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This description presents the concept of 'church growth' alongside evangelism in general in the book of Acts. Whereas the Old Testament depicts evangelism as people advent to God, the Lucan perspective demonstrates that God's servants will go to His people. Blauw's thesis is that "a centripetal missionary consciousness becomes in Acts a centrifugal missionary activity..." (1974, 34). In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the pigs looked from pig to man and vice versa but could not differentiate them in the very last page of the text which by extension shows what could happen if the church wants to imitate the world. One cannot replace the methods or the system that brought church increase in the New Testament in our own era.
Types Of Church Growth
1. Internal : This is the spiritual increase of Christians. Right connection is established with God and man. Many Christians quote John 3:16 which demonstrates God's love for man without taking into consideration I John 3:16 which focuses on man's love for his fellow man.
2. Expansion: This is accomplished by the evangelization of non-Christians within the area of the operation of the church or ministry.
3. Extension: This is the increase of the church by the preparing of daughter churches within the same general homogeneous group and geographical area.
4. Bridging: This focuses on the preparing of churches in dissimilar cultural and geographical areas.
Church increase : Ways To Increase
1. Biological growth- children of existing members who come into the church.
2. Exchange growth- members of one church who unite with other church.
3. Conversion growth- the advent into the church of people of the world who are converted by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Definition Of Terms
Evangelism: Evangelism in Acts is the transportation of the good news of Jesus Christ through verbal notification and lifestyle witness, with the intent of leading a person or group to salvation in Christ.
Church Growth: This is the quantitative and qualitative amelioration of the church. It is dissimilar from 'swelling' which is tasteless and hazardous in the modern church. The African Church is dismissed as a mile wide and an inch deep which implies that other parameters other than numbers inventory for church growth. Church increase could also be seen as an application of Biblical, anthropological, and sociological system to congregations, denominations and their communities in an endeavor to disciple the greatest estimate of people for Jesus Christ. Believing that it is God's will that His Church should grow and His lost children be found, church increase endeavors to devise strategies, compose objectives and apply tested system of increase to personel congregations, denominations and the worldwide body of Christ.
Church increase Eyes: This is a characteristic of Christians who have achieved an ability to see the possibilities for increase and to apply approved strategies to gain maximum results for Christ and His church.
Church increase Principle: according to McGavran and Ann, this is "a universal truth which, when properly interpreted and applied, contributes significantly to the increase of churches and denominations. It is a truth of God which leads his church to spread his Good News, plant church after church, and increase his body"(1977, p.15).
Principles
1. Prayer or Spiritual Warfare
Prayer is primary to church growth. John Stott comments that following Jesus' ascension, the prayers of the disciples had two characteristics which "are two essentials of true prayer, namely that they persevered, and were of one mind" (1990, 10). The principle of unified prayer, or prayer with one mind and purpose, is a thread that runs throughout Acts. Luke's initial description of the 120 (1:5) shows that they followed Christ's command to wait for the Holy Spirit by obediently praying as a group With One Mind. See also Acts 4:18 (Sanhedrin); Acts 12:5 (Herod); Acts 11:11 (Peter's rescue).
2. A clear and unique vision
In the King James Version, Proverbs 29:18 is rendered, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". foresight is God's dream of what he wants to perform in and through our lives and the lives of our churches. Several churches have foresight statements they never use. What God blesses with success in one place is not necessarily His plan for any other. Every growing church has a sense of unique foresight and purpose - a clear sense of direction. The church planter and the laity share a tasteless foresight for what God wants that church to accomplish. In most cases, the church planter and the people can clearly reveal and speak their vision. This gives the people a sense of direction. They are tantalizing toward an objective. They are not merely existing.
3. Leadership
A vigorous growing church is catalyzed by dynamic leadership that draws the whole church into action. For the church planter to function as a good leader, s/he must have safe bet exact character qualities and carry out safe bet exact leadership responsibilities. The church planter must truly desire increase for the church and must be willing to pay the price in hard work. The leadership must lead the work to compose the mission, set goals, compose plans, and mobilize the people to accomplishment. S/he must be creative, innovative, and assertive with regard to the foresight and mission God has for His work.
