Growing By Subtraction

Growing By Subtraction

Over the past 5 1/2 years of being the Senior Pastor of People's Church, I have learned that a church often times grows by subtraction. I want to spend a few days talking to you about subtraction in the local church. Of course, I love lists, so here we go!

1. In a church plant, a lot of the people who start with you won't stay with you. They will be a blessing to the church in the very beginning stages, but they end up leaving the church for various reasons. Here are some reasons that some of the people who start with you won't stay.

A. As the church grows, they can't adjust from being a big fish in a LITTLE pond to being a little fish in a BIG pond. These people like a small church. They feel more important because they know everybody and everybody knows them. These people don't want to handle being a part of a growing church, so they leave.

B. Some people want control, and when they don't get it, they leave. There are people who will show up to your church because it's new and they think they can control the pastor and the vision. Sometimes, there will be several people who come together and try to push their agenda on the pastor. They think the more numbers they have the greater chance they'll have of controlling the church. If the pastor doesn't allow these people to control him and the church, they will eventually leave.

C. There are some people who leave your church because they are a disgruntled church person. Some people are just negative, mean and just down right difficult people to pastor. They left their last church disgruntled and unless God does something HUGE in their hearts, they will eventually leave your church disgruntled.

MORE TOMORROW