27/08/2025
Church Hopping .
Modern church growth currently is about transfer growth and not evangelical growth.
This is the sad reality .
It is also not totally bad as it is better that people stay in churches even though they move from one to another .
What is sad is that there is currently little or no motivation for old school evangelism as churches can just start on day one and be full !
What fills a church in modern times is as follows ;
1. The appeal of the set man .
2. Excellent set up and venues .
3. Flexible service times . The shorter the better .
4. Quality of membership .
5. High OPEX and CAPEX outlay .
6. Structured Admin and follow up .
7. Strong online church branding .
If you have these , you can easily fill a hall .
Now there are solid churches who have these and a rich spiritual diet that fill halls too .
But there are not many who do it strictly by winning and discipling sinners .
Now the 7 things above are not bad , but if we grow in numbers without winning the lost we are about to lose our way .
Truth is things have changed .
It is why our church growth seminars sound more like marketing seminars .
It is why theology is never discussed .
It is why they are not travailing seminars .
In a result oriented landscape like ministry filled with the flesh ruled target market , you need to grow , quick and fast . You need to show affluence , excellence to grow . This is what will draw a mixed multitude because what they see will always cause them to cone .
This is why the thrust of the conferences have become excellence , packaging , shorter service times , composition of ushering teams , choir presentation etc . Most of these things appeal to the senses majorly .
It will always gather a moderate crowd .
So some pastors will take loans to achieve the status of the church people should rush to. They have lost loads of members to the church that looks well put together .
The church that does a lot of evangelism without the required qualities stated above will lose its converts over time to the well put together churches .
In fact some of the workers of the church doing evangelism every week if not well taught will migrate too . You wonder why ?
They will wonder why they are laboring for souls weekly under the hot sun while the other church doesn’t yet sees great numbers weekly . They will feel there is a grace missing .
So the model that appears more successful gains more ground .
The model will target results over process .
Now it is important to not ignore some good qualities from “happening churches” but never at the expense of discipleship, spiritual growth and rugged evangelism !
And by evangelism , I am not talking about influencing people to leave their church to join yours .
By evangelism I am speaking about going out , seeking the lost and winning them to the Lord .
Doing that old fashion work of preaching , following up and raising a soul who was previously lost in the world before they met you .
And pastors , please we need to stop manipulating people to leave their churches to join ours .
Don’t tell people stories about how the benefit of following you outweighs that of who they follow .
Stop the Abraham and lot examples .
It is manipulation.
Stop trying to lure people another labored over .
You will not be rewarded for it .
God rewards labors not gimmicks .
Maybe if we did ministry properly , the series of malice , hatred and angst amongst ministers will reduce .
There are a lot of things we must unlearn and relearn .
Amen .
