4 Reasons Your Church Shouldn't Apologize For Reaching People

1) People play harder when someone is keeping score

When we know what the goal is, we are more likely to make it happen. If you ever played basketball (or any sport) with friends growing up, people didn't play as hard or care as much when someone wasn't keeping score. But if people know the score, they'll know if they are winning, and people like to win.

Sharing your desire to see more people connect with Jesus, and in our case putting a specific number on it, helps everyone at New City know what we are going for and in turn helps us focus on what we all can personally do to make it happen. If you're a leader at your church and you are discouraged that your church has become stagnant (or is declining) you've got to ask yourself; have we been open with our people about our desire to reach more people? If not, try sharing your scoreboard with everyone else and see what they do when they know what it looks like to win in your context.

2) Not wanting to reach people violates one of the greatest commands of Jesus

One of Jesus' most well-known teachings occurs in Matthew 28 and is what we refer to as The Great Commission. Before ascending back into heaven he literally tells his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, and to teach them all he has commanded.

Which means we need to apologize for not wanting to reach more people with the good news of Jesus, not for wanting to do what Jesus commanded us to do.

3) The only reason any of us follow Jesus is because God used people to reach us

The vast majority of people who trust in Christ do so because someone (often multiple people) reached, invested, and/or shared who Jesus was with them. To then turn around and say a desire to reach more people or grow a church is "bad" is to simply forget that someone reached out to you.

If Jesus is who he said he is then we have to tell others about the grace, hope, and forgiveness he gives us. We owe it to the person/people who impacted us with the Gospel to do the same for others.

4) Keeping the mission the priority reduces consumerism and complaining

When you keep the mission the priority, people who want a church that will fit all of their needs won't stay. It also helps us actually disciple people as they see the importance of being intentional in their own lives.

Here is my guess: the people in your church that you're most worried won't like the idea of your church growing are people wouldn't mind leaving anyway.

We complain we when get lazy and bored. When we've got work to do no one has time to argue over the color of the carpet or paint on the walls.

One Caveat to reaching more people

If you are a pastor or church leader and you're afraid to be honest with your church about your desire to grow because you're worried about how many people will complain, remember this; it is your job to lead.

Instead of getting angry or upset with people's questions or fear of change, be clear as to why you want to grow, what it might look like, and why putting the mission before our preferences is a good thing.

If there is one thing I have learned as pastor it's that if you explain why you are doing something, answer questions people have respectfully, and give people time to understand any decision that is being made, most people won't cause any problems around it. Even if they don't fully agree, knowing that you have thought through it and seeing that your heart is in the right place, most people will likely get on board.

So don't get frustrated, be patient. Love people well, show them why reaching people is what Jesus wants, and give them a role to play in making it happen.