Growth principles
Growth principles. Author – senior pastor Igor Kudryashov
Last Updated on Thursday, 05 December 2013 15:48
Growth principles
Any theory is strong by practice. It is possible to speak much about different ways and methods to help church in development and growth, but and not to apply any of these methods in church life. About church growth it is told now much enough. It became a theme of different meetings and the seminars uniting attendants of churches and heads of separate services. Whether it is real?
I ask this question because heard repeatedly, even from pastors that serious growth of church in the conditions of the Russian validity is impossible. Some speak about, a so-called, "Russian" damnation - wallowed in an occultism and drunkenness a society which not in a condition to hear a good message and to change. I do not want to polemize on this theme, each statement remains on conscience of the one who has said it. All of us we go before the Lord, at all of us as apostle Pavel writes, one belief. Only, if to look on a global scale, churches on all earth or grow deep into and quantitatively, or decades don't move a little, or in general slowly die. The Lord asserts me in belief that Its church should grow, getting more and more pupils for the Christ and Its Kingdom. I also believe that God has supplied all of us necessary to use us, as the tool in business of multiplication of church. It opens in The word some principles, two of which I would like to mention in this article.
The first about what it would be desirable to tell is a principle of the device or distribution of forces. It is often possible to observe in churches a picture of the "tired out" pastor which tries to do practically everything, tries to have time to bear all conceivable services. From outside it looks is sacred enough and is pious, but behind the external a number of serious problems hides. First, the attendant on the verge of moral and physical failure, accordingly it is not necessary to speak about its appropriate spiritual condition. Secondly, problems in a family, intense relations with the wife are inevitable, it is not enough attention education of children, problems with money (as a rule, such attendants are released from secular work, but the salary or as it is accepted to speak in church circles, their support simply scanty). In - the third, at such attendant the condition of constant grumble on "careless" parishioners, not to mention apathy to business evangelism starts to be formed. Certainly, each church has the historical background, the situation which has developed by years, certain people, but the distribution principle is universal for all churches. Its essence consists in picking up the person under a certain kind of service, instead of to do all services to the pastor of church, not to be at all their participant. There will be no yet a necessary person who on spiritual gifts and natural talents approaches for certain work in church, it is not necessary to begin this work. Sometimes, for the lack of the necessary person long time can't begin any service, in it there is nothing terrible because The Lord gives those or other people in church and always does it in time. Some services, which in itself aren't effective and for a long time have become outdated, it is necessary wisely, accurately but to close. Thereby people who can work blessed and fruitfully in other kind of activity are liberated. The distribution principle allows the pastor to form a team from key people – heads of services or small groups who will help it to carry out spiritual education of the people called by the Lord in The church. The problem of the attendant - to create not vanity and bustle, but high-grade work of group of the attendants devoted to the Lord reaching each member of church and directing last on personal spiritual growth and work among non-believers. Then the pastor has some persons with which it densely cooperates, and at the same time the church isn't thrown, but, on the contrary, is captured by care and education.
The second principle – active attraction of men for key roles in church. It can from outside it will seem infringement of the rights of sisters, but not so. The Lord has initially made men responsible in all areas of life, the Christ, selecting apostles, was guided by this principle. It is very hard for each attendant because easier to work with women, they are more responsible and are more appeasable. But practice shows that in churches where the man's potential is as much as possible involved, dynamics of growth is observed. And, women in such churches rejoice for men and with pleasure help to them. Cases when women can head any service aren't excluded.
When in our church of the city of Udomlya, I as the attendant, has started to focus attention on involving in spiritual work of brothers, appreciable changes began to occur. Those from brothers who as we speak, sat on a back shop, began to prove as active attendants at first as participants of this or that work, then as heads and assistants to heads. Brothers have seriously promoted in respect of spiritual growth and responsibility. The brother has headed children's Sunday school, other brother became the head of youth service. Service of interview with alcohol and narcodependent, prison service, glorification group, the majority of house groups have heads of brothers. For last year one and a half-two situation in church has exchanged sufficiently, to the Christ people - as consequence began to come a little, but is stable enough. Certainly, it is all list of principles and growth laws of local churches, but it is necessary to begin with something. I recommend to all attendants who will read this material, to carry out the careful analysis of a condition of the churches about absence of growth. I believe that the Lord will open much and will help to reconstruct structure and priorities in a choice of people. I believe that through local churches God will make a plentiful harvest for the Kingdom of heaven. We will listen to Its manuals and to put into practice Its great and wise laws of the device of Church.
Igor Kudryashov, the senior pastor of Udomlya Baptist church
On materials of a site of Tver baptist association:http://www.tverbaptist.ru/