Last fall an acquaintance challenged me to clarify how we measure church growth. The accusation of invalidity stung.
I asked The Grandfather, seminary educated, retired pastor, what a church-go-er meant by “growth”.
It means numbers, bodies filling pews, The Grandfather replies. They may say that growth is spiritual but on paper, on the books, you cannot calculate on holiness, it’s a number crunching business.
Hmm, that’s what I thought.
Numbers mean denominational support, financial success, “growth”. This idea is not coming from a cranky, ex-member of big church, it comes from a retired pastor who now at 93 recognizes the organized church was reading the word ‘pastor’ with the incorrect job description. That ‘pastor’ is no higher an authority than evangelist or prophet or teacher. It’s just another gifting, that can be as humbly and privately an executed service as any of the others.
Our family has not attended an organized, hierarchal church since 2005. We then found ourselves in what we once called “house church”, but even that gradually looked like conventional church in a living room; just replace pastor with elder. It had a liturgy of its own. We made it. More than 1500 years of corporate church is hard to pluck from the DNA in 5.
It’s hard work but we live and breathe it.
This is harder than sitting in a pew and belonging to a few committees, sitting on the board of trustees, directing youth group, running the soundboard, teaching Sunday school, singing on worship team, all at the same time. Amazin’, ain’t it? We all dedicated our spare time (and not so spare time) to the “work of the Lord”. At least there, we could schedule church for the most part- cover vacations, maternity leave, counseling sessions, golf tournaments.
Then in the quiet of a fellow Christian’s living room for “house church”, slowly (so slowly in fact, we didn’t immediately identify how profoundly) we began to see that living Christ was still more. Finding ourselves meeting with believers, we would share the wine and the bread. Hunger and thirst satisfied- body and soul. Upon a recent reunion with friends of twenty-plus years, who too, desired a community focused on being church, we began to share the cup and bread with this dear family. Understanding the power of communion intensifies the bond shared between believers over a love feast, the irreplaceable kindness that work gloves and sweat binds together in strengthening the brethren, the body of Christ. Together we go into the market place, or the street, we pray with, we minister to, the public as we meet them, as the Holy Spirit leads, without pretense and manufacture. Now that’s special!
In our circle of fellowship, we have those gifted in faith, discernments, mercy, and generosity. Teachers teach, evangelists reach and prophets prophesy. Not all gifts are used every time we gather. And because different members meet up randomly with each other throughout the week, they may exercise any of the gifts afore mentioned.
Growth is then measured by the manifestation of the character of Christ that is so evident in the lives we are all called to tend and shepherd around us.
Did ya catch that? I'll say it again.
Growth is the outward evidence that Christ lives within and we foster this in one another.
The Grandfather shakes his head doubtfully at obtaining more education, acquiring accreditation and recognized position; just more obstacles betwixt Maker and man. The pridefulness of intellectual achievement, smarts so to say, get in the way. The human race pedestalizes those with education, and perceived authority.
Living Christ is the air we breathe. Neither credentials nor diplomas move God to respect any person, rather a heart submitted to Him.
“Going to church” for us and the Longs this week mandated pry bars, flat shovels, hammers, saws and cold beer and pizza. A burden needed bearing and it was bore on the backs of Papa Long and his boys. Mama Long and and I dusted the china hutch as we tenderly removed its contents and boxed it up for the duration of the project.
Removing a tile floor is unpleasant enough, but the men found a snag within the first few tiles. The tile was of course glued and grouted to backerboard. The backerboard, however, was not only nailed to the subflooring; it had been glued. What, the contractors were worried the tiles would float away? Yeesh! Out with the Skill saw and up with everything but the kitchen sink! Aye(waving nonchalant hand), so we replace chipboard with plywood, it’s only money, they print more everyday. 
We “churched” two days in a row. Wait now, it will be three. We’s a-heading out to the family sheep farm tonight (as the lambs are dropping like cherry blossoms on a warm spring day) for more communion and partaking of the bread and the wine as Jesus said to do often and in remembrance of Him.
Being the Church is everyday life. There is no building for us. It means folding someone else’s underwear, sitting up all night in Holy Ghost provoked prayer, giving a scripture that is not easy to give, perhaps un-pleasant to receive, loaning someone your car while you’re repairing theirs, driving hundreds of miles in a day solely to fellowship. 
(wiping brow)Fhew, this living Christ stuff takes work! Nobody has a day to himself because our days do not belong to us. To avoid sin in the church (people remember, not building) we are to encourage one another daily, while it is still called “today”, redeeming the time. Remember: Time plus opportunity equals trouble no matter who you are. If we don’t stay in contact daily, in one accord, from house to house, breaking the bread, how can we keep our brother from the fire. Daily contact and being held responsible for God’s children is a mighty high call. And if you don’t do your job, it’s a mighty high price.