Is My Church Growing Or Is It Just Getting Older....?????
Today I Come to Bring an Eye-Opening Report To Every Pastor & Church Leader. In Preparation for the Launching of a Few Expansion Projects of My Ecclesiastical Fellowship, for the Last Few Months, I have been Traveling extensively to various Styles/Sizes/Types of Ministries in an Effort to See how I Can Enhance My Ecclesiastical Fellowship to Help Ministries reach Their Full Potential. After complying the Various Observation Reports from The Ministries that I Visited, I have Discovered Something both Interesting and Disturbing that I Must to Your Attention.
In The Book of 1 Corinthians, 13th Chapter, and The 11th Verse, The Apostle Paul writes a Very Profound Statement which reads “When I was a Child, I spoke as a Child, I understood as a Child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” As Pastors & Leaders, We Must Clearly understand that there are 3 Developmental Stages in the Life of a Believer: There’s the “Babe In Christ”, which is someone who was Just Saved & Birthed into the Ministry; There’s the “Child Of God”, who basically has a Good Foundation Laid in the God, and Who has Knowledge & Possession of the Fundamental Attributes required to a Relationship with God; There’s the “Man Of God or Woman Of God”, who basically is equivalent to “Child Of God”! However, There is a Difference between the 2, “Child Of God” & “Man of God or Woman Of God”; In Order to be considered a “Man Of God or Woman Of God” you must be able To Reproduce Healthy Fruit that Remain! The first thing that I have discovered is that A lot Of Churches Have A lot of “Children Of God”, but Few “Men Of God or Woman Of God”, and Consequently the Growth of the Ministry is Stagnated because the Leaders are putting pressure on Children to Reproduce and the Result of their Reproduction is Unhealthy Fruit that Do Not Remain.
Moreover, After sitting and Reviewing the various Notes I gathered from Observing Ministries that I’ve visited of Various Styles/Sizes/Types, I have found signs of an Illness that was flowing through all of them; This Illness is Called “Spiritual Dwarfism”, where People are Getting Older, BUT NOT Growing! I had to merge my Observation Reports with Medical Journals to Fully Understand what I Saw.
There are 2 General Types of Dwarfism: Disproportionate & Proportionate Dwarfism! Lets Deal with One at a Time! I Noticed Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism in a lot of the Larger Churches as well as Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches, where Some Parts of The Ministry Body was Small & Other Parts was of Average or Above Average Size. The Size Variations was based on the individual Believers Level of Faith as well as their ability to Pray to God as well as Worship God Whole-Heartedly in Public Settings!
I Noticed Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism in a lot of Churches that was under 5 years old as well as The Small Churches, and Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc..). In these Churches I Noticed that ALL PARTS of the Ministry Body was Small to the Same Degree and with the Naked Eye, it would appear as though it was proportioned like a Ministry Body of Average Statute, yet it wasn’t at Average Height. This type of Dwarfism isn’t easily detected, nevertheless a Large Number of Churches are Plagued with it.
Further Studying and Cross-Referencing gave me a more in depth view of these 2 General Types of Spiritual Dwarfism’s and some more in depth views of some of their Symptoms. After Studying My Observations alongside Medical Journals, I Discovered that Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism can further breaks down in 2 Illness’s. The First One is Called Achondroplasia, which I detected in a lot of Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches, where The Trunk or Ministry Body is an average size, however, the Ministry Body had Short Limbs (Arms & Legs) or in other words Small Outreach Programs initiated to reach People outside of the 4 Walls of the Church. They also had Limited Mobility or in other words only moved in certain areas of Ministry, leaving other areas Un-Addressed or Touched. As result of this, I discovered that a lot of Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches only Grow to one third, if not half of their Maximum Growth Potential.
The Second One is Called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDC), which I detected in a lot of Larger Churches/Mega Churches, where The Trunk or Ministry Body is Short or in other words is fully developed in number, but Short in Unity. I also detected that the Larger/Mega Churches had Short Necks; there was a Small Connection between the Headship of Ministry and The Body. They also had Shortened Arms & Legs, BUT Average-size hands and feet meaning that Potential to Outreach on a Large scale was there, however, Small Efforts was being made. I also discovered that a lot of Larger/Mega Churches had Vision and Hearing Problems; for the members of these Monstrous Churches are faithful in their membership along with supporting the “Church Program”, however very few of them have heard or seen God for themselves. Most of the members of these Larger/Mega Churches had an Old Testament Form of Godly Relationship, where Their Sight & Hearing concerning the things of God came from a man because their Relationship didn’t warrant them access to direct communion with God. As a result of this, I discovered that a lot of Larger/Mega Churches also never reach their Maximum Growth Potential in a number of areas.
