Church growth is a big subject, and there are many factors which contribute to Church growth. I have ministered in several congregations, big and small, which grew. I briefly mentioned a period of "upsurge" in a post last week. It was my longest ministry, in the city. Our area was fast becoming more diverse, not least in the kind of Christians who took up residence there. An important growth factor, in my view, was that we made our doctrine and practice more accommodating -- yet without relinquishing core tenets. This made room for a broader participation in the Church. OBSERVATION: We thoroughly consulted the congregation at the time. However, our Church was in the avant garde in doing this, in the wider fellowship of Churches. While it was already happening in the Congregational Church worldwide, Southern Africa was more conservative. This caused problems. All in all, though, we opened the door to a thriving Church. The Church took off, and felt as though it was taking off.
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