As a preacher of the Gospel and as a staff minister in my local assembly, I have often thought of ways to make the church better.  I have pondered the subject of church growth from each angle.  I looked at outreach programs such as jail ministry, bus ministry, canvassing, etc.  I examined all of these various outreach ministries looking for flaws or for ways to improve them.  On the reverse side I examined other aspects of the church that are not broken down into programs and departments.  These church functions included things such as friendliness, alter working, compassion, prayer, etc.  After all of this examination and personal reflection I came to the conclusion that all of the problems that a church faces with growth can be brought down to two root causes.

The first reason that I found why churches do not grow is a simple four letter word F-E-A-R.  Fear is a broad term that encompasses almost all of the reasons why Apostolics don’t witness.  Perhaps it is the fear of rejection should the person that we are witnessing to ridicule us for our beliefs.  Most of the saints that I have talked to have expressed this fear in some form to me.  They are afraid to tell others about their experience with Jesus for fear of what others will think of them.  Another fear that Apostolics battle against is the fear of humiliation.  It is not easy to stand up in a room full of people that are sitting down.  Nobody wants to be the one that is singled out.  The chance of making a mistake on the public stage is frightening to most people so they do not speak up about Jesus to others. The other fear that our people battle with is fear of the unknown.  New converts are unknown elements that are being added to the church.  They bring their own personalities and thought processes to the established saints in the congregation.  They may have a different way of saying and doing things that is difficult for some people to adapt to.  This fear of change and the unknown keeps some saints paralyzed and unwilling to engage in outreach activities.

It is our responsibility, as ministers and established saints, to face down our own fears and then help others to conquer theirs.  The fear of rejection can be overcome through the anticipation of acceptance.  Rather than focus on the possible negative outcome it is better to focus on the possible positive outcome.  It is also important to realize that not everyone will accept the Gospel and that any witness will have to go through at least some form of rejection eventually.  By preparing yourself in advance to expect a positive outcome and to accept a rejection if it comes, you will be better able to cope with the fear of rejection.  It is possible to overcome the fear of humiliation through training and preparation.  When you spend time in practice and training for witnessing then you will feel more confident and will be more likely to do it.  Practice witnessing in non-threatening situations at first, such as good friends or close family.  Take some time to observe those that are witnessing and involved in ministry.  Learn from their successes and also from their mistakes.  There is nothing wrong with receiving instruction in how to teach a Home Bible Study or work in the jail, campus ministry, Bus ministry, etc.  When a person is properly trained it helps to eliminate the fear of humiliation and instills a sense of confidence which leads to participation.  The final fear of the unknown can be overcome by remembering how you added value to the church when you were converted.  That same value can be added by other individuals.  It is very rare that a new convert takes away from a congregation.  It is more likely that you will find a new friend in a new convert than a new enemy.  The four letter word F-E-A-R can be overcome by Apostolics, through the right attitude, time spent in preparation, and remembering where we came from.

But I have only mentioned one reason so far and I told you that I had decided that there were two underlying reasons for lack of church growth.  The second reason that I see as the biggest hindrance to churches growing is apathy.  Apathy is a lack of desire or drive to accomplish a task or goal.  But it goes beyond just tasks and goals it goes to the vision of the congregation.  Do we truly “see” a lost and dying world?  Do our ears “hear” the anguished cries for help from those that are fallen?  Have we become immune to the convicting power of the Holy Ghost?  Are we so busy with our own lives that we have lost the burden for the sinner?  A congregation that lacks a burden will be apathetic and accomplish little or nothing for the Kingdom. 

Apathy is a little more difficult to conquer than fear is.  Apathy is more than an emotion it is a mindset of not caring.  Compassion and empathy are vital necessities for any growing congregation.  These two primary ingredients should also be part of every Apostolic life.  Apathy can only be conquered through the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost.  Only God can restore a burden that has been lost.  A revived love of God and for the things of God will bring about a new passion and zeal for outreach and evangelism.  But it takes an honest person to ask the question “Is my passion for God as strong now as it was before?”  Unfortunately, sometimes a congregation has to subtract or even divide to remove undesirable attitudes and elements before they truly can start to grow.

So there you have it, the two reasons that I feel why congregations do not grow like they are supposed to.  I can find no “magic bullet” for overcoming these two obstacles of fear and apathy.  They can only be removed by time, energy, effort, and ultimately desire.  But having examined these underlying reasons that hinder growth, we now must ask ourselves the questions, “Are either of these two forces at work in my life?  Am I fearful?  Am I apathetic?”  These are tough questions but they must be addressed in every Apostolic life.  We can be the church that Jesus called us to be and we can experience the revival that He promised us, when we leave fear and apathy behind.

In His Service