Resistance to Growth or Change

1. New people volunteer for jobs and positions and older members who built the church feel threatened. Often the new people bring new ways and new ideas.
2. Some think small is better. You know everyone and everyone knows you. Individual customs and oddities are known and adjusted to. (Ex. Newly married couple – first year is often difficult. New job – learning the ropes and adapting)
1. It is easier to speak to and relate to 50 or 60 known people. The more people there are, the harder it is to know everyone. Often, only the name and face is known, which makes some people feel that the church has become impersonal.
2. The pastor and his wife are not as free to fellowship and mingle.
3. Old members ask themselves: “Are these new people like us? Will they cooperate with us? Will they love us as we all love one another? We’ve seen the church through crises and invested our time and money in it. Will the new members do the same before seeking a voice and a position or trying to bring about change? Most members, both new and old don’t voice their concerns. They quietly withdraw their participation and their finances.

How to Overcome Resistance to Growth

1. Keep the Lord’s Great Commission before the members in sermons and in frank discussions. (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-47)
2. Talk about the church’s survival. (Light removed – Revelation 2 and 3)
3. Kindly expose the attitudes which hinder new folks from integrating.
4. Try to get members involved in meeting the needs of new, unsaved people. (Marriage problems, lost jobs, fire, death, sending cards, writing notes).
5. Make the congregation aware that the pastor is the shepherd of the entire flock.
1. Some people think the pastor should think only of them and take his time for their needs only. They bring all problems, even small ones to the pastor.
2. The pastor handles transportation, youth activities, helping shut-ins, cleaning and working on the church building, etc. instead of visiting the unsaved, potential members, and having Bible studies with new converts. Delegate and explain why.
6. If you don’t have people capable of helping and doing well in public meetings, change the format of the meetings to something they can handle. (Music, ushering, suppers, etc.)
7. If you are convinced the whole community knows your church and its beliefs well, concentrate on increasing contact with people through community activities. (Stop-smoking clinics; parenting conferences; sick and shut-ins; fire victims, etc. Youth can help in aiding widows and the elderly, in clean-up projects; with school needs). Attention! Danger! You can lose focus. Example: The Salvation Army and its programs and clubs.