Why Isn’t the Church Growing—and What Does God Expect Us to Do? (Ephesians 4)

By Al Felder

One of the clearest pictures the Bible gives of the church is a body. And bodies are meant to grow. Paul says the church is to “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ,” and that the whole body makes “increase… unto the edifying of itself in love” when every part supplies what it should (Ephesians 4:14–16).

So when a congregation becomes stagnant—no spiritual maturing, no new disciples, no steady strengthening—something is out of order. The question isn’t merely, “Why aren’t more people coming?” The deeper question is: Are we living as a growing body under Christ, or are we treating the church as something we attend?

The Early Church Grew Under Pressure—So What Powered It?

The book of Acts shows that the early church grew even under persecution. When believers were scattered, they did not hide their faith. They “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).

Their influence became so obvious that even enemies admitted it: “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6).

That’s a hard but helpful mirror. If someone described your local church, would they say, “Those people are turning the community upside down with the gospel”? Or would they say, “They are nice people who go to church”?

A growing church is not mainly built by a handful of leaders doing everything. It grows when the whole body is active—when members see themselves as the church everywhere they go (Ephesians 4:16).

The #1 Reason Many Churches Don’t Grow: A False View of the Church

One of the biggest obstacles to growth is how members think about the church.

Many people treat the church like:

• an event to attend,

• an institution “over there,”

• something that exists only when the building is open.

That mindset produces passivity. If “the church” is something separate from me, then growth is someone else’s responsibility.

But the New Testament picture is different. The word translated “church” is ekklesia, meaning “called out.” God’s people are called out of the world and set apart in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2).

That means:

• we don’t just go to church,

• we are the church,

• and we carry that identity Monday through Saturday just as surely as Sunday.

When someone says, “Ask the church for help,” the biblical response is often: we are the church, so we should be involved. Growth begins when the body stops thinking “they” and starts thinking “we.”

How Does the Church Grow? Through Training and Reproducing

The pattern God gave is not complicated: trained Christians reproduce trained Christians.

A healthy congregation has two consistent roles happening all the time:

1. training, and

2. being trained.

When those stop, growth stops.

1) Training Begins in the Home (Ephesians 6:4)

Fathers are commanded to bring children up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

That means parents must teach:

• what sin is and what it does (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23),

• what Christ has done (1 Corinthians 15:1–4),

• what a person must do to be saved (Acts 2:38),

• what it means to live as a godly man or woman (Titus 2:1–8),

• what the church is and how Christians worship and serve (Acts 2:42).

Mothers also have a strong influence. Timothy’s “unfeigned faith” was shaped by the faith that first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5).

Church growth is not only about adding numbers. It is also about raising faithful disciples in the next generation.

2) Older Christians Must Teach Younger Christians (Titus 2:1–8)

Titus 2 describes a normal church culture where:

• aged men model soundness and patience,

• aged women teach what is good,

• younger women learn how to live faithfully in their roles,

• young men learn sobriety and discipline (Titus 2:1–8).

That kind of training requires more than a weekly handshake. It requires involvement—relationships deep enough that instruction can actually happen. If we only “see each other” in rows for an hour, we cannot do what Titus 2 describes.

A church grows when older saints invest in younger saints and when younger saints accept that investment with humility (Proverbs 11:14).

3) Mature Christians Must Train New Converts (Matthew 28:19–20)

Jesus’ Great Commission is not only “baptize them.” It is also: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).

New converts may be any age, and they often know very little beyond the initial message of salvation. They need help learning:

• how to worship (John 4:24),

• how to study (2 Timothy 2:15),

• how to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17),

• how to resist sin (James 1:14–15),

• how to live in their family roles (Ephesians 5:22–33; Ephesians 6:1–4),

• how to serve and build up the body (Ephesians 4:16).

Paul described this ongoing reproduction plainly: “The things that thou hast heard of me… commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

That is the church's growth engine: disciples making disciples.

The Danger Group: “Neither”

Many churches also have a quiet third category of members:

• they don’t train others,

• they don’t want to be trained,

• they stay near the “getting-in place,” never growing into maturity.

God warns what happens when knowledge and growth stop: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).

A congregation cannot thrive if too many members live as spectators—present on Sunday but uninvolved the rest of the week, disconnected from relationships that build faith, and uninterested in becoming fruitful.

In the body, “every part” matters (Ephesians 4:16). When many parts become inactive, the whole body suffers.

What Should We Do This Week?

Church growth begins with simple, faithful commitments:

• Parents: begin intentional Bible training at home (Ephesians 6:4).

• Older saints: adopt a Titus 2 mindset—teach, encourage, guide (Titus 2:1–8).

• Mature members: take responsibility for new Christians—teach them to observe all Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19–20).

• Everyone: take interest in one another and intentionally stir up love and good works (Hebrews 10:24–25).

When the whole body participates, the body grows. Not because of clever marketing, but because God’s design is working.

Reflection Questions

1. Do I think of the church as something I attend—or as who I am every day (1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 4:16)?

2. Am I actively training someone, being trained by someone, or drifting into “neither” (2 Timothy 2:2)?

3. What is one practical way I can help a younger Christian grow this month (Titus 2:1–8)?

4. If a new convert joined tomorrow, would I know how to help them learn “all things” Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19–20)?

5. What relationship do I need to strengthen so I can better “provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24–25)?