Humility

 March 5, 2022

Eighteen years ago to the day, I began to learn humility. I know the date because it began on the night when our eldest grandson was born. The details I’ve outlined before, and though they engulfed our lives back then, they are really unimportant today. The bottom line is, I thought I knew a lot about growing a church. Eighteen years ago, I began to discover just how little I knew. 

The literature on church growth is quite extensive; it began back in the fifties with a missionary by the name of Donald McGavran. While serving in India, he noticed that some ministries flourished, while others barely limped along. What was interesting to him was that it didn’t matter whether the work was thriving or diving, those involved chalked it up to the hand of God. If the ministry was thriving, it was because God was blessing it; if it was struggling, it was because they were being faithful to the Gospel.

Clearly, something else was going on, and McGavran was determined to find out what it was. Over time, he learned that successful ministries had certain things in common, as did unsuccessful ministries. He began publishing the results of his research, and the Church Growth Movement was born. When I learned of his teaching in the late ‘80’s, I became a disciple. 

The church grew, and I knew the things I was learning were responsible. I had the right motives—it wasn’t just about numbers; it was about bringing people to Christ; I had the right methods—I went to conferences, bought books, was mentored by some of the best. They were heady days. But on this date eighteen years ago, it all began to unravel.

Ministry involves methods, but they aren’t the foundation for it. I had the right methods, but missed some key spiritual components that blindsided me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was trusting the false god of methods instead of the One True God. And when I thought I knew what I was doing, pride began to infiltrate my heart. Did you hear how I said that? I thought I knew what I was doing—no matter how much I spoke his Name, God can’t be found in that statement. So God decided to do something about it.

The church I knew how to build, the devil knew how to destroy. It all fell apart, but in the process I learned how much I didn’t know. I still don’t. If you were to ask me today how to build a church, I would tell you, “I don’t know.” What I do know is that I have a wonderful Savior who never gives up on his children, a God who knows where to find every broken piece of our shattered dreams, and how to put them together again…but stronger. I wouldn’t say much about building a church, but I would say much about building deep relationships with Christ and others. And I would do my best to simply point you to Jesus, because even though I don’t know how to build a church, he does. 

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” —Matthew 16:18