By Harold Vaughan
Most churches want to grow, but not every church is willing to change what is keeping it from growing.
Church growth is about health.
Healthy churches tend to grow because healthy life reproduces itself.
Here are seven habits that keep many churches from ever moving forward.
They focus on keeping members comfortable instead of making disciples.
Comfort produces spectators. The Great Commission produces disciples.
They spend more time maintaining traditions than reaching people.
Biblical convictions never change, but methods must serve the mission—not replace it.
They pray occasionally instead of desperately.
Prayer is treated as a formality rather than the engine that drives the ministry.
They expect members to attend but not to serve.
Healthy churches help every believer discover that ministry is not for a few leaders—it is the responsibility of every Christian.
They preach information without calling for transformation.
Biblical preaching does more than explain truth. It calls people to repent, believe, obey, and follow Christ.
They neglect first-time guests.
Visitors often decide whether they will return long before the sermon begins. A warm welcome, genuine hospitality, and an atmosphere of joy matter.
They measure success by survival instead of obedience.
The goal is not simply to keep the doors open. The goal is to glorify Christ by making disciples who make disciples.
The Bottom Line
Churches rarely stop growing because God has stopped working. More often, they become satisfied with maintaining what they have instead of pursuing what Christ commanded.
A healthy church is a praying church.
A healthy church is a Gospel-preaching church.
A healthy church is a disciple-making church.
When a church seeks God’s power, loves people, preaches the Word, and obeys the Great Commission, it places itself where God delights to give the increase.
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
Acts 2:47
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