If YOU Build, Will They Come?

In my search for a pastorate, I received numerous questionnaires about my personality and my doctrinal stand. There is one that stands out to me because of the first question on this questionnaire. The first question this church wanted to know about was not "What is your belief in Jesus?" or "What do you hold to concerning the Scriptures" or "What do you believe about salvation?" The first question was not even, "Please give us your testimony." The first question on this pastoral questionnaire was "How would you grow the church?"

My answer was essentially, "I will not grow the church. If the church grows that is God's business. I will teach, disciple and exhort the body to penetrate the world with the gospel. I will provide an example of evangelism. But God will be the one to make the church grow if that is what He desires (1 Cor. 3:7)." While I put it more gracious terms than this, it nevertheless captures what my answer was. They did not call me as their pastor.

In this vein, here is an interesting article which that church may want to read. It is entitled Ten Ways to Grow a Church Without God. Others may have the muscles to this kind of job in their own strength. I sure don't.