Lost in the Numbers Game

The Danger of Valuing Quantity Over Quality in Mission Work. Focusing on attracting a large crowd rather than making disciples. Prioritize making disciples over attracting a large crowd.

Apr 24, 2024

One of the biggest mistakes that brand new church planting missionaries make is focusing on attracting a large crowd rather than making disciples. This mistake, often called "lost in the numbers game," can have severe implications for a new church plant's long-term success and impact.

Focusing on attracting a large crowd rather than making disciples means that the primary goal of the church plant is filling the seats rather than creating a community of committed, growing, followers of Jesus. This can lead to a shallow, surface-level church community that lacks depth and true spiritual transformation.

Why do new church-planting missionaries fall into this trap?

To prove themselves worthy of the support

The pressure to show quick growth and success in order to justify the investment of time, energy, and resources into the church plant.

They have raised supporters who expect results, or at least think so. Pleasing people and supporters becomes their priority rather than God and His purpose. They do not intentionally do this. They hope to see God's movement. Their eagerness is too much to handle. Their focus is on the product, not the process. The harvest is out of our control, but the process is something we can do.

The young missionary feels that his relationship with his supporters is more focused on performance and achievement than on mutual support, unconditional love, and acceptance. He believes they prioritize his accomplishments as a measure of external validation.

A misunderstanding of the ministry

The missionary may have a misguided understanding of success in ministry, equating a large attendance with an effective impact.

Real success will be much more than crowds. They must be leader training and discipling the believers.

You can draw a crowd with some crazy bait-clicking events. The people will come to see, and the missionary will be excited to see the crowd and may even temper the message so as not to offend those in attendance. He can then boast of the crowds.

I have seen missionaries give out rice and beans, give away clothes, put on shows, or whatever to draw people. The desire to draw the crowd is commendable and understandable. If the crowd comes, they must hear a clear call to come to Jesus as their personal and only Savior. You must risk the relationship with the truth you proclaim.

If not, the foam will float away, leaving nothing behind. Crowds are not necessarily evidence that God is at work.

Get the crowds, but preach the clear gospel and go for disciples. Call on them to turn to Jesus and follow Him with all their lives. Get them involved in the work.

Clarification

I agree with doing all you can, making all the noise, and getting as many as possible into the auditorium. I call on you to have a clear message from the Bible. Make no apology for who you are. Tell the truth. Make it clear you are there to show them God's Word and the truth about salvation.

Knock on doors, show a video, have an event, and get as many visitors as possible. Just know that when the big show is over, few will stay. Even with Jesus, after feeding the crowds and healing entire towns, He asked his disciples if they, too, would go back.

Clearly explain your goals so people understand what you are trying to achieve, similar to how Jesus communicated.

What should be the priority?

Prioritize making disciples from the very beginning. This means investing in relationships, teaching, and discipleship, even if it means slower growth and less visible success in the short term. When the church plant prioritizes making disciples from the beginning, it will better equip itself for long-term impact and sustainability by building a foundation of committed, growing disciples.

Disciples will learn to be faithful servants and involved in church. Crowds will only come when you give them whatever attracted them.

Disciples will be givers who support their church and get involved in evangelizing and discipling.

You will prepare those you disciple to carry the gospel to their neighborhood, family, and friends.

If you disciple, you will have a strong, committed core of believers to support and sustain the work.

Use only cautiously

Flashy events, entertainment, or marketing tactics to draw people in. I am not saying you should use any of these; you should only be very careful. Bring in the crowd, sort out the sincere, disciple them, and teach them to bring in more.

Use the idea of an hourglass. You draw the crowd, look for a congregation that can become a church, and look for committed individuals who will give themselves to be trained for ministry. Then, take these committed individuals to form more churches and start the cycle over again.

Use attraction, but find those who are really seeking. Don't water down the truth to keep the crowd. Understand that most will leave. Only those who believe the truth and trust Jesus will stay.

What is required?

Intentionally living out the gospel in everyday life,
Demonstrating the transformative power of Christ through acts of love and service.
This approach requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to invest deeply in the lives of a few individuals,
Trusting that God will use these relationships to bring about a powerful ripple effect of discipleship and transformation in the community.
Instead of focusing solely on the Sunday service, invest in small group discipleship opportunities where people can truly grow in their faith and understanding of the gospel.
Take the time to train and equip leaders within your church plant effectively to make disciples and share the gospel in their communities.
Instead of being solely focused on building a large crowd, prioritize the quality of disciples being made and the impact your church plant is having on the surrounding community.
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