(Reading Time: 6:15) Easter was pretty good at Calvary. There were no unexpected visitors wandering in (something we all hope for). Just the usual addition of family members and kids that show up on Easter and Mother’s Day were in attendance. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate every person who chooses to come to church for whatever reason, but it did get me to thinking. Why do people all of the sudden choose to go to church? What draws them? I preached a message Easter Sunday morning on seeking the Lord and how our perception of him affects why we seek him, but is coming to church really seeking the Lord?
As I pondered this, which I have done many times over the years, I found that the reasons are too limitless to search out. So I began thinking about the right reason. Is there a single right reason? Is there more than one right reason. Are there many good reasons? It’s still lot to ponder, but it’s more manageable and maybe I can draw some conclusions I can use.
Then today, I received the latest newsletter from my friend in Sellersburg, Indiana, Pastor Bob Hauselman. He pastors Restoration Christian Church and he recently heard from the Lord that he should set his goal on being a church of 1,000. Never missing a lick, he asked the Lord 1,000 what? Names on a list? Attenders of the services? Pew warmers? This really affected me because the Lord had spoken to me back in 2008 a similar word. At my previous church I keep pleading for more people. He finally told me, “You don’t need more people. You need the right people.” In Pastor Bob’s newsletter article he covered this same concept. He doesn’t want a 1,000 people, just so they can say they have a 1,000. He wants people who are dedicated to growing up in the things of the Lord and having an impact on their community.
I place my voice with his. It’s not about looks, it’s about being effective for the Kingdom. Pastor Bob related the story of a friend of his who has a church of 8,000. They are always in financial trouble, they never have enough workers, and people are always complaining to the Pastor about everything. Apparently he does not have the right people. They attracted a crowd of people, but they were not interested in becoming what God wanted them to be. They showed up when they felt like it, they never volunteered for anything, and they gave very little financially. We had a similar thing happen to one of our AG churches here in Indiana with almost 100 people in it. It had to close because it could not support a Pastor and pay its bills.
Pastor Bob’s article reminded me of the fact that we are in the disciple-making business, not the church growth business. It’s more about transformation than it is about attendance. I measure ministry by changed lives not by how many people attend our services. Some would say that is just the war cry of a small church. Okay then, but if so, then why are there so many churches, which are so much greater in size, having so little impact on their communities.
For me, and for Calvary, our mission needs to be focused on maturing the body of Christ, not just adding to our numbers. Numbers are drawn by big events. Maturity takes time. Attenders come on Easter and Mother’s Day, disciples are there all the time—learning, growing, and serving one another. I have to resolve myself that my ministry and our church is not for everyone, but for those who want to love the Lord with all their hearts and serve him with all their strength.
Let us be a church that equips them with the tools they need to make an impact on their families and their communities for Christ. Let us never settle for a church that is shallow and caters to the whims of people who are not committed to the Lord. We are about church growth, not in numbers, but in depth of character and righteousness, in service and compassion, and in love and good deeds. Let us be known as a mature church, whose people know God and serve him with their whole hearts. Then in turn, let this be a challenge to those who think church is just something that ought to serve them and is just used for the camaraderie they receive. If I had to choose, I would rather be around Christians who were ever-drawing nearer to the Lord, who are studying the depths of his Word, and who are excited about the opportunities around them to bring others to Jesus.
“2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men
but chosen by God and precious to him—
5 you also, like living stones, are being built
into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.”
1st Peter 2:2-5, NIV.
We must remember that like breeds like. In my efforts to be the Pastor I need to be, I sometimes pause and reflect on these things. However, Pastor Bob’s newsletter came just in time to refocus me on the things that really matter. Calvary is not for everyone and will never be. We are not a daycare for the immature, we are not a stage for entertainment. We are not a gathering place to sympathize with each other. We are not a restaurant, where people just come to fellowship over the food. We are a place where the Word is exalted and disciples are trained to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. We are training the next generation of soldiers for the Lord to carry his Gospel to the ends of the earth.
For us, outreach in our community ought to reflect a call to serve the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. This includes a call to repentance, but it also is a call to grow up into him in all things.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love,
we will in all things grow up into him
who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Ephesians 4:15, NIV.
“Calvary exists to demonstrate the love of God to the families of our community!”