The Pitfalls of Rapid Growth
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
(Ephesians 1:22–23)
Our whole reason for existence as a body of believers can somehow get lost in the rat race and maze of misplaced priorities. It happens all the time. The church concentrates on buildings and programs, seating and parking, choirs and offerings, staff and signs, and . . . wait a minute! If we’re not careful, we get so distracted by growing numbers and doing all it takes to maintain them, we overlook the most important issues. When that happens, we lose our values, our purpose, and our objectives.
I made a list of a few problems that can occur as a result of rapid growth in the church. It’s not exhaustive by any means, but it’s enough to get your attention. When a local church grows quickly, it is in danger of these problems:
- uncertainty of purpose
- blurred vision
- fuzzy priorities
- compromised values
- replacing volunteerism with professionalism
All these problems are potential dangers from rapid growth. It’s the last one that really sticks in my craw. The church was never meant to be a “professional organization.” We’ll let the world have all of those. The church is not a slick, efficient corporation with a cross stuck on its roof. It is a ministry. We do not look to the government for support or to the state for direction. We don’t seek the counsel of Wall Street for financial suggestions. We have one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not rely on any earthly organization or some rich individual to sustain the ministry. The church is a spiritual entity, built up and supported by its Founder, Jesus, who promised to build His church.
Taken from The Church Awakening by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Faith Words, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
