Posted on 10/06/2021 7:36:44 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
One census was ordered by God. The other was instigated by Satan.
God said that numbers do matter. He ordered a counting of all the people of Israel shortly after the people fled Egypt. You can see the specific mandate in Exodus 30:12-14. An entire book of the Bible is devoted to the progress and results of the census. The book is aptly named Numbers.
But another census of the people of Israel was clearly instigated by Satan. The Bible is straightforward on that matter in 1 Chronicles 21:1: “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.” Apparently, David ordered the count for his own self-aggrandizement.
The point is simple. Numbers and counting are either good or evil according to the motivation of those counting.
We are in a historical cycle in the evangelical world where the mood is to disparage counting, attendance, and other numerical metrics. Consequently, we are in danger of losing accountability that is inherent with following numbers.
How are we able to discern the growing disdain for numbers and counting? Here are ten issues that are indicative of the movement to disparage metrics.
1. An increasing number of comments that the church is the people, not the building. Of course, the church is not a building. Of course, the church is the people of God. But those people are commanded to gather somewhere. That gathering place is usually a building. This issue is often expressed as a reason not to count our worship attendance. It’s a poor excuse.
2. An increasing number of comments that the church should focus on sending not attending. This argument is fallacious. It puts missionary sending to the community and beyond in opposition to gathering for worship. It’s both/and, not either/or.
3. Numbers for bragging rights. Again, the issue is one of motive. David obviously wanted to brag about the size of his kingdom. The problem was his heart, not counting people.
4. Failure to count group attendance. If you want to gauge the health of your church, a good metric is weekly group attendance. If you are not counting weekly group attendance, you are missing the opportunity to determine the commitment of your core members.
5. The priority of ministry over numbers. Again, this argument is fallacious. It suggests that a church should do ministry instead of counting, for example, worship attendance. This argument was used by a number of mainline churches for around 50 years. They maintained the argument until there were no members left to do ministry.
6. Counting is legalistic. Anything can turn legalistic without the right motive: reading the Bible, sharing your faith, giving, and others. At the risk of redundancy, it is a question of motive and the heart.
7. COVID! While I do not want to minimize the tragedy of COVID, I fear we will begin to use it as an excuse for waning commitment to the church. Those church leaders (and other organizational leaders) who learn to pivot and adjust to a new reality will see the greatest fruit.
8. It’s about the core. Those articulating this argument communicate that fewer is better. Those who are committed will attend regularly. We should not worry about the others, the argument goes. But we need the less committed to attend church to become more committed. We need the non-Christians to attend church to hear the Gospel.
9. Waning and unreported conversions. Most North American congregations are seeing fewer conversions. Most of them have no accountability because they fail to report the number of conversions.
10. No published worship and small group attendance. That which is reported gets noticed. That which is noticed gets attention. That which gets attention gets better.
Evangelical churches are repeating the history of mainline churches. They are devising reasons to excuse declining attendance. In doing so, they are implicitly saying the gathered church is not important.
Robert Hudnut, a mainline writer from 1975, argued that it is a good sign that people are leaving churches. In his book, Church Growth Is Not the Point, he said, “the loss of growth statistics has meant increase in the growth of the Gospel.”
His argument was symptomatic of dying mainline churches 50 years ago. A half-century later, evangelical churches are dying and using the same rationale.
Numbers do matter. Especially when the motive is right, and the heart is pure.
Originally published at Church Answers.
Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.
Rainer has written over 30 books, including three that reached number one bestseller: I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, and Simple Church. His new book, The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation, is available now.
The Messianic church I last attended, before moving out of state, send me that letter ...AT MY OUT OF STATE ADDRESS!!!
Terry, lots of us give cash.
= = =
Who has the highest attendance, George, or Ben?
But the easy measures are, at least, a start.
The "woke" churches won't even start with the basics because the liberal termites know they have taken over the church in order to destroy it. Same with a once fine organization like the Boy Scouts. I've always bought popcorn from the kids before now but I can't bring myself to do it anymore knowing the rotteness at the head will eventually make its way down to the individual troops.
It is sad, really!
Neither has attended any service since the wedding because they no longer preach the Gospel of Christ. If we want the "Gospel of Wokeness", we can turn on any news channel and watch it in our skivvies. Why bother getting dressed for the "Church of Wokeness"?
bump
I think some of the arguments made are straw man arguments - representing arguments never made or seldom made and surely not what most people mean when using terms that the church is people not buildings.
In re: “2. An increasing number of comments that the church should focus on sending not attending.”
The only denomination I know that practices nearly equal parts of sending & attending is not considered truly Christian by most Christian denominations, and that is Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is the duty and obligation of Witnesses to go out into the community with their teachings, but seldom do you see, actually witness, actual evangelism by the members of most Christian denominations. Maybe Christian churches are in fact not doing enough “sending”.
Ah you are asking how much I give.
Well there’s the old admonition not to let my left hand know what my right hand is doing. So. The Lord knows.
My point of course is that the wicked implication that all churches utilize checks to shake people down for money hardly works when we give cash. Just defending the true church. A habit of mine.
I know there are false churches. There are false men too. Shall I insult all men due to that fact?
No mention of the Scriptural number reference of the most significance—Revelation Revelation 7:9: “After this I beheld and lo a great multitude, which no man could number . . . stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes . . . “
Ah you are asking how much I give.
= = =
Not really. I am just being a smarty.
Meanwhile, I just read a chruch’s website on how much to give. They said the only ‘amount’ mentioned in the NT was 10%, so that is what is recommended.
I note that the widow who gave 2 mites, gave 100%. That amount is mentioned as ‘all she had’.
So they should give 100%, right?
Some may argue that the temple tithe carried over from temple worship. It’s an argument but I am not convinced of it.
Indeed the widow does give 100 percent. As a widow she lived in the temple. Her shelter and food were provided. Worthy of note.
The instructions I read about collecting and giving encourage liberality and generosity but not a specific amount.
2 Corinthians 9:7
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Does everyone here understand that 2Timothy is about the last days of the Church the Body of Christ on this earth? Paul writes to and instructs Timothy as to the church in ruins, with only the foundation remaining. The foundation being Jesus Christ.
Read it carefully and prayerfully.
It is particularly significant to today. It began during Paul’s time and has carried on through these days.
And there are many in the Body of Christ who are in transition between “going” to church and “being the church”.
We are having to come to terms with the church in ruins and what that means for us, the Body of Christ. Please read 2Timothy and you will understand the position we are in at the end of this dispensation the Grace of God.
P.S. there will be no revival. There will be individuals ministering reconciliation between God and man based on the finished work of Christ.
This dispensation of the Grace of God will end just like it began, with individuals teaching individuals, who in turn will teach, etc. “Going” to church will not be necessary. “Being” the church will bring us to that one perfect man that Paul spoke of.
Find a red letter Bible and read the red text passages to see what Jesus taught. Next attend a service and compare what is said against what you read. Chances are, you likely will hear things that don't appear in red text. Most likely you will hear the gospel of "feel good", "prosperity" or a number of other things, but not the Gospel that Jesus taught.
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