RE-POSITIONING THE CHURCH FOR GROWTH
Church growth is the heartbeat of God, the Lord of the harvest. As He sends the church into the world, He wants the church to remain strong and growing. The growth of the church is equally to be the passion of church leaders and members at all times. Due to the emergence of new challenges and opportunities, church leaders must always consider relevant strategic responses that will not only make the church grow but also keep it growing in all the relevant dimensions.
Sustainable church growth, it must be noted is possible when the church leaders are able to re-position themselves and their members to respond to emerging changes, challenges and opportunities. Church growth is multi- dimensional. Even though numerical growth is paramount in the church growth conversations, other dimensions like relational, capacity building of church agents, infrastructural, financial etc. must equally be considered.
The church must pray and strategically work towards sustainable growth. The re-positioning for church growth efforts must consider transforming discipleship, discernment of the movement of the Holy Spirit, keeping the church Bible – based, encouragement of lay ministries and mission to the margins. Moreover, the sending of missionaries to foreign lands/ international ministries must be given missionary priority.
In the effort to re-positioning the church for growth, contemporary media patterns provide the church with tremendous opportunities for effective Christian ministries. Such media cultures include community radio/FM Stations, Livestreaming on TV/Facebook, etc. Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter etc., have become the new Town Hall mass communication and media outlets that ministers of the gospel need the orientations for immediate usage in Christian education, information, public witness and spiritual disciplines.
This is a dialogue that Ministers of the Gospel must actively participate in as they desire to serve their own generation and ‘Let the Earth Hear’.
REV DR KWABENA OPUNI-FRIMPONG (PhD)