The church planting lie: It's about numbers!

Matthew Fretwell Feb. 15, 2021

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As an experienced church planter, trainer, and teacher, one of the biggest misnomers I have witnessed is the pressure placed upon the planter or planting team to produce numbers. While proponents for "numbers" (or butts in seats) recite passages recorded by Luke in Acts (2:41; 4:4) or argue that one of the books of the Bible is labeled Numbers, the Missio Dei (mission of God) is about people, not numbers. Assuredly, Luke was writing a descriptive narrative, as was the compiler of Numbers, not a prescriptive regulation.

Any Bible student can utilize proof-texting to clarify or validate a point. For instance, if God was "all about numbers" then why was a plague sent upon Israel when David established a census to count the people (2 Sam. 24)? Clearly, God loves numbers, right? What about Jesus making purposeful statements to see how many disciples would stop following Him (i.e. "eat of my flesh and drink of my blood" (John 6:60–71)?

Don't get me wrong, I think numbers are important, but they should never be a church's focus. Church Planters endure serious depression and loneliness for two reasons: (1) financial burdens, and (2) numbers/growth. As for the former, the majority of church planters are bi-vocational, contributing to the burden of the new church start's finances. As well, the bi-vocational planter cannot devote as much time, energy, and attention to the start-up, as hoped—again, causing anxiety.

Not to be undone by finances, one week may bring ample gospel conversations, leading to twenty new guests. The church planter is elated and excited! However, the elation quickly subsides as the next week's attendance is a gruesome six people (mainly the core group). The church planter becomes depressed. Why? Because his numbers are off. If someone asks him how many are "attending" his new church plant, he feels that he's a failure.

While the two evidences of church planter anxiety are separated, one of the two can be fixed by mindset, reality, and biblical adherence. If the planter lays a firm foundation in the Great Commission mandate, the pressures of growth go away. My contention: focus on people—not numbers.

What's it all about?

So, if not numbers, then what is the biblical focus of church planting? The biblical response is that no one has ever been called to "plant a church," but everyone has been called to make disciple-makers (Matt 28:18–20). Churches form out of the new disciples that are being produced. "While teaching church planters about church planting techniques and strategies is important, Christ mandated his followers to make disciples, not plant churches (Matt 28:19–20). Sometimes, we confuse the two."[1]

If church planters would focus their attention on making disciple-makers from new converts, the result would be churches that naturally multiply. Instead of worrying about a sound-system, social media posts, livestreaming, kids church, order of service, set up and breakdown, worry about the mandate—are you making disciple-makers? Because, "There is no discipleship without living life together."[2]

One of the dilemmas with starting new churches is that because church planters focus so much on growth, they really don't care if it's transfer growth or conversion growth—as long as it's growth. And in doing so, they're missing the aspect of living life with others. They're neglecting the command of developing and establishing disciple-makers of Christ. And, that will never happen without being intentional!

Making disciple-makers takes intentionality, focus, and grit. And, yes—time and patience. Making disciples is not completed in a week or three months. In actuality, there's really never a "completion point," only maturity.

Making disciple-makers is not solely about a curriculum but walking through the rhythms of life with one another—we're to feel the hurts, pains, and victories of "withness." If a church planter is only focused on numbers to feel relevant or "successful," they have neglected the mandate of Christ. Inevitably, they will create a revolving door of shallow believers.

My prayer and plea: press harder inward, onward, and upward. Create lasting relationships. Live life with the few that God has entrusted to you, instead of worrying about a platform. Obey the Great Commission.

[1] Fretwell, Matthew. Church Planting by Making Disciple-Makers (Castlerock, Ireland: Timeless), 2020, 24.

[2] Ibid., 90

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Dr. Matthew Fretwell is a church missiologist, professor, trainer, author, and practitioner. He currently serves on faculty at the Regent University School of Divinity as an Assistant Professor of Practical Theology. He's written ten books and peer-reviewed papers, with a recent three-volume book series entitled, Multiply Jesus (Church Planting, Church revitalization, and Missionary Preparedness). Learn More »

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