A Dangerous Trend
Title: A Dangerous Trend
Category: Evangelism Issues
Subject: Soul Winning
Jim Mastin
Soul Winning
A Dangerous Trend
As I observe the activities of our current breed of churches, I think I see a dangerous trend developing. That is, the emphasis of our churches changing from winning the lost to growing our churches. Now, I'm all for church growth. I have never pastored a church that did not experience growth showing the Sunday School doubling in attendance the first year and doubling again in the next two years and doubling again in the next three years. I believe in growing churches.
But, growing churches should be the result of winning the lost and not the main objective. We have come to the place where, as pastors, we are successful if we pastor a large church. That does not signify success. Success is achieved when we have fulfilled God's mandate and calling on our lives: that of building His Kingdom through the conversion of lost souls.
It's interesting how soul winning produces growing churches, but growing churches do not necessarily produce soul winning. Soul winning produces Kingdom growth, where growing churches do not necessarily produce Kingdom growth.
In this age of rapidly changing church profiles, changing methods, changing music, changing types of buildings, etc., let's not forget why we are here. Pastors are still supposed to lead people to Christ. Churches should still be training soul winners. Church members should still be sharing the Gospel with the unsaved. Let's not substitute our coffee in the lobby, our cell groups, our "seeker friendly" atmospheres, for leading a soul to Christ. Use these tools if you wish, but use them to personally tell sinners about Christ.
By the way, that's the way Jesus did it. Read again the story of the woman at the well and see if our approach to church growth reflects the heart and compassion Jesus had for a lost soul.
Soul Winning
A Dangerous Trend
As I observe the activities of our current breed of churches, I think I see a dangerous trend developing. That is, the emphasis of our churches changing from winning the lost to growing our churches. Now, I'm all for church growth. I have never pastored a church that did not experience growth showing the Sunday School doubling in attendance the first year and doubling again in the next two years and doubling again in the next three years. I believe in growing churches.
But, growing churches should be the result of winning the lost and not the main objective. We have come to the place where, as pastors, we are successful if we pastor a large church. That does not signify success. Success is achieved when we have fulfilled God's mandate and calling on our lives: that of building His Kingdom through the conversion of lost souls.
It's interesting how soul winning produces growing churches, but growing churches do not necessarily produce soul winning. Soul winning produces Kingdom growth, where growing churches do not necessarily produce Kingdom growth.
In this age of rapidly changing church profiles, changing methods, changing music, changing types of buildings, etc., let's not forget why we are here. Pastors are still supposed to lead people to Christ. Churches should still be training soul winners. Church members should still be sharing the Gospel with the unsaved. Let's not substitute our coffee in the lobby, our cell groups, our "seeker friendly" atmospheres, for leading a soul to Christ. Use these tools if you wish, but use them to personally tell sinners about Christ.
By the way, that's the way Jesus did it. Read again the story of the woman at the well and see if our approach to church growth reflects the heart and compassion Jesus had for a lost soul.
