The Numbers' Game...

"How Many People Go To Your Church?" is the title of the blogpost by Tim Challies that you can read here:  https://www.challies.com/articles/how-many-people-go-to-your-church  This question that I have heard over and over and maybe asked myself is the inspiration to answer some of his other questions about the church that I serve.

It is a question that flies around pastors' conferences and church gatherings of Christians from different churches.  We size each other up by the number of people who gather on a Sunday morning.  We gauge our effectiveness by the record numbers that we can pull in to fill the pews.  Many times it is a time to inflate the number to impress someone else about how great we are or how we are a blessing to God.  

The fact to grab ahold of is that the health of a church is not based solely on its size.  You can have a very unhealthy church that is very large and you can also have a very unhealthy church that is very small.  I really like this statement from the blog in which Tim writes, 

"We also know that the Lord is sovereign and that He determines how big each church should be and we know that in some areas even a very small church is an absolute triumph of light over darkness."

Challies gives us some better questions to ponder and ask.

  • How have you seen the Lord working in the lives of the people in your church?
  • What evidences of the Lord's grace has your church experienced in the last few months?
  • What are you excited about in your church right now?
  • Who are you excited about in your church right now?
  • What has the Lord been teaching you?
  • Who have you been discipling recently?  Tell me about some of the future leaders at your church.
After a very low Sunday last week I will answer some of these to keep my focus on God rather than on empty pews.  I saw Sunday someone give open confession and that was amazing and powerful.  I have seen God bring into the church those seeking His word taught and lived out.  I am excited about some transitions that have happened in the church that I believe has lead to better spiritual health.  I am excited about a young lady who is receiving discipleship from another young lady and the fruit that is coming from it.  The Lord has been teaching me to know His word and even though I did not attend seminary that He has brought seminary teaching to me.  I have been discipling the overseers and the men of the church and responses verbally and physically show me that God is developing another generation of leadership.  Now that I get going in this vein I realize that I could go on and on.  A mind shift has happened in me that points to God's work in people rather than just counting them.

The numbers question does represent people because every number is a soul that God has brought into the church to hear of Him.  I just need to focus on these other questions first before asking it.  The other questions show us health that will probably effect the numbers we see and that they are now numbers that are seeking holiness rather then having just a crowd mentality.  A mind shift is needed when we come into God's house to not see the empty pews but to see the eager persons who want to know God.  "Feed My sheep," as was told to Peter by Jesus, is what we need to do and we will see others who hear and answer God's call as we live our lives holy onto the Lord.  Let us pray.

"Lord, the numbers' game weighs on me at times.  I can get so discouraged when we have days when Your house is so empty and therefore so spread out over the whole sanctuary.  Help me to focus on what You are doing.  Help me to see it and keep at it knowing that You build the church and not me.  I am just to be faithful in Your commands and so I ask to do that today and focus on Your work being completed through Your people being holy as You are holy.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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