Church Growth

I see the church today as a compendium of many different people with many different levels of knowledge and commitment. To visualize a spiral where the person just now introducing Himself to Jesus the savior, is on the last spot of the tail. What ever might be the worse problem of the life is simply removed. For about two years the new believer has a honeymoon where he is permitted to learn and grow in faith as fast as possible with almost no interference from the evil one (except that which is provided by other people in the person's world.) Then after the two years little problems challenge the new believers status quo. In general circumstances require additional growth and unselfishness. Some of these new- bees are interested in History, for them the history of the church steps from and center. Other people grow in grace and knowledge in other areas, like missions, evangelism, children's work, etc.

As knowledge and faith are gained,, the person gradually circles and progresses to the center of the spiral. For these a great step may be taken to shorten the critical path to the center. That step would include some bible classes, or curriculum concentrated to gain as much knowledge as possible. The person on the out side may not attend every week on the weekend service. The next level in would attend regularly, but maybe not take any additional leadership responsibility. The next level in would take this responsibility but not to the point of full time service. This progression begins actually not at the place where conscious knowledge of God affects habits and patterns of living. Instead it starts back where some one else began to share the gospel and some one else began to pray for their welfare.

The person at the center of the spiral some would call the origin would be the person with the greatest faith, the person who first had the idea to start a particular fellowship. Some times this person is a person of prayer, sometimes a person of action with the prayer person close by. As the numbers grow the level of faith/knowledge of this first few people limits the size of the over all fellowship. In order for the overall fellowship to grow, the person/s at the center must increase in love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. When these persons take an additional step of faith it leaves a "place" for the next and each person can take a step forward in the place vacated by the one before. In this way the tail grows longer as each new person steps into the spiral to take their own place. 2Cor 10:12 suggests that we should not compare ourselves among ourselves, but the "substance of Faith" is measurable and can grow. Speaking of comparison, at times the person closer to the center resists the person further out in the spiral exceeding him in faith and love of the Lord. This picture is similar to the process by which people sit in the same seats or seats similar in location relative to the pulpit. Over time this seat gets the designation as "so and so's seat." Other people respect this location as each one has their own seat location as well. A new person must needs find a seat, but "woe to be " should he inadvertently claim "so and so's seat!" It is precisely this pressure that inhibits the "growth in the size of the fellowship."

"Love of the Lord:"

Love is an interesting word to define. Every one knows when they have it, or think that they do. Yet who can say if they have it or if the thing that they have is or is not the same as that held by another, especially if the other is the object of the first person's love. Suffice to say it is a strong and positive feeling of affinity a person might have for another person, place or thing. Love can grow over time and change the nature of it's emotion. A spiral of intensity and degree could also describe love as well. Starting with the first introduction to a person, a person would have "surprise." As a second experience or interaction takes place a progression of knowledge leads to recognition of the sort; "I have seen you before." Repeated exposure develops short term recall. Additional experiences and interactions over time develop a "long" term recall. At some point the person "moves the object of their love" to a deep place in their mind, heart, soul or being. At this location the object is desired on a subconscious level. This kind of love bubbles into the "dream life" to a place where their thoughts are automatic and out of conscious thought. The method in which each of these thresholds of love is transversely is by the tongue and the words of the mouth.

It is like the words, "I love you" have a double edged force. On the one hand they tell where the person is in the spiral; on the other hand they point a light to the next step in the progression. In this the words "I love you" some how tell the inner being, I need to develop more love for this person, place or thing! The emotions follow lead of the words and over time reinforce these words with attendant emotions that we typically call Love. In order to develop more Love of the Lord one must simply say "I love you Lord Jesus!" After a while this feeling will grow to substantiate the heard directives of the soul. Sadly it works the other way as well. If a person says that "My love is not as strong as it used to be," the feelings back off in intensity as well. This same process works between people. The simple effect of an "I love you," is to cause the "felt Love" to grow over time. Works the same with "I love your law!" It has the cleansing effect of causing the speaker to want to walk closer to the path "the Law" prescribes.

In a fellowship the increased "Love of the Lord" has a drawing quality, whereby it draws other pilgrims in the path of life into the spiral describing the fellowship. Jesus said "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." Most people have a "God shaped hole" they are forever trying to fill with everything that they come across. When they finally find God for which the hole was created in the first place, They are at peace. Seeing some one else who obviously found this wonderful object also gives hope that maybe some day they also might find this great joy!