4. The recognition and importance of the laity
The people of the work must be adequate to witness and use their gifts. They must be ready to assume new responsibilities and willingly hand over discrete leadership positions to other new people as the church continues to grow or expand.
5. Strategic Planning
The idea is to compose ongoing strategies that will help perform the mission of the church. These should move the church toward realizing the accomplishment of its vision. With exact instructions from the Saviour, the apostles established a strategy to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Nehemiah positioned his people in areas of interests. Paul went to the synagogue and then the agora which was both a store place and centre of collective life (Acts 7:17). A good church website can help your church to grow. Unfortunately there is an on-going war in this technological age: Technophilia vs. Technophobia. Many Rip Van Wrinkles exist in modern times. Several church leaders are yet to comprehend potential of a website for church growth. Yet a church website, specifically designed to reach outsiders, integrated with other approved outreach strategies, could be a major key to drawing non-Christians to your church.
6. Life amelioration Groups
This could be stated as the principle of assimilation. Perhaps the most leading aspect of this principle is that the church must be structured in a way that develops an organizational base for growth. The larger the base, the greater the possibilities for growth. Life amelioration groups contribute a primary function that facilitates a church's increase e.g. Sunday School groups, Youth Fellowship, Ministries (Men, Women, Youth, Children) etc.
7. Indigenization
Paul and Barnabas left the indigenous churches with leadership that would contribute the direction after the apostles departed. Though the forms of church government vary in the New Testament, they appointed elders to continue their leadership roles. The elders were within the church ("in each church" Acts 14:23) completing the indigenization process.
8. Open Gospel
In the early church, some regarded Christians as Jews who have received Jesus as the promised Saviour. Consequently, any Gentile desiring to become a Christian must first become a Jew. This 'closed' gospel was a major concern for Christians like Paul. The Jerusalem Council became a pivotal point in the history of the early church. Neither circumcision nor adaptation to the Jewish community would be a requisite. Christians today should witness the same attitude to the unbelieving world. Is the gospel open today, or does it carry the baggage of cultural expectations, idolatry of tradition etc? One should not necessarily become a member of your tribe before he is a Christian.
9. Follow-Up
The mission of the church is to win souls. Therefore, evangelism is not treated as a single principle since that is the customary mission of the church. The related concept of 'follow" is crucial for young Christians. according to Acts 15:36, "some days after, Paul said unto Barnabbas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do." Follow-up could be regarded as a motherly instinct. It is a deliberate focus on young and new believers for the purpose of spiritual guidance and counseling.
10. Discipleship
According to John Wesley, leading souls to Christ without a discipleship programme is to beget sons for the devil. Church increase is enhanced when each member becomes a part of the body (Eph. 4:16; Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor.12:12-22 etc.) and is endangered when they do not identify with the body. What we have learned must be committed to the just to teach others also. The importance of Bible Study, Sunday School Classes etc. Cannot be overemphasized.
11. Sovereignty (Supreme Authority of God)
Despite the plenty of conflicts and setbacks in the early church, Luke communicates clearly that God is the final victor. Acts, in one perspective, is a description of the sovereign work of God in the midst of external and internal military that would thwart any 'normal' movement. Though we are the vehicles to reveal the Gospel, our drive and power come from God. He gives the increase after the 'planting' and 'watering', He makes every thing beautiful, not in our, but in His time. One sows, other waters but God gives the increase. The clay does not inquire the Potter's intent.
List Of References
Blauw, J. The Missionary Nature of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.
McGavran Donald A. And Winfield C. Arn. Ten Steps for Church Growth. New York: Harper and Row, 1977.
Stott, John. The Spirit, the Church and the World. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity, 1990.
Wagner, Peter C., ed. Church Growth: The State of the Art. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986.
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