God Loves Numbers

I watch numbers.  I believe numbers matter to God.

In 1979, seven years after becoming a follower of Jesus, I discovered something called evangelism.  Evangelism is the relational process of introducing another person to Jesus.  Still the best definition I've heard is this - evangelism is one beggar showing another beggar where he/she found bread.  Thirty-four years ago I realized that Matthew 28:19 is not a nice, sentimental suggestion.  It is a command.  For me, if I'm not contributing to fulfilling this mandate in some real way, then I really cannot claim the name of Jesus as my own.  I'm not always as effective as I'd like to be in doing my part, but I must continue to try - relentlessly.  Sharing Jesus is the very heart of God.

So I, and others of like mind and heart, pay attention to numbers.  I watch how many people are meeting Jesus, getting baptized, and publicly claiming Jesus as Savior and Lord.  I pay attention to the number of people drawn to expectant worship.  I count the number of people learning, experiencing, studying, and growing as followers of Jesus.  I want to know how many people are getting outside the walls of church buildings.  And I study how many people match their claim to be Christian with sacrificial giving of their resources.

Those of us who share this approach as leaders receive our share of criticism within church and denominational circles.  I've heard it all in over three decades.  "All you care about is numbers."  "There's more to being a church than numbers."  "God doesn't want us to be successful; God wants us to be faithful."  "You just want the church/yourself to look good compared to other churches."  Most of these statements have some level of validity.  Numbers can be an end in themselves.  Any leader can succumb to the danger of padding his/her own image or career portfolio with numbers.  An emphasis on numbers can become a weapon in Satan's hand just like anything else.

Still, I invite us to notice something about the first recorded public invitation to receive Jesus - Simon Peter's message as recorded in Acts 2.   When recounting the result of this, why didn't the physician Luke just say, "A lot of people were baptized and joined them that day."?   Why did Luke give specifically a metric, numerical account?  "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and ABOUT 3000 were ADDED to their NUMBER that day."   (Acts 2:41, New International Version of the Bible; emphasis mine.).   For whatever reason, the Holy Spirit wanted Luke to offer this as a numerical report.

This and other indicators tells me that numbers matter to God.  Every number is a person, with his or her own brokenness and his or her own story.  Every single number is a heart for which a living God will fight, die, and rise again.  Every single number is a life that matters to a passionate Jesus.  If it matters to Jesus, and if I claim Jesus, it had better matter to me.  Every "plus one" is one more person ushered into His arm, one more person growing in His love, one more person serving a broken world in His name.



So I watch numbers, without apology.   What do you think about numbers in the ministry of the Church of Jesus the Christ?  I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

This Is How It Works

As I work with churches I have served and churches I have consulted, I always hear the same question, in varying forms:  "What can we do to get new people?"  "How can our church grow?"  "How do we do evangelism?"

Here's how it works.  True story.

A business owner in our congregation recently had the opportunity to talk with one of his employees about faith matters.  I don't know the specific circumstances.  Maybe the employee was just curious about church.  Perhaps the owner saw an opening to talk about his own relationship with Jesus.  It could be she had some particular life issue with which she was dealing.  In any event, she accepted an invitation to try out our worship service.  The next Sunday the business owner stood outside the entryway to our facility watching for her, in order to join with our hospitality team in making her feel welcome, helping her to get acclimated, answering any questions, etc.   Within a couple of hours of her worship experience someone in addition to the business owner texted her to thank her for coming and to ask how the church could help her.  She returned to worship for a couple of Sundays after that.  Eventually she accepted an invitation to stay after worship for a free meal and a time to learn more about our mission, our story, our particular denomination, and what is expected of church members.  Long story short, last Sunday she joined with several others in baptism or remembering baptism, public profession of faith in Jesus.  She's now in a small group around Pastor Rick Warren's resource WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?   So shes building relationships with more people, including folks who are new like her.  Early this week I had occasion to patronize their business.  The new disciple proudly told me that she had invited a friend of hers to come to worship to see her make her commitment.  Her friend plans to come back to worship with her and wants to know about baptism.

That's how it works.  It's not rocket science.  It doesn't take revivals, special speakers, and slick packaged program.  It doesn't require yet another committee.  You don't have to be a high-powered, high profile mega-church.  We're not that.  It doesn't take an over-the-top charismatic, media savvy techno-pastor who writes about three books a year.  I respect guys and gals like that and I learn a ton from them.  But I'm not one and never will be.  People don't respond to Jesus and to the Body of Christ because of programs, preachers, or profiles.  It happens through relationships; simple, genuine, one-to-one relationships.  Faith is more caught than taught.  It's one beggar sharing with another where bread is given.

Just so you know...  I'll see you around the next bend in the river.