When people ask me, “How big is Faith Lutheran Church?”, I answer, “Well, I measure that by the average number of people who actually come to worship in a week.”
My hero in church development, Lyle Schaller, recently reported that 30% of Protestant congregations in America have a weekly attendance greater than 120 people.
With an average weekly attendance of about 150 persons, growing now that we are out of the summer months, we are near the top. We are also at a level that many church development specialists believe is as far as a church is likely to grow with one full time pastor.
How will break through this growth barrier? How will we realized our mission to introduce people to new life in Jesus Christ that grows into enthusiastic Christian living?
There is another way to measure our size, and that is by the size of our faith. It is a gift and a response.
I believe that the church only truly grows one way, and that is by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is how faith flows. And, that same Holy Spirit is at work today in the hearts of the members of Faith Lutheran Church.
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