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Principles of Church Growth
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Paul Jang
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2008-03-23 13:06:52, hit : 4,831 |
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Principles of Church Growth
Many researchers who have made a study of church growth have presented the principles of church growth in their own
way. Some people have focused on a biblical and theological
perspective, while others, on a specific church growth situation. Of course, both of them are very important for church growth. But what is more important is the
relevancy between them, and how both are available for
church growth. Between them there is a co-relationship. In
both cases they have to be supported by a spiritual power on
which they can be operated for church growth. But church
growth needs power as well as principle, nevertheless, the principles do not cause but explain church growth. For
this relationship, C. Peter Wagner explains:
That the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit is
integral to church growth at every phase. The
principles are no substitute for the power, and
experience of the power does not make the principles
superfluous. (Wagner 1989, 190)
Going back to the Bible, there are many principles of church growth as the examples in the Gospels and Acts. The principles of growth for the churches are the principles of growth for the kingdom and through the parables Jesus taught that kingdom would grow (Amberson 1979, 152). There are many examples of the principle of church growth through parables in the Gospel such as: the parable of the light, of the salt (Matt. 5:13), of the sower, of the weeds, of the mustard seed, of yeast, of hidden treasure, of the pearl, of the net (Matt. 13:1-48), of lost sheep (Matt. 18:10-14), of the wedding banquet (Matt. 25:1-13), of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), and of the harvest (Matt. 9:37; Mark 4:29; Luke 10:2; John 4:35). In Acts, Pentecostal growth is shown (Acts 2:1; 2:41; 2:47; 16:5).
In the divine aspect, the good starting points of church growth are God and His sovereignty. God is "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). And His sovereignty for salvation has been shown in the Scriptures: "this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me" (John 6:39). "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy" (Jam. 4:12). "God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden" (Rom. 9:18).
And in the human aspect, to act on the phases of church growth such as test and choice of soil, tilling, sowing, and caring are the human responsibility according to the divine principle. In conclusion, the servants of God plant and water the seed, but God makes it grow (1 Cor. 3:6, NIV).
F. J. May has suggested eleven principles for church growth. Of them the power from on high as the top priority
has been suggested for church growth (May 1990, 122). Of
course, the writer totally agrees with his suggestion. But it is important to use human strategies which the Holy Spirit has given as the gifts for His servants to be able to do the will of God. C. Peter Wagner has suggested the six essential phases of the church growth cycle: (1) mobilization, (2) equipping, (3) climate of receptivity, (4) effecting regeneration, (5) incorporation, (6) involvement (Wagner 1989, 190-194).
However the writer believes that the following phases for church growth must be established: (1) motivation (presentation and development of vision), (2) mobilization (climate of receptivity), (3) involvement (participation), (4) training (discipleship), (5) commitment (go and make disciples) compared to: (1) preparation and development of seeds, (2) cultivating the soil, (3) sowing, (4) feeding, and (5) producing the fruits and seeds as the Scripture has described. The Scripture says:
This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man
scatters seed on the ground....the seed sprouts and
grows....All by itself the soil produces grain....first
the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the
head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle
to it, because the harvest has come. (Mark 4:26-29)
The writer thinks that such phases of the growth of church as Jesus Christ told through a parable to the people may compare to the phases of the growth of a living creature because church is not a simple institution but a living organization like a human body. The Church, therefore, may be explained as a human body of which his head is figured as Christ (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18).
The writer has tried to initiate the disciple making program for the growth of his church using the principles of the phases of church growth as mentioned above.
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Introduction
Ch Growth 