How to Grow a Church—Is There a “Right” Way?
by Stephen Frank -February 10, 2020
Last Sunday, my son-in-law was visiting with the grandkids. At one point, I asked him how church went that morning. He explained that after the services a group of church leaders and members met to discuss how to grow the church membership.
They discussed serving better coffee after the service, forming more special interest groups, getting more involved in community events, and more service to the community. What interested me most was that one item was missing. What was missing was the purpose of the Church, a Biblical message, promoting the values of the Bible, as a way to expand membership.
Is it possible we now have two churches? One is a Biblical church that builds membership and respect in the community via teaching and living Biblical values. The other church is the “social” church. Showing it is a great place to meet people, to network, to fight for social justice, and intolerant of those with Biblical values. Is Church and faith about good coffee and social groups, or the word of the Lord—and promoting it?
We are in an era where everyone wants to be liked and loved. No one wants to appear to be intolerant or holding views that are demeaned by the media as old fashioned and out-of-touch with 2020. Worse, legislators who lack respect for Judeo-Christian values are trying to imitate laws in Great Britain. In that country, if a minister preaches from the Bible that marriage is only between a man and a woman, that is considered “HATE” speech.
This has been going on in England since 1986 when an “anti-hate” law was passed. As an example of the chilling effect on Pastors in England, “On 13 October 2001, Harry Hammond, an evangelist, was arrested and charged under section 5 of the Public Order Act (1986). He had displayed to people in Bournemouth a large sign bearing the words "Jesus Gives Peace, Jesus is Alive, Stop Immorality, Stop Homosexuality, Stop Lesbianism, Jesus is Lord." In April 2002, a magistrate convicted Hammond, fined him £300, and ordered him to pay costs of £395.[14][15][16]. TF from Wikipedia.
If a church in the United States wants to take on a cause, how about an effort to allow the Bible to be taught around the world? Here in California, we already had a law proposed in 2018 that would have prevented ministers from discussing Biblical views on sexual orientation. At the time, the California Family Council share this startling headline: “Assembly votes to violate the 1st Amendment: AB 2943 bans books, conferences, counseling advocating Muslim, Jewish and Christian views on gender and sexual orientation.”
The article instructed, “The California Assembly approved a bill today 50-18 that tells churches and other with traditional beliefs about gender and sexual orientation that advocating for their views could get them sued. AB 2943, declares, ‘advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual’ is illegal under state’s consumer fraud law.”
Though the bill did not get out of the legislature, it sets a tone in Sacramento. A resolution later passed, ACR 99, a resolution opposing “conversion therapy.” Beware, AB 2943 can come up again.
Why do you attend a specific church? To meet new people and network, or to hear and live the word of G-d? If the legislature can declare sermons based on the Bible are subject to punishment and fines, how far will they go? It always interests me that when faith leaders marched for civil rights they were applauded as national leaders. Yet, when sermons promoting passages in the Bible about life, marriage and society are heard, true feelings by some reveal it as hate speech that needs to be stopped and punished. Yet, those rightly preaching in support of civil rights and those speaking on behalf of saving babies are using the Bible as the foundation of their values and actions.
Here is a great idea for churches looking to expand their membership. Stand for the Bible. Stand for the values and lessons of the Word of G-d. Stop being defensive. Stop withdrawing religion from the Church, replaced with politically correct conversation and actions. The Church needs to return to its roots—the Bible, and stop being just another community organization. I hope this opens discussions in every church.
Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv
NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.
