Many people have the idea that when church membership and attendance

increase, it is a sign of a successful church. Conversely, when the numbers go

down, the church must be failing. Sometimes, when churches have lost some

members, a certain level of paralysis affects the congregation due to a fear of

failure.

It is easy to get swallowed up in that kind of thinking about churches. We live

in a consumer-driven society, where many of us are evaluated by how much more we can do. Make more sales, manufacture more widgets, promote more students, or save the company more money, and, ultimately, earn more profits. 

Why shouldn’t a church be evaluated like everything else?

The problem, of course, is that God has never been running a popularity

contest. Jesus emphasized more than once that the way to eternal life was through a “narrow gate” [Matthew 7:13-14].

Do we as a population typically choose what is best for us? We watch

television far more than we read books or engage in healthy activities. When we watch television, we are far more likely to watch some mindless drivel rather than to watch an educational program on PBS or the Discovery Channel. The most prominent health problem in the country is obesity, which can be caused by our love for fast food and our lack of a balanced diet and regular exercise. We are more likely to charge credit cards ourselves into debt rather than to save ahead of time and pay in cash. We spend WAY too much time on our phones.

So, what makes us think that when we choose our houses of worship, we

suddenly become so wise? Maybe the local mega-church is growing because the Holy Spirit is blessing everything they do. Then, again, maybe they are just the McDonald’s of churches—lots of sales, but a steady diet of it is bad for your health.

And maybe a small church is like a PBS show in the broad television spectrum—

great quality, but people don’t know what they are missing.

As Fifth Avenue continues through this transition period, let us remember

that we are attempting to be faithful to God, not to be successful or to validate our existence as a church.

~ Dr. Tim Moore