the real secret of church growth



The real secret of church growth revolves around one question: Does your body exist to serve itself, or is it called to something higher? This is one of the questions I ask in Missional versus Maintenance church. 

What does “church growth” mean to you? The truth is, many church planters and exponentially focused ministries get turned off by the phrase “church growth.” And how can you blame them? If your purpose is to get bigger for the sole purpose of getting bigger… what’s the point? 

I would like to define church growth as reaching God’s purpose and mission for the church - rather than just keeping up the “machine” or growing in numbers. That is the real secret of church growth. Keep in mind that God’s mission isn’t necessarily tangible in the number of people you save every month or the size of your congregation. 

You can get another working definition of a Missional Church here from Alan Hirsch.

So a working definition of missional church is that it a community of God’s people that defines itself, and organizes its life around, its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission to the world. In other words, the Church’s true and authentic organizing principle is mission. When the church is in mission, it is the true Church. - Alan Hirsch

So to answer the question: what is the real secret of church growth? The answer is simple. Look to Christ.