I also discovered that Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism further breaks down in 2 Illness’s. The First One is Called Growth Hormone Deficiency, which I noticed in a lot of Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc..), where they go through Periods or Seasons of Little or No Change in Height or in other words, Stay on the same a Level longer than Usual before they ascend to another level. I also noticed that Mainstream Denominational Churches suffer from Delayed, if not the Non-Development of Reproductive Organisms or in other words they have Auxiliaries in Place, yet not Developed to perform the task that they have the title of doing. As a Result of this, I have discovered after Research and Comparison that the level that Mainstream Denominational Churches are on is below the 5% Growth Mark of Expectancy for churches at their Years of Existence.
The Second One is Called Turner Syndrome, which I noticed in a lot of Small Churches, where they have Heart and Blood Vessel Defects or in other words are Still Wounded Deeply and consequently are Bleeding while Leading. This causes Plagues like Trust Issues, Bitterness, Envy, Jealousy, and most importantly, a Lack of Love & Compassion for their fellow brothers & sisters. I also detected that a lot of Small Churches Lack Breast Development which means that although Small Churches are designed to Nurture & Nurse, Because of a Lack of Development of Parts of the Ministry Body that are designed to perform that task, A lot of People flow through these Churches without being Ministered to on a Individual and Personal Level. Because of these things, I Discovered that a lot of Small Churches struggle with Infertility meaning they aren’t able to Reproduce to Multiple.
Further research enabled me to find the Long-Term Complications that Spiritual Dwarfism can bring to a Ministry or Church. Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism can cause Delays in Motor Skill Development in a Church or Ministry, which deals with the Church/Ministries ability to Sit or Be Stable, Crawl or Pace Itself, and/or Walk, or Make Progress. Not just that, but it can also cause Frequent Ear Infections or things that try to hinder their Ability to Hear God, which in some cases can put them at Risk of Hearing Loss. After my travels and then Post-Study’s of my observations, I can Say that I Saw this in A lot of Large & Mega Churches as well as Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches. Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism, on the other hand, can cause amongst other things, general Poorly Developed Organs, which deals directly with the internal functions of Ministry Body. For Every System in the Body is generally governed or centered Around an Organ or Group of Organs. With Poorly Developed Organs, you now have Weak Internal Systems, which can Ultimately Lead to the Body Shutting Down. I Saw the Dangers of this in a lot of Small Churches as well as Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc…).
Pastors in Leaders, this can affect our Churches Pregnancy as well as its Public Perceptions. After reading this, a few leaders may have noticed some signs of Spiritual Proportionate and/or Disproportionate Dwarfism in their Church or Ministry and would like to know what they can do to combat his. I have 3 Recommendations that will Help Your Church Grow and Not Just Get Older while remaining the Same Size.
The First thing I recommend is a Healthy Diet. Don’t allow your People to eat from Buffets, which may have a variety of favorites, but nevertheless, may not be Healthy for them. Instead, institute to them a 3 Square Meal Eating Cycle (Bible Study, Family & Secret Devotion, and Private Prayer Time), and Feed them a Balance Meal (Correction, Instruction, and Inspiration).
The Second thing I recommend is The Promotion of Good Posture. Push your People to Strive for Higher no matter how Low their Situation or Circumstances are. Have Class’s, Seminar’s, and Conferences built around your People Standing Tall and Pushing to Better themselves.
The Third thing I recommend is Provision of Adequate Support. As a Pastor or Leader, be there for your People, and If you cannot because of a Lack of or Inefficiency on your part, Bring in some or Institute something that will be able to Support them in Ways or in a Area(s) that you cannot. Too many Pastors & Leaders are insecurity in themselves and consequently the People Suffer.
It is My Prayer that this Article was an Eye Opener and Enlightenment to every Pastor or Religious Leader who read it. Please feel free to Email Me at overseermly@yahoo.com with your Questions or Comments. So after reading this, I want you ask yourself… "Is My Church Growing Or Is It Just Getting Older....???"
