Karl Vaters: Just To Be Clear: Church Growth Is a GOOD Thing

Never apologize for church growth.

Because of The Grasshopper Myth and this blog, I’ve had some of the greatest conversations of my life in the past year. I’ve met and heard stories from so many Small Church pastors who now feel free to celebrate the ministry God is doing in their church, without stressing over numbers. I’m deeply grateful to God that this ministry has become a safe place for that.

But I’ve also noticed a very strange mini-trend that I never thought I’d see.

Every once-in-a-while, as I’m talking with a pastor who’s excited about what God is doing in their church, there’s an awkward pause when it comes to the numbers part.

They might be telling me about how their church is getting healthy, prayerful, missional, etc. Then, just as they’re about to tell me about their numerical growth, things get weird.

Sometimes they’ll change course awkwardly in mid-sentence. Or they’ll tell me about their numerical growth, then apologize for their enthusiasm, with something like “I know numbers aren’t supposed to matter, but sometimes I can’t help it.”

My response to them is always the same.

Never apologize for church growth.

Never, never, NEVER! Keep reading

Also see
Karl Vaters: 14 Church Growth and Leadership Lies We Need to Stop Believing