Amazing How Much You Learn through Difficulties

It’s been coming up in conversations all week: The idea that for something to grow you have to put it under some sort of stress. If you want bigger muscles, you must break them down by lifting weights. If you want to get in good shape, you must wear yourself out regularly. And even plants will grow faster if the sunlight is blocked from them, as they attempt to find it and survive.

We grow when we’re challenged, when things don’t come easily, and it’s not a huge amount of fun all the time. And likewise, if you pray for your church to grow in numbers, don’t be surprised if things get stressful. There are some lessons God wants to teach us, before He will let us grow. Or even, before we can.

If God had allowed our church to explode immediately when we asked, we may have thought it was because of our great programs, or the popularity of this person or that one. Truth is, God has taught us a lot as He prepares us for more. For one, I know it’s not programs and schedules at a church that truly make the difference.

It is, among other things, two very important ingredients:

Passion for your faith and life in Jesus Christ. People want to be around a church with people who are “on fire.” I want to be around those people! People are searching for something real, and a church that is focused on the reality and power of Jesus, who cannot talk with each other for 5 minutes before God and faith come into the conversation…. well that attracts people, and gives church a “wow” factor that cannot be produced with a video projector.

And community. Community is the strong bond of friendship we feel with so many people that we look forward to seeing on a Church night, and call occasionally during the week. It’s the hugs and the prayers yes, but also the accountability, and the loving one another despite our faults.

Put those two ingredients in your church and stand back.