May 2010
Ten Church Growth Assumptions - Gary R. Weaver
1. Not all growing churches are healthy churches; but most healthy churches are growing churches.
2. Church growth is not just numbers and dollars, but it includes numbers and dollars (Acts 16:5).
3. The Church is called to thrive, not just survive; the Church is called to be faithful AND fruitful (John 15:8).
4. The Church does NOT have a mission, the Church IS the mission of God, called into being by the Holy Spirit with Christ as Head of the Church (Col. 1:17-18).
5. Christ’s mission for his Church is to “make new disciples,” not just recycle current disciples; to make new disciples, not just new members (Matt. 18:19-20).
6. Christ further commands the Church to work with the Holy Spirit to change people’s lives (“baptizing”) and help new disciples learn how to follow the way of Jesus (“teaching”).
7. The Church is to grow new Christians and help Christians grow up (Eph. 4:15-16).
8. The Congregation is called to ministry; the pastor is called to “equip the saints” for that ministry (Eph 4:12). All baptized Christians are called by God to use their spiritual gifts to be directly involved in ministry to the world.
9. A growing Congregation expands their mission outreach capability. In other words, faithful obedience to Matthew 18:16-20 enables a church to be more faithful in fulfilling Christ’s commandment of compassion in Matthew 25:34-40.
10. The growing church focuses outward on the ones who are not here yet, the ones who have not yet heard the good news of the gospel and been introduced to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gary R. Weaver is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Pueblo
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