Leaderhip Summit [James Meeks]

James Meeks is the senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. The church started in 1985 with 200 people. They now have over 22,000 members. Over 5,000 people have been baptized in the last year. Meeks stated clearly, “We can all have growing churches.”

The Kingdom is compared in the parables to planting and growing. Everything that is planted is supposed to grow. If your church is in the Kingdom of God, then your church is supposed to grow.

In this second session, Meeks talked about the enemies of a growing church. Here are the enemies he listed:

1. Lack of faith — We must believe growth can happen. We have to expect it. Meeks said, “I would be ready to quit if their were no conversions.”
2. Lack of knowledge — We don’t know that church growth is possible. We haven’t been exposed to the principles of church growth. People perish because of a lack of knowledge. What you don’t know can kill you. What you don’t know can stifle your church’s growth.
3. Failure to realize that God is no respecter of persons — God doesn’t love just a select group of people. God told Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” You will be anointed also. The same laws apply that to Hybels, Warren and Billy Graham apply to you. Laws of church growth that apply to them will work for you.
4. Failure to realize growth is always the goal of a new testament church — It doesn’t matter how small your town is–your church is supposed to grow. “The city doesn’t need to be big if the church has big ideas.” People have cars. They will drive to your church. See John 15:5. If it’s not growing, it’s not healthy. People are afraid to count because they don’t want to know how bad things are.
5. An unsure pastor — You have to demonstrate that you’re in control. People are looking to you as the person with answers. You have to be sure about your leadership. We lead with too much ambiguity. We have too many politically correct pastors. We don’t say what the Bible says. We’re afraid to offend people.
6. Failure to build upon small victories — Small victories lead to bigger victories. David killed a lion and a bear before he killed Goliath. When a church gets used to victories, it will have no doubt that there isn’t anything too big for God.
7. Failure to preach the announcements — Whatever you want the masses to know, it can’t be announced–it must be preached. It has to be a sermon. After the message, you give an invitation to involvement.
8. Lack of corporate fasting and prayer — Some things will only come about through fasting and prayer.
9. Failure to get started — “Go with the going crowd.” If you can’t influence anyone, you’re in the wrong profession.
10. Poor motive — Why do you want a big church? You should want it. You have to want it for the right reason. God knows your heart. Church growth should be about bringing glory and honor to God. If God is not pleased and satisfied, it doesn’t make a difference.