JON ALLEN

What is it that makes a church grow and be effective? It’s the age-old question pastors ask themselves. I know of many churches that are really struggling and in most cases it is not for lack of effort by the pastor, it’s not a lack of leadership, and it’s not a lack of resources. So what is the issue?

There is a line in a song by TobyMac… “Momma always says, ‘it’s a matter of fact, that when love is in the house, the house is packed.’” This problem can be summed up in one word I believe… love. At our 101 membership class on Sunday we asked everyone what drew them to High Rock. We had several answers that came up more than others… the passion of the church and pastors for God and His work, the love and acceptance they felt when they walked in, and the involvement of the church in the community. If we break that down we see two categories… loving God and loving others. Not a big surprise when Jesus said those were the two greatest commandments. What I tend to see in churches that are declining is that love has been replaced by complacency, pride, arguments, and resentment on many different levels. It’s logical that the church would struggle because those are all contrary to the desire of God for the church.

So how does a church grow and mature? Have deep love for God, consistent love for each other, and active love for people outside the church. So the question to ask is, “how much love is there our church?”