Do We Really Need More Churches?

If you aim to plant churches, you might make disciples, but if you aim to make disciples, you will plant new churches. Why does this happen? It happens this way because God is a sending God. He sends us out to make more disciples of Jesus.

You might drive around your community and think, "we have plenty of churches!" In the three surrounding communities of my church, we have a population of over 87,000 people. Between Alvin, Manvel, and Iowa Colony, there is an estimated 45 churches. These churches represent many different dominations and theological beliefs.

Research shows 68% of all churches in the United States average under 100 people on a Sunday morning. Also, research shows 65%-80% of all churches in the United States are plateauing or declining in worship attendance. So, think about it this way. To reach every person in a 15-minute drive radius of our church, all 45 churches would need to reach 2,000 people each!  

Church planting is not about just having more churches, but this is one way to make more disciples of Jesus. When you set out to make more disciples, you will plant more churches.