Definitions of Church Growth

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Definitions of Church Growth

• Biblical focus
• "All that is involved in bringing men and women
  who do not have a personal relationship with
  Jesus Christ into fellowship with Him and into
  responsible church membership." (Wagner, Your
  Church Can Grow, p. 12)

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Definitions of Church Growth

• Field of study in Missiology
• Church growth is that science which investigates
  the planting, multiplication, function and health
  of Christian churches as they relate specifically
  to effective implementation of God's commission
  to "make disciples of all nations" (Mt.
  2819-20). Church growth strives to combine the
  eternal theological principles of God's word
  concerning the expansion of the curch with the
  best insights of contemporary social and
  behavioral sciences, employing as its initial
  frame of reference, the foundational work done by
  Donald McGavran.

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Definitions of Church Growth

• Church growth as a movement
• Church Growth is that science that investigates
  the planting, multiplication, growth, function,
  health and death of churches. It strives to
  apply the biblical and social principles in its
  gathering, analysis, displaying and defending of
  the facts involved in implementing the Great
  Commission. (Towns editor, A Practical
  Encyclopedia Evangelism and Church Growth, p.
  80)

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Important Characteristics in the Definition of
Church Growth

• It is based on biblical principles
• Focus on more effectively fulfilling the great
  commission by evangelism, missions, and church
  growth
• Concerned with both internal and external growth
• It is scientific in nature
• It combines eternal theological principles and
  social and behavioral sciences
• It's began based on the work of Donald McGavran
• It is goal oriented
• Church centered (planting and nurturing as
  opposed to individual)

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Biblical Descriptions of the Church