Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I think a revival can happen within a church without new people and from that revival a different attitude that promotes growth. More evangelizing, more community outreach, more thinking of the community rather than church growth. I think growth comes after the community sees the working of God in a church.
I went to a church for 5 years that were quite comfortable, as Deb describes hers as being. They would talk about needing revival and growth but did nothing in the community to show their church was moving for God, was loving their fellow man by giving what they had to the community.
A church up the hill started doing that very thing and it wasn't too long before newer members of our church were gravitating to the other church...they wanted to be part of something living, vital, growing and loving and they had tried so hard to start something like that in our church.
I tried to at our church as well but every suggestion was vetoed. They wouldn't do a food ministry, though they had a huge area of lawn to devote to a garden. They wouldn't do a food pantry or clothing closet...no one had any interest in doing such things. They wouldn't do any gospel sings in the church, wouldn't have a church picnic, wouldn't participate in any of the parades or community events, wouldn't sponsor a food drive or Coats for Kids, etc. They wanted to come to church, sit through the service, go home immediately. No fellowship, no getting to know anyone, no home visitations to newcomers, no outreach to the sick or elderly, no missions or missionaries that come to speak at the church.
After 5 years I left and tried a new church and they are growing in leaps and bounds! They give 150-200 boxes of food out each month to the needy, they have missions they support and take part in, they have fellowship dinners where people actually fellowship and love being together, they have events a couple of times a year for the community to come to their church and have fun, learn about God, take part in good, clean fun. They have a huge children's ministry with a youth minister at the church and they plan events with other churches in the area. They have a podcast of the pastor's sermons online for those who can't attend church(like me!)
This church is nothing but a little country church filled with farming folks of all ages, races and backgrounds...just simple country folks with a common goal. Not a big church on the outside but really big where it counts~in a heart filled with good intentions towards their community. The building isn't fancy, the music isn't the greatest, the people are plain spoken country people....but the sermons are sincere and you can feel this church is doing God's work.
I will pray for your church, BB, that they grow where they are planted and be such a thing of beauty in their good works for Jesus Christ that people have to notice and want to be a part of your church. Every church starts small, so size has nothing to do with it, though many hands make light work...the work has to start somewhere, most often with just a few people.
I went to a church for 5 years that were quite comfortable, as Deb describes hers as being. They would talk about needing revival and growth but did nothing in the community to show their church was moving for God, was loving their fellow man by giving what they had to the community.
A church up the hill started doing that very thing and it wasn't too long before newer members of our church were gravitating to the other church...they wanted to be part of something living, vital, growing and loving and they had tried so hard to start something like that in our church.
I tried to at our church as well but every suggestion was vetoed. They wouldn't do a food ministry, though they had a huge area of lawn to devote to a garden. They wouldn't do a food pantry or clothing closet...no one had any interest in doing such things. They wouldn't do any gospel sings in the church, wouldn't have a church picnic, wouldn't participate in any of the parades or community events, wouldn't sponsor a food drive or Coats for Kids, etc. They wanted to come to church, sit through the service, go home immediately. No fellowship, no getting to know anyone, no home visitations to newcomers, no outreach to the sick or elderly, no missions or missionaries that come to speak at the church.
After 5 years I left and tried a new church and they are growing in leaps and bounds! They give 150-200 boxes of food out each month to the needy, they have missions they support and take part in, they have fellowship dinners where people actually fellowship and love being together, they have events a couple of times a year for the community to come to their church and have fun, learn about God, take part in good, clean fun. They have a huge children's ministry with a youth minister at the church and they plan events with other churches in the area. They have a podcast of the pastor's sermons online for those who can't attend church(like me!)
This church is nothing but a little country church filled with farming folks of all ages, races and backgrounds...just simple country folks with a common goal. Not a big church on the outside but really big where it counts~in a heart filled with good intentions towards their community. The building isn't fancy, the music isn't the greatest, the people are plain spoken country people....but the sermons are sincere and you can feel this church is doing God's work.
I will pray for your church, BB, that they grow where they are planted and be such a thing of beauty in their good works for Jesus Christ that people have to notice and want to be a part of your church. Every church starts small, so size has nothing to do with it, though many hands make light work...the work has to start somewhere, most often with just a few people.
That helps me and gives me ideas 
Not that it's a good thing, it's just not that big of a suprise. Of course, you'd have to have a pretty thick veil to not be able to see the truth, but then, some folks do. 
