
I completely understand, Tim! Thanks for interacting! I think it's time however, that we rethink how we go about producing disciples in America. Church growth is directly related to discipleship for apart from Him (Christ formation) we can do nothing (John 15). I love what Hugh Halter writes in his new book "AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church": "It's time that we begin developing qualitative methods for turning consumers into missionaries, fans into followers, adherents into leaders." Once we develop those methods, then we can move on to discussions about getting out of God's way as He launches a movement through us for His renown!
Blessings!
Jo Blacketor
Identify, encourage and empower lay leaders. They carry the messages and build mission fields.
Andy
These are some good thoughts. I struggle with the excellence factor. Excellence inspires people AND it also cultivates a culture of spectatorship and drives a wedge between the professional leader/pastor and the ordinary Christian who looks at the way we organize church and say’s, “I can’t do that!” I believe we as leaders must continue to strive to broaden and expand what life in the kingdom looks like to those who come to our church, not hinder it. For too long many of us (and I have been guilty of this) have reduced life in the kingdom to advancing our keynote slides and turning on and off the lights so that we the professionals can do church. If we become driven by extreme excellence we will cultivate a culture of consumers and spectators rather than missionaries. Appreciate your thoughts and ministry!
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[...] Stevens has written an excellent article about the pain of growth that should challenge us as church leaders. We need to seriously look at what growth will bring [...]
Marc Millan
Fantastic realistic post, one area is "first impressions" or some call it the "host team" this area can dramatically change or need overhauling as a church doubles in size. Parking, seating, doors, greeters, information center, etc.
M_
dgoepfrich
Great post, Tim! I'm actually starting a new series this weekend called "Growing Pains" about the necessary corporate and personal changes we are facing in our church in order to keep growing toward maturity. Well timed! Thanks
Jennifer
Are you willing to stop doing things that are good things, but not necessarily the thumbprint of your church, in order to simplify and resource the vision God has called your church to fill? We call those things "swamps". They are the things we have always done, we have always resourced, and are dear to the heart of some of our church members. It is also the "good" thing that is taking away needed people and funding from the "best" thing. I bet a particular ministry or event just popped into your head….swamp!
dale.shafer
Tim – these are great questions, also very adaptable to anticipate growth in a business environment. Thanks for the food for thought!
Glenn Cole
One thing I would add would be to staff for the anticipated/desired growth (and I think this may have been implied by the suggestion to empower lay leadership) before the growth actually happens, keeping in mind that "staff" could be either paid or lay leadership, or both. Staffing after the growth, or even during the growth, usually results in hiring a different kind of person than you would have hired had brought them on early in the growth process. After the growth we tend to hire maintainers–pre-growth we usually look for leaders with vision.
Great thoughts, Tim. Your examples for raising the level of excellence really struck a chord with me.
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Zach Terry
Great and timely word. Thanks Tim.
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