When I wrote The Purpose Driven Church, I made the bold assertion that every church is driven by something. That’s still true, and you must decide what will drive your congregation.
A lot of churches are driven by tradition. Others will be driven by personalities and politics. Still other churches are driven by debt, by the shape of their buildings, or by a ministry structure so large and so inflexible that fresh growth will be difficult.
Healthy churches, however, are driven by God’s purposes. These churches will focus on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, and they’ll discover that God wants his church to fulfill five purposes:
- Worship – Healthy churches will magnify the name of Jesus in all that they do.
- Evangelism – Healthy churches will focus on the mission of introducing unchurched people to Jesus.
- Fellowship – Healthy churches will bring people into membership in God’s family, the church.
- Discipleship – Healthy churches will help people become more like Christ.
- Ministry – Healthy churches will help people discover their SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences) for serving others.
Leading your church into health and growth won’t depend on launching a bunch of new programs and ministries. It will depend on designing and working through a process for making fully mature, reproducing disciples so that you can help people move from the local community into your crowd, from the crowd into your congregation, from being part of your congregation to being fully committed to being part of the core of your church.
These are the basic, biblical concepts behind what it means to be a Purpose Driven church. I want to help you and your church discover how to do this in your ministry context so that it will be the greatest year of growth you’ve ever experienced. And growth is far more than numbers. We can grow larger, but we can also grow deeper, broader, warmer, and stronger.
As you begin to review this past year of ministry, ask yourself the question: what has driven us this year? If it’s anything other than God’s purposes, right now is the best time to refocus and align your church’s ministry with the heart and the purposes of God!
Join us at HOPE RENEWED, the 2017 Purpose Driven Church event, as we continue the conversation about growing healthy, effective churches together!
Dates:
June 27–29, 2017
Location:
Saddleback Church
1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92630
I am blessed with your inspiration, by his grace am committed to praying for your ministry and you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. thanks. it has been a focus but just hoping we soon realize an increase. WHAT ELSE SHOULD BE DONE IN A CHURCH THAT LACKS GROWTH, SHOULD IT BE A SIGN THAT WE HEARD GOD WRONGLY?
Since our little church began studing the book The Purpose Driven church, a fundermantal change took place people became better and better human beings and spiritual growth and understanding of truth just shot up.
thank you
Excellent article! I am praying that my church focuses on the Great Commandment and Great Commission this coming year. We have focused long enough on that other stuff.
These are the basic, biblical concepts behind what it means to be a purpose driven church. In the next year, I want to help you and your church discover how to do this in your ministry context so that it will be the greatest year of growth you’ve ever experienced. And growth is far more than numbers. We can grow larger, but we can also grow deeper, broader, warmer, and stronger.- I thought we were the church, why is it about numbers in MY church? The church is the body of Christ and I believe we need to stop the division of MY church & just be the church!