Off the Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders

Yes, resistance comes from fear. And some fears are well founded. Growth WILL mean change. It MAY mean a loss of familiarity.

Nothing new about that. The bottom line is "Do we believe that it's better to reach out with the Gospel, or better to not reach out?"

I don't know if it's resistance to growth as much as it is resentment over "affirmative action" toward outsiders at the expense of those already in the church.

For instance, in our church, the gym is made available to outside groups--youth league soccer teams, park district basketball teams etc. We even made it available for jazz musicians from outside to perform.

But when a long-time church couple, who'd served faithfully for many years, asked if they could use the gym for their 60th wedding anniversary, they were told "no, we don't let people use the facility for private functions."

Now THAT's what makes some people resistant to "growth." You invest yourself in serving and reaching out, which means that once you're no longer an
outsider but have come inside, the church doesn't have to be sensitive to you anymore. You just feel exploited.

So the growth emphasis feels like bait and switch: "we'll meet your needs until you join, then you're just part of the work force."

Is the REAL community that people experience after they've joined as good as the "community" they're promised when they're outside?

I think many churches feel ambivalent about growth. They want to grow in theory but don't want the discomfort that comes with it. I think I viewed church growth differently as a pastor than I now do as a member of the church. I resonate with Eustace's observation that those who are brought in can feel exploited once the church "loses interest" in them after they are no longer newcomers. I don't think there is a quick fix. The same dynamics that make a church feel like "community" to its members often make it seem like a closed system to newcomers.