10. HOW TO GROW A CHURCH

     All pastors should want to grow their churches, it's part of the great commission from Jesus and a reflection on their job performance.  I think the fastest way to accomplish church growth would be to let the holy spirit do a few miracles and here's how I'd suggest letting Him.
     At a huge charismatic church with a few thousand members in northern CO, Resurrection Fellowship, there's a time at the beginning of each service where members are encouraged to pray for each other.  An announcement is made asking for all with any issue they need prayer for to raise their hands and a comfortable list is given.  For instance, "Those with medical problems, emotional problems, unforgiveness, relational issues or any problem in their lives they want prayer for, please raise your hands.  Now, we want those around these people to lay a hand on them and pray for them."  Every once in a while, a miracle happens.
     It's hard for many to come up in front of the church and seek prayer with a few members appointed for that purpose even if their problem isn't embarrassing.  Public speaking for me used to be a fear slightly worse than the fear of death.  I wasn't and still, to a lesser degree, am not comfortable in front of a crowd.  I saw it in a friend who was trying to move into a leadership position.  He was handsome and muscular but melted down in front of the church.  In any medium sized congregation there are probably several guilt ridden members struggling with something they don't want to publicly acknowledge, but they might if they can remain somewhat anonymous.
     If a pastor asks, "All those with addictions or sex sin in their lives, come on up and get some prayer," he probably won't have any takers but may have many guilt ridden members in the congregation.  He might be able to slip these issues in though if they're part of a long list of innocent problems.
     The people appointed for prayer will have a gift of being comfortable in front of a crowd and they most probably have a desire to serve the Lord, but they may not have any other gifts.  I suspect many people who won't stand in front of a crowd may have gifts that they may not even know about, never having had an opportunity to let them out.
     Once in a while, I think God may let healing flow through someone as a one time occurrence.  This was the case with the Sad Lady.  She had at her beck and call the gift of tongues and interpreting them though she kept this ability hidden due to skepticism from the world.  She'd had a one time experience where clear medical healing had flowed from her.  Romans 11:29 tells us, "for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."  Maybe she had a latent gift she wasn't developing or maybe God just used her once.
     The most gifted person in the church may not appear so and may remain anonymous.  In the medium sized CO mountain church where I raised my family, the most God connected individual wasn't the pastor who I doubt had even experienced the baptism of the spirit.  He preached in one sermon that "the office of prophet was closed with Jesus."  he wouldn't have preached that if he'd had a baptism of the spirit. The gift of prophesy is alive and well.  Not knowing any better I accepted this at the time but now know with certainty he was wrong.  The nine supernatural gifts are still with us but just beneath the surface.
     I've read that to be qualified to be a pastor a person should have been baptized by the spirit.  I know many pastors, perhaps most, haven't had this experience or they wouldn't be preaching that the gifts stopped with the disciples and the office of prophet closed with Jesus.
     Look at Acts 2:17 where Paul repeats the prophet Joel: "In the last days I will pour out my spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams...the sun will be darkened and the moon will turn to blood."  I was just told we'll have a blood moon next Sept. 15 though haven't verified it.  Also Acts 2:38, "Peter replied,{Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the holy spirit.  The promise is for you and YOUR CHILDREN and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.}"
     The most gifted person I came across after 13 years in my rural church was the scruffy mountain man who'd come to church dressed inappropriately in clothes stained with different colors of paint from his sign painting business.  He stood about 6'3", had longish unkempt hair, a salt and pepper beard and a bit of a paunch, somewhat intimidating in appearance.  He became my Barnabas for a time.
      The first half of James 2 warns us not to judge by appearances.  I didn't learn of his giftedness until we'd both left the church and I grew to know him well in a home Bible study.  A number of different languages flowed out of him, and he'd prayed his wife back to health from certain death with liver disease.  If this man had been encouraged to put his hands on someone and pray, something might have happened but he wasn't given the chance.  There may be a member of the congregation with a gift of healing they aren't even aware of because they've never tried to use it.  This person may have a fear of being in front of a crowd.
    Back to latent gifts, I once experienced the tiny bit of prophesy, as previously described,  regarding a family situation and was told by those with obvious gifts of it that I'd be getting more.  I haven't seen any sign of it in recent years or any other distinct contact from God though I've asked Him for something.  It's obvious now my sinful relationship with the Sad Lady has been why God wouldn't talk to me.  I'm just now starting to hear from Him again, though no direct contact yet.
     It should be clear by now why I wish to keep this blog anonymous.  Dishonesty isn't a flaw of mine and I've learned through A.A. that sharing deep, dark secrets with others beside God can have a healing effect.  I have this area of weakness I'm making progress on, related to co dependency that disqualifies me, according to the book of Titus, for any church leadership position.  I'd be happy with just one more relationship with a mutually compatible woman this lifetime, but I want her now, not in God's timing.  I've been praying for help in this area and have seen improvement.  I can still sit in my house and write though, maybe be of some use to God and others.
     Pastors, what have you got to lose?  Why not give God a chance to do some miracles in your church?