It is more important to add souls to the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, than it is to increase attendance in your church. While there are, indeed, many wandering lonely souls out there in the world, not very many will make their way into a church.
We need to follow the three P's to be efficiently involved in serving God and meeting the needs of our church in our community.
1. PRAYER. God's Word says to "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We need to be in constant, unceasing prayer with our God. The church in The Book of Acts began with several days of prayer. The Azusa Street Revival happened because people came together and prayed together: every night, throughout the night. Churches that preach the full gospel, not a watered down, filtered version, need to be in constant prayer in order to see their church grow.
2. PERSEVERANCE. Individual willingness to not only commit to sharing the gospel, but also a thorough understanding of the grace which one has received upon repentance of their own sins. Taking your testimony into your job, your workplace, your home, your recreational time is vital to seeing the church grow as a whole. Study your Bible daily. Read all the way through at least once or twice without stopping to study, then study it deeply. And remember to pray, to talk to God, while you are reading your Bible. A good study Bible to have is either The Amplified Bible or Thompson's Chain Reference Bible. The Holy Spirit will guide you through God's Word so well, that you will begin to know your Scriptures. Remember to ask God for His Holy Spirit and to go to Him daily for refills.
3. PERSECUTION. I know that this one is not a popular form of church growth, but it is necessary to the refining of the individuals within the church itself; and, also, to the immediate growth of your church. While some of the righteous were persecuted in Old Testament times, Christians began to be persecuted while Jesus was still here the first time He came. John the Baptist was jailed for preaching against the king's marriage. The queen had him beheaded because she hated him. After Jesus ascended to heaven, Stephen was stoned to death while sharing the gospel. All of Jesus' disciples faced horrible deaths, but none of them stopped sharing Jesus' grace and atonement. And the church grew.
Never get attendance confused with growth. Any denomination can increase attendance in their services, but not every soul gets added to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. Remember:
The kingdom of God is a method. The kingdom of heaven is a place.
The kingdom of God is preaching the gospel. The kingdom of heaven is where we will spend eternity after accepting Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.
