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God Gives the Growth—but Pastors Still Plant and Water - Week 7

Week 7 of the Small Church Guys series: Healthy Things Grow—A Biblical and Global Approach to Natural Church Development Pastors live with a tension that can become exhausting.  On one hand, Scripture is clear: God alone produces spiritual life.  On the other hand, Scripture is equally clear: pastors and churches still have work to do. We are called to preach,  Teach,  Pray,  Disciple,  Equip,  Organize,  Serve,  Evangelize,  Develop leaders,  Care for people,  Evaluate fruit, a nd sometimes make difficult changes.  So which is it?  Do we trust God to grow His Church?  Or do we work intentionally to make the church healthier? The biblical answer is both . Paul captured this tension beautifully: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” —1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul did not say: “I planted, Apollos watered, and together we figured out how to make the church grow.” Neither did he say: “God gives ...
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Stop Copying Churches: Principles Are Better Than Models - Week 6

Week 6: Healthy Things Grow—A Biblical and Global Approach to Natural Church Development Churches often copy other churches for understandable reasons. Pastors want to learn. They want practical ideas. They want to avoid unnecessary mistakes. They see a congregation experiencing visible growth and naturally ask: “What are they doing?” “How did they organize that ministry?” “What program are they using?” “Could we reproduce that here?” There is nothing wrong with learning from another church. Wise leaders observe, ask questions, study fruitful ministries, and remain open to better ways of serving. The problem begins when admiration turns into imitation. A church sees another congregation’s success and assumes that the same method will produce the same result in a different place. The copied church may serve another nation, culture, language, denomination, generation, economic environment, or community. It may have more staff, stronger finances, different facilities, and a l...
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