The Modern Church Growth Movement
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Among the leaders of the modern Church Growth Movement, the writings of C. Peter Wagner, Win Arn, and Elmer Towns exemplify the dynamic activity of the Holy Spirit as it empowers Christian churches of all denominations to broaden their horizons well beyond the status quo of merely maintaining a fixed quantity of members by replacing those who die, fall away, or move to other communities. While desperately needed in many churches across America today, the church growth movement espoused by these men (and many others) may offend a significant number of evangelical churches and ministers because it challenges them to move from their comfortable surroundings and pulpits and actively pursue strategies which are designed to make the church house burst at the seams with overflowing membership and attendance. A scary prospect for more than a few churches! Each of these three men, Wagner, Arn, and Towns, come from distinct backgrounds, yet their ideas and writings blend to form a synthesis of theory, observation, and practical experience. The church growth movement depicted in Church Growth: The State of the Art has now entered its fourth decade, and shows no sign of abating. Nevertheless, American Christianity is at a crossroads today; haunted by the rise of secular humanism in the 1970s and 1980s, and experiencing considerable pressure from conservative elements within and without the church in the 1990s. The obstacles presented to those who would campaign for the impl
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ved from hundreds of churches of various denominations and size, Arn and his Institute staff have identified eight specific areas, with corresponding minimum ratios, which are key to winning and incorporating new members into the body of Christ. These eight areas are: friendship ratios, role/task ratios, group ratios, new group ratios, board ratio, staff ratio, visitor ratio, and "Great Commission Conscience" ratio.
In each of these areas, Arn has observed that churches which fail to meet the minimum ratios he has established are incapable of growing or sustaining growth. Churches which are growing most rapidly will far exceed many or all of the ratios. For churches about to embark on a program of focused growth, and analysis of its various ratios will reveal its weaknesses and strengths, and allow the church to adequately anticipate future needs.
Elmer Towns contributes three chapters to Church Growth, one in evangelism, another in church planting, and the third in the activity of the Holy Spirit. Towns is the most denominationally-oriented member of the editing team, having been saved in a Presbyterian church (and pastoring a Presbyterian church in 1952-1953), and several years later joining the Baptist church. Altho
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2529
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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