Chapter 2: Myths About Growing Churches

There are so many myths to churches that are growing. To me, many churches I see hit that plateau and cannot get above it for a reason that is attainable but seems out of reach.  Warren focuses on likely the eight most crucial to the churches that normally are seen.  The eighth one is important because we want to have a large church but we cannot be the identical as another because there are differences in staff and culture, but we can learn processes, methods, and principles from larger churches to kinda know how to go about growth.  I also understand the truth to the myth of "one secret key to church growth" when I know that there are many churches who do ministry in different ways.  The myth of compromising  the message and the mission is prominent in today's culture, which is saddening because true ministry is about the message in a contemporary application. Big churches do have the tendency to grow with transfer Christians from other churches in the area for various reasons, but eventually that needs to cease along with the revolving door of church leaders in order to have the true parishioners and keep the other smaller churches growing with its members. Attendance is good as long as the people coming in are being fed and converted and grown in the process because Christ wants the church to grow and gives us five facets to do it and I would rather see my attendance grow through that then by adding program after program which may not edify the people.

Chapter 1: The Saddleback Story

Being able to read Warren's story of how Saddleback Church grew from the grassroots totally inspires me for my motivation for the ministry God has given to me.  I read through and it shows so much of the ambition I would take in getting a ministry going if I was going somewhere new and had virtually nothing to my name.  I have a ministry that I started about eight years ago and the past year and a month have been the re-organizing period and a very positive experience so far.  I am looking forward to finding out more about how to have a church that is driven by its purpose instead of by false pretenses.  Being able to go from building to building to accommodate the growth is good for a season, but having a building that is able to hit that plateau and being able to pay for it without grabbing mortgages and loans to do it.  If people know your vision and goal and are willing to help, they will even without you knowing.  I have been grateful for the people who are willing to come alongside in certain ways to build up the ministry and to see it succeed to its fullest potential.