Our number one priority?
By George Bullard
BSCNC Associate Executive Director-Treasurer
What should be the No.1 priority of your congregation?
That depends.
Are we talking about program priorities, growth priorities, or Kingdom priorities?
If talking program priorities, the No.1 priority should be worship of the Triune God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus, a focus on meaningful worship services should be a high priority.
If talking growth priorities, the answer is more complicated. Is the subject evangelistic growth, church growth, discipleship growth, or growth in mission and ministry?
Evangelistic growth focuses on lost or pre-Christian persons. The most important life changing relationship for all of us is our salvation experience with God through Jesus Christ.
Church growth, however, is not necessarily evangelistic growth. Many congregations grow primarily through the transfer of people from other congregations and through biological growth.
Biological growth is growth through children and other members of a church household becoming Christians. Congregations focused on biological growth may be doing little or no evangelistic work.
One typical pattern of church growth is where people attending small to medium size congregations become attracted by the high quality worship, and multiple programs available in large or mega congregations.
Don't misunderstand this point - large and mega congregations ought to do their very best to offer excellent ministry. But, when people transfer to their congregation, it is church growth rather than evangelistic growth.
Discipleship growth is where people connected with a congregation are helped to grow as followers of Jesus. They deepen their discipleship habits, and - we hope - their service to God's Kingdom.
Growth in mission and ministry is where a congregation focuses on global and local missions projects and ongoing ministries that may never result in anyone connecting as a member with their local congregation. They are excited about reaching people where they are, connecting them to God through the Son, and celebrating the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
So what is a Kingdom priority? It is when a congregation is passionate about doing the specific things to which God has called it as a Christ-centric, faith-based community. It is when a congregation is being pulled forward by the unique sense of God's spiritual strategic direction.
It is what the Pursuing Vital Ministry - pursuingvitalministry - process of your state convention staff is all about. This is what my new book, Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation, addresses. It is what God calls your congregation to be and do that will help you understand the focus or balance your congregation should have around program growth and church growth.
It is the No.1 priority of FaithSoaring.
