We are continuing our look at what should be the foundational principles of any healthy, genuine church. In the myriad church growth methodologies, programs and strategies, we need to be diligent in maintaining our biblical foundation if we want to be useful to the kingdom. These last five principles are truly non-negotiable.
6. Church Growth Is Spiritual Warfare
Satan will do everything he can to prevent you from leading your church to growth. Every soul saved by Christ is a soul that will not be with Satan in hell. Paul knew that warfare for the evangelistic, church-growing Christian was inevitable:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12).
Satan and his demons use many weapons to inhibit growth of the church. They can deceive both believers and unbelievers. Unbelievers can be deceived and blinded from receiving the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ:
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4).
A believer can also be distracted from Great Commission obedience and single-minded devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). The apostle Paul, concerned that the church of the Thessalonians might have lost zeal for spreading the gospel, wrote to warn the people about demonic discouragement:
"For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless" (1 Thess. 3:5).
In Paul's words about spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, he instructs us about our weapons to combat the forces of the evil one. He calls these weapons "the full armor of God" (v. 13). The full armor first includes a godly and obedient lifestyle ("righteousness . . . readiness . . . faith," vv. 14-16). Second, it means a knowledge of, commitment to, and obedience to the Word of God ("the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," v. 17). Finally, the full armor leads us to prayer (v. 18). We look at that vital principle next.
7. Prayer Is a Key Church Growth Principle
Prayer should be a priority in the church because God's Word mandates it. Even if we could find no positive correlation between prayer and church growth, the mandate of prayer would require our obedience.
It is fascinating, however, to learn how God is working through prayer to lead churches to unprecedented levels of growth. In one study of churches which had reversed their negative growth rate, the key factor for the reversal was determined to be an increased emphasis on prayer.
The prayers of the early church unleashed the power of God to add thousands to the church. It happened then, and it is happening in many churches today.
8. The Church Is Still Important
In my first pastorate, I visited a lady who had not attended our church in over a decade. Though a longtime member, she did not see the need for attending her church. She was well prepared for my visit.
"Pastor," she said condescendingly, "I have discovered that God and I have a much better relationship when I do not attend church. Those hypocrites mess up my spiritual growth."
I wish I had had the intestinal fortitude to say that she would have fit in nicely with the rest of us hypocrites.
One of the unavoidable truths of the New Testament is that the local church is important in God's plan. The writer of Hebrews made clear God's intention for believers to gather and work together:
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another  and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:25).
Even more than single passages, large blocks of Scripture (1 Cor. 12-14) point to the importance of a gathered, united and serving church. The majority of the books of the New Testament are particularly concerned with local church issues.
Despite the imperfections of those who comprise the local church, it is still God's primary vehicle for calling the world to Himself. Indeed the church is the body of Christ (12:27).
9. Evangelism Is Still the Priority
Many times I will lead a conference and begin a discussion on ministries in the church. I may discuss social ministries or discipleship ministries in general, or I may refer to some particular ministry. Typically, I receive a surprised look when I share the most effective means to lead a church in discipleship and social ministries: Have a priority for evangelism.
How can a church with a priority for evangelism be a church with dynamic social and discipleship ministries? First, let us examine the biblical evidence.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us the perfect plan for discipling and providing for needs, did so within a context that placed the eternal state of a person as more important than the temporal state:
"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:29).
Again, the words of Jesus seem to favor an evangelistic priority:
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (10:28).
The historical and contemporary evidence seems to support this thesis: A greater evangelistic emphasis and higher evangelistic priority will enhance all ministries of the church.
A landmark study of evangelists and revivalists in the 19th century found that though the well-known evangelists held to a priority of winning people to Christ, they were also instrumental in initiating massive social reforms.
Yet another major study, in the 1960s, came to that same conclusion. The modern evangelical movement, while holding a priority of evangelism, was also maintaining a strong social conscience. Even as we head into the 21st century, the same evidence is repeated: churches that emphasize evangelism tend to have a greater awareness of social and discipleship needs.
Yet on the other hand, we can look at the records of many denominations that have lost their evangelistic zeal and priority. Their numerical decline has been the subject of countless studies.
Within those same studies, however, there has been a noted decline in resources for other ministries which has impacted negatively those areas deemed to be of highest importance. A low priority for evangelism is detrimental to the entire ministry of the church.
One entire Christian movement collapsed as it rearranged its priorities away from evangelism. The Student Volunteer Movement was founded early in the 20th century upon the slogan: "The evangelization of the world in this generation." Many Christian leaders enthusiastically endorsed the movement as the single most potent force for missions in America in the early part of the century.
Yet, in the 1940s the organization ceased to exist. Its original priority of evangelism had shifted to new emphases such as race relations, international relationships and economic justice. Not only did the collapse of the movement cause a major evangelistic thrust to end, it also thwarted an emphasis on many other worthy ministries and causes.
10. The Laity Must Do the Ministry
I once ran into a friend who had pastored his church for 17 years. He had followed many of the principles that are popular today. But for the past four years, his church had plateaued after many years of steady growth. He and I both realized the major problem  for all practical purposes he had not led the church and the people to be unleashed for ministry.
The church had grown well for years despite skipping this step. But now the church did not have enough leaders in ministry to care for all the people and to involve new people. Neither assimilation nor discipleship was taking place.
The beauty of the church in Acts was the picture of every believer being involved in ministry. A person not involved in ministry would not have been considered a part of the church. A Christian, by his or her very nature, would be doing ministry.
How that scenario has changed in most American churches!
The most important thing your church leaders can do is to begin now equipping others for ministry. That is your biblical mandate (Eph. 4:11-12). You may have to begin small, working with one or two others.
Then those two will be equipped to equip others. The process will be slow, especially in an established church. By eating small bites of the elephant slowly, progress will be made toward devouring the entire creature!
