If all you are really concerned about is whether or not the church is going to die, all you need to do is figure out how many folks your church is going to lose in the coming year, and aim to replace them…If your concern is that the church doesn’t die, then the programs and activities at the church should be designed around your comfort, your concerns, and your needs only.

In considering the challenges before the ARP Church, the need for new mission work and ministry, I have one important question I want you to seriously consider: Do you want your church to grow?

Don’t be too quick to answer. Most folks would say “yes,” but in truth they don’t want the church to grow – they just don’t want it to die. There is a huge difference between wanting the church to grow and just not wanting it to die.

If you want the church to grow, you are willing to see the kind of revival and growth that we find in the book of Acts, where thousands were added daily. You want new folks, that are different than you, to become involved and active in the congregation.

You are willing to let the Holy Spirit take over and do some amazing and radical things in the church.

Growth: Outside Comfort Zone
If you want the church to truly grow, you are going to be concerned with reaching
the lost, the unchurched, those that are completely different than you. It will involve
stepping outside your comfort zone, changing the way you “do” church in many cases and intentionally being welcoming and friendly to folks you don’t know.

It may require you to give up a long held position in the church, so that new people can get involved (maybe an official position or just something you’ve always done). If you want the church to grow, then the ministry of the church is not about you, but about others. This does not require giving up on our theology or watering down the Scriptures – far from it. We should preach and live the Word with boldness.

But there is a world of difference between a book of the Bible like 2nd Timothy, and the unwritten “book of 2nd opinions.” The old adage is that there are seven words you should never say in church: “We’ve never done it that way before.”

If you want the church to grow, then you need to turn that phrase into a challenge
to do things new, rather than use it as an excuse to keep doing the same old thing.

Dying: No Change Necessary
If all you are really concerned about is whether or not the church is going to die, all you need to do is figure out how many folks your church is going to lose in the coming year, and aim to replace them. Preferably with folks just like them (who perhaps tithe more money). If your concern is that the church doesn’t die, then the programs and activities at the church should be designed around your comfort, your concerns, and your needs only.

Outreach, if any, needs to make you feel comfortable and good, without causing you to have to work too hard. The preaching, while perhaps biblically solid, shouldn’t cause you any real concern, nor should it “step on your toes.” Instead, it should educate and edify, while justifying your preconceived notions.

Churches that don’t really want to grow, should be more concerned with the comfort
Synod and compatibility of the church members. They need to make sure that everyone is getting along and in agreement. There is a desire to make sure that any new members (or visitors) fit a certain mold, appear a certain way, make a certain amount of money, or hold to a certain theology (before they become members or involved in the church). Many times, this pursuit of purity can occupy the longing for outreach. If you don’t want the church to die, it will usually survive for a while, at least for one more generation. While folks in these churches may say they want to grow or revive, they may be the first to complain about funds going to establish new mission works.

The concepts of revitalization are hard for them to accept. They don’t want to make
the necessary changes. Unfortunately, when you look at the statistics and history of the ARP Church, it’s easy to see we have a large number of churches (new and old) that really don’t want to grow – they just don’t want to die.

If today’s ARP Church is going to be obedient to God’s Word, and if it’s going to survive, we must change our hearts about growing the church. We must become open to the work that the Holy Spirit can do in our congregations, regardless of the church’s age or location and we must pray that the Lord will continue to use the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church for his glory and honor.

Reverend Andrew Putnam is originally from Charleston (SC) and a graduate of USC and Erskine Seminary. He is Senior Pastor of Tirzah Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church near Rock Hill, South Carolina and is currently serving as Moderator of the ARP Church. This article first appeared in the November, 2011 issues of the ARP Magazine and is used with permission