Church growth: 1st, 20th and 21st centuries

Has the 20th-century model of church growth been biblical, cost-efficient and sustainable? And is there a different pattern emerging which if fact has ancient roots?

Though not always the case by any manner of means, there has been a growth model arisen in the church - mainly in countries like America and South Korea - of getting more and more people into a building; and then extending the building or acquiring a bigger one in order to accomodate increasing numbers.

Most of the so-called Mega Churches are found in wealthier areas and the biggest of these are found in the wealthiest counties of the wealthiest states of the wealthiest countries.

However it is most often the case that the biggest drain on a church's financial and spiritual resources are the costs of acquiring and maintaining buildings, servicing the debt, and paying the salaries of a heirarchy of people who operate these churches.

In a world which is in desperate need is there a simpler and most effective way. The early church had little in the way of the resources that we now see routinely acquired and employed in latter-day Christian life, but the power of God flowed through their simplicity in remarkable ways.

20th century model

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1st and 21st century model?

Christians Together, 23/02/2012