KMYoung.com

Three years ago, Jack Trout wrote an article for Forbes that discussed the danger of making growth your mission.

That desire for growth is at the heart of what can go wrong for many companies. Growth is the by-product of doing things right. But in itself, it is not a worthy goal. In fact, growth is the culprit behind impossible goals.

People do damaging things to force unnecessary growth.

This also applies to churches. Great attendance is the by-product of doing things right. Your goal is your God-given mission. When attendance becomes your goal, you risk doing damaging things for growth’s sake.

Remember, God cares about changed lives not accumulated lives. As long as you are focused on your mission and continually getting better at fulfilling it, you should be content with the by-product of doing things right.

And if your church has been thrust into the spotlight because of your attendance, methods, or pastor, be extra careful that you do not swap your God-given mission with the pursuit of growth. Jack Trout continues:

Did you ever wonder why very successful, privately held companies, such as Milliken or Gore-Tex, rarely show up in the press? It’s because no one is staring at their numbers quarter after quarter. All they have to worry about is their business. And if they are happy with it, that’s all that matters.

When people start staring at your ministry to see what you do next, it can be tempting to do things to please them rather than to please God. It can be tempting to make the newspaper, the blog posts, and the “cool” church lists. But if you are being a good steward of your God-given calling, that’s all that matters. Do not be concerned what anyone but God thinks.

[originally posted on Church Relevance]