Redefining Church Success
From Bigger to Healthier
Over the years, I’ve studied what actually leads churches to grow in healthy, sustainable ways. Research by John Ellas on growing Churches of Christ identified four consistent elements. I’ve added two more from my own ministry experience. If a church is going to grow—not just larger, but healthier—it must pursue these six commitments with excellence.
1) Dynamic Worship
Healthy, growing churches create worship gatherings that genuinely impact people’s lives. This isn’t about production value or performance. It’s about creating an environment where people encounter God, are shaped by His Word, and leave changed.
2) Intentional Visitor Follow-Up
Growing churches do not treat guests as anonymous faces. They have clear, immediate, and personal follow-up processes that help visitors take meaningful next steps toward connection and discipleship. A “Starting Point” class is a good place to help guests learn more and move into connection within the church.
3) Small Group Ministry
Small groups serve two critical functions:
Doorways for new people to enter the life of the church.
Pathways for existing members to find an identity group where they are known, cared for, and formed spiritually.
Without small groups, churches tend to grow wide but not deep.
4) Excellent Children’s Ministry
Churches that grow take children’s ministry seriously. They understand that caring for children well is one of the most powerful ways to serve families and invest in the next generation of disciples.
5) Expository, Relevant Preaching
People need more than inspirational talks. They need a word from God. Expository preaching that clearly explains Scripture and applies it to contemporary life feeds believers and reaches seekers at the same time.
6) Specific, Compelling Plans for Growth
Healthy churches do not drift. Their leaders consistently cast vision for how the church will move forward in Christ’s mission in their community. People rally around clear direction.
Holding Firm Convictions While Adapting to Culture
Growing churches have learned a critical balance: they hold tightly to biblical convictions while remaining flexible in methods.
Many churches decline because they cling to harmless-seeming traditions that unintentionally create cultural barriers for people outside the faith. This is exactly what Jesus warned about in Mark 7:8–9—holding onto human traditions in ways that obscure the heart of God.
Likewise, the apostle Paul modeled extraordinary adaptability for the sake of mission in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, becoming “all things to all people” so that some might be saved.
The mission never changes. Our methods must. We must be willing to do anything short of sin to make disciples.
Rethinking How We Measure Success
Many churches measure success by what I call the “3 B’s”:
Butts in seats
Building size
Budgets
But these were not Jesus’ metrics. Jesus measured success differently. If we want to be a healthy church on mission, we need better benchmarks.
1) The Number of Mature Disciples Who Make Disciples
Growth is not attendance; it is multiplication. Are people becoming mature followers of Jesus who help others follow Him?
2) The Number of Relationships with Not-Yet Believers
Jesus constantly pursued those far from God. A healthy church is filled with people who have meaningful relationships with those who do not yet believe.
3) The Frequency of Natural Gospel Conversations (Gospel Fluency)
Are people so shaped by the gospel that they talk about it naturally in everyday life?
4) The Number of Indigenous Leaders Being Developed
Is the church raising up leaders from within who are discipling and serving others?
5) The Number of People Being Sent Out
Healthy churches don’t just gather people—they send them. Church planters, missionaries, and local outreach leaders should regularly be sent from the congregation.
What Church Growth Really Means
Church growth is not primarily about getting bigger. It’s about becoming the kind of church where:
Worship transforms people
Guests are welcomed into community
Small groups form disciples
Children are valued
Scripture is taught clearly
Vision is compelling
Traditions never overshadow the mission
Disciples are made and sent
When these things happen consistently, growth is no longer something you chase. It becomes the natural byproduct of faithfulness to the mission of Jesus.