In The Book of 1 Corinthians, 13th Chapter, and The 11th Verse, The Apostle Paul writes a Very Profound Statement which reads “When I was a Child, I spoke as a Child, I understood as a Child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” As Pastors & Leaders, We Must Clearly understand that there are 3 Developmental Stages in the Life of a Believer: There’s the “Babe In Christ”, which is someone who was Just Saved & Birthed into the Ministry; There’s the “Child Of God”, who basically has a Good Foundation Laid in the God, and Who has Knowledge & Possession of the Fundamental Attributes required to a Relationship with God; There’s the “Man Of God or Woman Of God”, who basically is equivalent to “Child Of God”! However, There is a Difference between the 2, “Child Of God” & “Man of God or Woman Of God”; In Order to be considered a “Man Of God or Woman Of God” you must be able To Reproduce Healthy Fruit that Remain! The first thing that I have discovered is that A lot Of Churches Have A lot of “Children Of God”, but Few “Men Of God or Woman Of God”, and Consequently the Growth of the Ministry is Stagnated because the Leaders are putting pressure on Children to Reproduce and the Result of their Reproduction is Unhealthy Fruit that Do Not Remain.
Moreover, After sitting and Reviewing the various Notes I gathered from Observing Ministries that I’ve visited of Various Styles/Sizes/Types, I have found signs of an Illness that was flowing through all of them; This Illness is Called “Spiritual Dwarfism”, where People are Getting Older, BUT NOT Growing! I had to merge my Observation Reports with Medical Journals to Fully Understand what I Saw.
There are 2 General Types of Dwarfism: Disproportionate & Proportionate Dwarfism! Lets Deal with One at a Time! I Noticed Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism in a lot of the Larger Churches as well as Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches, where Some Parts of The Ministry Body was Small & Other Parts was of Average or Above Average Size. The Size Variations was based on the individual Believers Level of Faith as well as their ability to Pray to God as well as Worship God Whole-Heartedly in Public Settings!
I Noticed Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism in a lot of Churches that was under 5 years old as well as The Small Churches, and Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc..). In these Churches I Noticed that ALL PARTS of the Ministry Body was Small to the Same Degree and with the Naked Eye, it would appear as though it was proportioned like a Ministry Body of Average Statute, yet it wasn’t at Average Height. This type of Dwarfism isn’t easily detected, nevertheless a Large Number of Churches are Plagued with it.
Further Studying and Cross-Referencing gave me a more in depth view of these 2 General Types of Spiritual Dwarfism’s and some more in depth views of some of their Symptoms. After Studying My Observations alongside Medical Journals, I Discovered that Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism can further breaks down in 2 Illness’s. The First One is Called Achondroplasia, which I detected in a lot of Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches, where The Trunk or Ministry Body is an average size, however, the Ministry Body had Short Limbs (Arms & Legs) or in other words Small Outreach Programs initiated to reach People outside of the 4 Walls of the Church. They also had Limited Mobility or in other words only moved in certain areas of Ministry, leaving other areas Un-Addressed or Touched. As result of this, I discovered that a lot of Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches only Grow to one third, if not half of their Maximum Growth Potential.
The Second One is Called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDC), which I detected in a lot of Larger Churches/Mega Churches, where The Trunk or Ministry Body is Short or in other words is fully developed in number, but Short in Unity. I also detected that the Larger/Mega Churches had Short Necks; there was a Small Connection between the Headship of Ministry and The Body. They also had Shortened Arms & Legs, BUT Average-size hands and feet meaning that Potential to Outreach on a Large scale was there, however, Small Efforts was being made. I also discovered that a lot of Larger/Mega Churches had Vision and Hearing Problems; for the members of these Monstrous Churches are faithful in their membership along with supporting the “Church Program”, however very few of them have heard or seen God for themselves. Most of the members of these Larger/Mega Churches had an Old Testament Form of Godly Relationship, where Their Sight & Hearing concerning the things of God came from a man because their Relationship didn’t warrant them access to direct communion with God. As a result of this, I discovered that a lot of Larger/Mega Churches also never reach their Maximum Growth Potential in a number of areas.
I also discovered that Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism further breaks down in 2 Illness’s. The First One is Called Growth Hormone Deficiency, which I noticed in a lot of Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc..), where they go through Periods or Seasons of Little or No Change in Height or in other words, Stay on the same a Level longer than Usual before they ascend to another level. I also noticed that Mainstream Denominational Churches suffer from Delayed, if not the Non-Development of Reproductive Organisms or in other words they have Auxiliaries in Place, yet not Developed to perform the task that they have the title of doing. As a Result of this, I have discovered after Research and Comparison that the level that Mainstream Denominational Churches are on is below the 5% Growth Mark of Expectancy for churches at their Years of Existence.
