But How Do Things Grow

Some thoughts on things dividing and making other things

In my line of work there is this huge pressure to grow the church. What that means is more bodies in the pews on Sunday morning and more money in the collection plate.

But how do things grow?

Like I have two kids. One is three and the other is one. They grow by themselves.

I feed them. I give them their water or juice or milk or whatever. And then a few months later they need bigger clothes or a new size diaper or something.

Well, technically my wife and I do more than that.

We put them to sleep at a decent hour and play with them when they’re awake. We make sure they have decent childcare while we’re at work and make sure they are happy and feel loved. We take them to Sunday school and get them instructional toys.

You know, parent stuff.

And they grow…sometimes too fast.

Other things grow too.

You probably didn’t know that.

My grass grows too quickly. Weeds grow in my flower beds. I grow tired in the evenings. My waist has grown ever so slightly since my wife got pregnant the first time around. And my hair and nails constantly grow. I’m told my ears and nose also constantly grow, but I don’t really buy that, but that’s my “catastrophe bias” at work.

But the point is that all of this other stuff seems to grow. And how does it grow?

Well the cells divide and mitosis and meiosis and glycolysis and some other stuff. And mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. And the pancreatic juice flows into the duodenum. And so babies are born and they grow. And there’s not much stopping all of this unless you just try to. And it all comes just natural.

But then there’s the church.

And it’s like, how do you make this grow?

You feed it. You water it. You plan events. You plan service projects. You invite people.

But then she doesn't like that. And he thinks we ought to roll that back. And they think this is the best way and they think that’s the best way. And we aren’t doing enough but we’re doing too much and we should just stay the same while being progressive and not changing anything.

And the same people come week by week which is awesome, but what about the growth and the expectations and the goals and the…?

But how do things grow?

Members divide themselves and create new members? Do people come from over there and start coming over here? Do people who don’t go anywhere show up? Why us and not that church over there?

Rick Warren surveyed the whole zip-code and started a church people in that demographic would want, and that worked out. They met in a cafeteria until they didn't. Then he wrote a book and now donates his salary to the church.

But that doesn’t happen everyday.

And is that even how it’s supposed to happen?

Maybe? Maybe not.

Who am I to say because I can’t seem to make it happen. But are you supposed to make it?

Like I don’t force my son to grow. I don’t beg my toenails to grow. I don’t lecture my grass or create service projects for my weeds. It just happens.

So why doesn’t the church grow?

Is it because it’s not healthy? And is it that my specific congregation isn’t healthy or that the whole system isn’t healthy? Or both?

Then why do some churches “succeed”?

Because they are more Spirit-filled? Because the Lord is “adding to their church daily”?

Or…?

Or is it that they’re the broad way and “many there be which go in thereat”? Lol, probably not that one, but that does make a convenient excuse when the numbers grow thin.

But how do things grow?