Unlimited Growth

A Biblical Plan for Growth

By Al Felder

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4)

No one has ever prayed this prayer:

“Dear Lord, Please shrink our church because we are too large a congregation. Amen.”

Every congregation wants to grow. The questions are more serious than the desire: How does a local church grow? What must be done to sustain growth? And how do we pursue growth without compromising Scripture or losing the spirit and values that often flourish when a congregation is small?

The Bible answers those questions. Church growth is not guesswork. It is not gimmicks. It is not a compromise. It is the result of a congregation organizing itself around the pattern God has provided—then working faithfully while God provides the increase.

Christ promised the church would be built on the rock of His identity and His word—and that nothing, including the strongest force of evil, could overcome it (Matthew 16:18). That tells us something crucial about growth: sometimes it is fast, sometimes slow, sometimes painful, sometimes exciting—but in the end it is unstoppable. Unlimited growth is not a motivational slogan. It is a concept firmly established in Scripture.

And yet many congregations plateau, stagnate, shrink, or disappear. That reality forces an honest conclusion: potential for growth is not the same thing as preparation for growth. God’s kingdom has unlimited potential, but local congregations must be organized to sustain what the Lord is willing to give.

Pattern theology: the instrument God embedded in the New Testament

A biblical plan for growth begins with a biblical way of thinking: pattern theology.

Pattern theology rests on the idea that God gave patterns—blueprints—in Scripture to guide:

• moral living

• spiritual living

• church organization

• church function

This is not a system men “added” to the Bible. It is embedded in the New Testament itself. God gave patterns so His people could understand His will clearly and carry it out faithfully from generation to generation.

We are pressured constantly to adjust, soften, and change course—because culture changes, doctrinal disputes arise, sin tempts, and human events disrupt. But the church must not allow any headwind to alter its direction. Our direction is simple: remain true to Christ and His word. Pattern theology becomes one of the tools God gives us to stay on course.

A faithful New Testament church is both the direction and the destination. And growth that honors God is always connected to faithfulness.

God cares deeply about organization

Some people assume God doesn’t care about how things are organized. Scripture destroys that assumption.

When Israel built the tabernacle, God gave detailed instructions—every piece, every measurement, every arrangement, every responsibility. God is a God of order. And if He gave such meticulous guidance for something that was only a shadow, how much more would He give clear guidance for the reality—the church?

The church is the body of Christ, not a symbol of it. God has provided a pattern for the organization and function of the New Testament church—and that organization directly affects growth.

Here is the key principle:

How you are organized affects how you grow.

This is true in business, in the home, and in the church. A poorly organized body will struggle to grow, and even if it grows temporarily, it will not be able to sustain growth. A church must be organized not only to reach people, but to keep them, mature them, integrate them, and mobilize them for service.

Growth is more than numbers

When we talk about growth, we’re not only talking about attendance. Biblical growth includes:

• spiritual maturity

• increased knowledge

• leadership development

• stronger unity

• stronger service

• deeper evangelistic effectiveness

A congregation that seeks only numbers without maturity is building on sand. A congregation that seeks maturity without evangelism is failing its mission. God’s plan is balanced and complete.

So how does a church build a foundation capable of sustaining “unlimited growth”?

By organizing itself to function effectively in five ministries that God demonstrated at the beginning.

The Bible’s pattern for growth is Acts 2

Acts shows the “mechanics” of the New Testament church—how it worked, how it functioned, how it expanded. Acts 2 reveals five ministry areas that must operate in a healthy congregation.

Here is the plan in one sentence:

A church grows in proportion to its effectiveness in carrying out the five ministries demonstrated in Acts 2—working together, at the same time.

That final phrase matters: together, at the same time.

A congregation can’t specialize in one ministry and neglect the others and still expect sustained growth. A church that evangelizes but fails to educate and integrate will lose converts. A church that teaches but does not evangelize will stagnate. A church that worships but does not serve becomes inward and brittle. God’s plan is full-orbed.

The five biblical ministries of the church

1) Evangelism

Evangelism is preaching the gospel to the lost with the aim of producing obedient faith. Different cultures, different tools, different settings—but the same message: Christ died, was buried, rose again, and men must respond in faith, repentance, and obedience.

Evangelism is the front door of growth. Without it, numbers will eventually decline, and the church will fade.

2) Education

When sinners obey the gospel, they must be taught. Jesus commanded that disciples be taught to observe all He commanded (Matthew 28:20). Education is how the church produces stability, maturity, discernment, and endurance.

Teaching is not merely information. It is training people how to live as disciples.

3) Fellowship

Fellowship is integration. The Lord adds the saved to the body, but relationships must be built. Converts need connection, mentoring, friendship, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. Fellowship is what helps a new Christian feel rooted rather than isolated.

A church that lacks fellowship may baptize people, but it won’t keep them.

4) Worship

Worship must be taught, modeled, encouraged, and organized. Worship shapes reverence, strengthens faith, and keeps the church God-centered rather than man-centered. When worship is weak or casual, spiritual seriousness fades, and the congregation loses its spiritual power.

5) Service

Service is love in action. It includes meeting needs, sharing burdens, pooling resources, and helping disciples who are weak or struggling. Service is where the church’s doctrine becomes visible.

Service also mobilizes members—turning them from spectators into workers.

Why the ministries must function simultaneously

This is where many churches fail without realizing it.

Imagine a congregation that evangelizes well and baptizes many—but offers little fellowship and little service. What happens? New Christians are placed in a pew, treated like passive listeners, and left without real connection. They make a few friends. They find no mentors. They feel like outsiders. Over time, many lose interest and fall away.

That is why God’s plan is not “choose one ministry and do it well.” God’s plan is to develop the church so it functions effectively in all five.

Here is a simple spiritual equation that explains much of the problem:

Ministry = Growth

More ministry tends to lead to greater growth. Less ministry tends to produce less growth. But the crucial point is that unlimited growth requires all five ministries working together.

When the church does its part—organizing and executing the New Testament pattern—God does His part: He adds the increase. This is not legalism. It is faith working through God’s appointed means.

Conclusion: God provides the increase, but the church must be prepared

The plan is not complicated, but it does require commitment:

1. Train the church to function effectively in the five ministries.

2. Ensure those ministries operate together and simultaneously.

3. Maintain faithfulness to Christ and His word.

4. Trust God to add the growth in His time and His way.

Unlimited growth is not produced by compromising Scripture. It is produced by returning to Scripture—then doing the work God assigned.

Practicing what is taught

Here are practical steps a congregation (and individual members) can take immediately:

• Evaluate the five ministries honestly: Which are strong? Which are weak? Which are neglected?

• Assign leadership to each ministry: people responsible for organizing, training, and mobilizing others.

• Build new-convert pathways: education, fellowship, and service integration from day one.

• Strengthen worship intentionally: reverence, preparation, participation, and consistency.

• Make service visible and active: identify needs, coordinate help, and train members to serve.

  
  

Reflection questions

1. If our congregation stopped growing tomorrow, which ministry weakness would most likely be the cause?

2. Are we organized for growth—or are we only hoping for it?

3. Do we baptize people and then truly integrate them into fellowship and service?

4. Are all five ministries functioning at the same time, or are some only occasional?

5. What is one concrete step I can take this month to help strengthen one ministry area?