The Second One is Called Turner Syndrome, which I noticed in a lot of Small Churches, where they have Heart and Blood Vessel Defects or in other words are Still Wounded Deeply and consequently are Bleeding while Leading. This causes Plagues like Trust Issues, Bitterness, Envy, Jealousy, and most importantly, a Lack of Love & Compassion for their fellow brothers & sisters. I also detected that a lot of Small Churches Lack Breast Development which means that although Small Churches are designed to Nurture & Nurse, Because of a Lack of Development of Parts of the Ministry Body that are designed to perform that task, A lot of People flow through these Churches without being Ministered to on a Individual and Personal Level. Because of these things, I Discovered that a lot of Small Churches struggle with Infertility meaning they aren’t able to Reproduce to Multiple.
Further research enabled me to find the Long-Term Complications that Spiritual Dwarfism can bring to a Ministry or Church. Spiritual Disproportionate Dwarfism can cause Delays in Motor Skill Development in a Church or Ministry, which deals with the Church/Ministries ability to Sit or Be Stable, Crawl or Pace Itself, and/or Walk, or Make Progress. Not just that, but it can also cause Frequent Ear Infections or things that try to hinder their Ability to Hear God, which in some cases can put them at Risk of Hearing Loss. After my travels and then Post-Study’s of my observations, I can Say that I Saw this in A lot of Large & Mega Churches as well as Pentecostal/Apostolic/Holiness Churches. Spiritual Proportionate Dwarfism, on the other hand, can cause amongst other things, general Poorly Developed Organs, which deals directly with the internal functions of Ministry Body. For Every System in the Body is generally governed or centered Around an Organ or Group of Organs. With Poorly Developed Organs, you now have Weak Internal Systems, which can Ultimately Lead to the Body Shutting Down. I Saw the Dangers of this in a lot of Small Churches as well as Mainstream Denominational Churches (Baptist, Methodist, AME, etc…).
Pastors in Leaders, this can affect our Churches Pregnancy as well as its Public Perceptions. After reading this, a few leaders may have noticed some signs of Spiritual Proportionate and/or Disproportionate Dwarfism in their Church or Ministry and would like to know what they can do to combat his. I have 3 Recommendations that will Help Your Church Grow and Not Just Get Older while remaining the Same Size.
The First thing I recommend is a Healthy Diet. Don’t allow your People to eat from Buffets, which may have a variety of favorites, but nevertheless, may not be Healthy for them. Instead, institute to them a 3 Square Meal Eating Cycle (Bible Study, Family & Secret Devotion, and Private Prayer Time), and Feed them a Balance Meal (Correction, Instruction, and Inspiration).
The Second thing I recommend is The Promotion of Good Posture. Push your People to Strive for Higher no matter how Low their Situation or Circumstances are. Have Class’s, Seminar’s, and Conferences built around your People Standing Tall and Pushing to Better themselves.
The Third thing I recommend is Provision of Adequate Support. As a Pastor or Leader, be there for your People, and If you cannot because of a Lack of or Inefficiency on your part, Bring in some or Institute something that will be able to Support them in Ways or in a Area(s) that you cannot. Too many Pastors & Leaders are insecurity in themselves and consequently the People Suffer.
It is My Prayer that this Article was an Eye Opener and Enlightenment to every Pastor or Religious Leader who read it. Please feel free to Email Me at overseermly@yahoo.com with your Questions or Comments. So after reading this, I want you ask yourself… "Is My Church Growing Or Is It Just Getting Older....???"
Comment
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Comment by Sr. Pastor Antoine & Sr. Prophetess Sabrina Brown Sr. on December 5, 2009 at 3:42pm
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Amen Overseer Yearwood! Very timely and much needed for the body. We receive this word and push to correct these problems. Keep us in your prayers.
Sr. Pastor A. & Sr. Prophetess S. Brown Sr.
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Comment by Pastor Monica Lewis on August 6, 2009 at 7:15am
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I was truly blessed.
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Comment by Apostle Leina'ala Mars on October 24, 2008 at 9:44pm
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God Bless Overseer! I was really blessed by your words!! Keep it coming!!!
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Comment by Anointed2Preach&Play on October 24, 2008 at 9:48am
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That was right on. you in the house
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Comment by Bishop Des. D. La'Mar Stoudmire on October 22, 2008 at 11:21am
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WHAT A WORD!
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