Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/83

Contributor - Murray Moerman

Title - "Types Of Church Growth"

Topic - Church Growth

Does your church count the number of people in your church building each Sunday morning? You may think attendance to be a poor criterion for evaluating spiritual growth and indeed it is not an ultimate instrument. Yet record keeping of numbers of those in attendance does give an objective measurement for evaluating at least one aspect of church growth.

When you compare your average attendance this year to your average attendance last year, do you have more or less people worshipping with you this year? If you don't already do so keep a graph. On the bottom line of the graph, mark twelve spaces for the twelve months. On the left hand side of the graph indicate attendance from zero up to 100 or more than your current average attendance. Then plot your average monthly attendance with a different colored pencil each year. You don't need to keep separate graphs for Sunday School, Children's Church and so on. Simply keep a simple graph indicating the total number people in your building on Sunday morning.

After some time of keeping track of attendance figures consider what these figures mean. What type of changes are occurring? If figures remain the same or decrease what does that reflect about what is taking place in your congregation? Don't be afraid to face the facts squarely and realistically. If attendance is growing what type of church growth is it? Church growth students distinguish between three types of numerical growth.

One is biological growth. Biological growth means that babies are being born to families in your church at a rate faster than the elderly are passing on.

A second type of church growth is transfer growth. Transfer growth occurs when more Christians are transferring into your fellowship than are transferring out to other congregations.

A third type of church growth is conversion growth. Conversion growth means that people have come from an ,unchurched" position to recognizing their need for salvation, giving their lives to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, cleansing and control, and have begun to worship and Grow in discipleship with other believers in a local church. This is the growth we are seeking. Certainly we rejoice when children are born of love and grow to accept Jesus Christ personally. Certainly we rejoice when Christians new to our community visit our church and decide to make it their church home. The growth we aim at is conversion growth; movement, not laterally from one church to another, but upwards from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son (Col. 1: 13).

When we evaluate growth in worship attendance figures, we need to ask ourselves: "Is this biological growth, transfer growth, or conversion growth?" We seek above all conversion growth.

When we evaluate attendance figures from year to year the congregation should also set growth goals. This may best be done at a congregational meeting or retreat at a level recommended by your elders and deacons or evangelism or church growth committee.

Every congregation should aim at a worship attendance growth of at least fifteen percent. Church growth students nothing at all is in fact to be slowly dying. Therefore, if your current total attendance on Sunday morning is one hundred you would set a "faith and work" goal for next year of one hundred and fifteen or more persons. Goals are important. Other plans for how to encourage at least that much conversion growth need of course also to be made.

Today however, let's take these steps:

1. Appoint two more persons, possibly deacons, to count and graph weekly worship attendance.

2. Evaluate these figures at least annually and attempt to determine whether growth has been biological, transfer or conversion growth.

3. Set annual church growth goals of at least fifteen percent growth along with plans to encourage that growth.

Annual inspection is healthy. Don't be afraid to look seriously at your church statistics.

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