How to guarantee your church stops growing

If you want your local church to stagnate—or even decline— here are eight tried and tested methods to make sure that happens:

1. Only run evangelistic meetings and prophecy seminars. Forget about “social gospel” initiatives. Time is short, and our only mission is to proclaim the three angels’ messages to prepare people for Christ’s return.
2. Only focus on community service. Stick to health expos, food pantries and community projects. People will see we care, and maybe someday they’ll ask about Jesus. Who needs public evangelism anyway? It’s outdated and expensive.
3. Rely on attractional events. Seeker-friendly services, concerts and “Road to Bethlehem” or “Road to Calvary” programs will do the trick. We can make contacts this way and don’t need evangelistic meetings.
4. Avoid long-term planning. A mission strategy? Too complicated. Don’t bother preparing the soil, sowing seed, cultivating interest and harvesting results. Just “let the Spirit lead”.
5. Ditch small groups. They don’t work in our context—people are too busy. You might start a few, but they’ll fizzle out anyway.
6. Skip prayer meetings. Hardly anyone comes, everyone’s too busy and let’s face it—prayer meetings can be boring.
7. Leave mission to the pastor. That’s what they’re paid for. We have families, jobs and no special training.
8. Pastors: leave it to the professionals. Members are too busy to train and even if they want training, I’m too busy with all the other things I have to do for the church.

How to fuel genuine growth

Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve heard—or even said—some of these things? I’m so glad Jesus modelled a completely different approach. His ministry was intentional, balanced and Spirit-led. If we follow His example, growth becomes inevitable.

Here’s what He did—and what we can do too:

1. Stay connected through prayer. Jesus regularly spent quality time with His Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; 9:18; 11:1). The early church also prayed corporately—and the Spirit was poured out (Acts 4:31). Little wonder Ellen White counsels, “The prayer meetings should be the most interesting gatherings that are held, but these are frequently poorly managed . . . Wisdom should be sought of God, and plans should be laid to conduct the meetings so that they will be interesting and attractive” (Counsels for the Church, p292).
2. Build and equip small groups. Jesus chose and trained 12 disciples in close community (Mark 3:14). Growing churches still use evangelistic small groups today to nurture faith and multiply disciples.
3. Serve through compassion. Jesus went about doing good, especially in health and healing ministry (Acts 10:38). He spent more of His time doing good than He did in preaching and teaching. The church can’t grow without meeting real needs.
4. Teach with truth. Jesus taught both publicly and personally (Matthew 4:23; 9:35,36). Teaching of doctrine matters. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
5. Preach the gospel boldly. Jesus proclaimed the good news prophetically and urgently, one-on-one and publicly (Mark 1:14,15). In Matthew’s account of the gospel commission, Jesus called us to make disciples—to restore the image of Christ in others (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). It is the gospel that changes lives, which is why in Mark’s recording of the Great Commission, Jesus calls us to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). And as Ellen White wrote, “A great work is to be accomplished in setting before men the saving truths of the gospel. This is the means ordained by God to stem the tide of moral corruption. This is His means of restoring His moral image in man . . .” (Testimonies, vol 6, p11).

Gospel preaching today must remain prophetic—sharing the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels’ messages. In fact, Christ commands us to share the mystery of the gospel prophetically: “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages and kings” (Revelation 10:7,11 NASB). Thus, Ellen White wrote, “To present these truths (the saving truths of the gospel) is the work of the third angel’s message. The Lord designs that the presentation of this message shall be the highest, greatest work carried on in the world at this time” (Testimonies, vol 6, p11). To neglect this calling is disobedience, treason and disloyalty to Christ.

Lessons from PNG for Christ

Being involved in the preparation, training programs and implementation of PNG for Christ 2024 revealed to me why more than 200,000 people were baptised: they followed Christ’s model—strategic, wholistic, Spirit-led mission. 

• Strategic mission planning: They used a “Harvest Cycle” plan with activities and events for soil preparation, seed sowing, cultivation and reaping.
• Prayer at the centre: Each day began with early-morning prayer, and every evening, group prayer filled the air as programs were underway. That’s why God showed up.
• Evangelistic small groups: Groups met around the country for two to three years before the campaign began. Discovery Bible Reading was a focal point.
• Practical ministry: Health and community outreach paved the way for spiritual decisions.
• Teaching and follow-up: Small groups and seekers’ Sabbath schools were given priority and continued after the reaping.
• Public proclamation: Hundreds of local and visiting evangelists, pastors and lay preachers preached the gospel and three angels’ messages in unity.

When we follow Christ’s example, growth will happen—not because of us, but because the Holy Spirit is at work.

TPUM for Christ needs you!

The Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) is following the same Christ-centred, wholistic strategy. In July/August 2026, TPUM for Christ will conduct harvest reaping campaigns at more than 1800 sites—and they need your help! Just as PNG for Christ called for preachers from across the Division and other parts of the world for assistance, so TPUM for Christ is calling: “Come over and help us!”

Below are the dates when each of the countries/missions will be conducting their TPUM for Christ evangelistic meetings:

Solomon Islands	July 5–18	Vanuatu	August 9–22
Tuvalu	July 5–18	Kiribati	August 16–29
Tonga	July 12–26	Fiji	August 16–29
American Samoa	July 12–26	Samoa and Tokelau	August 16–30

Lay members and retired pastors can volunteer to preach (self-funded for travel, with insurance covered by Risk Management Services). The SPD Institute of Public Evangelism will coordinate the process. We are wanting to match conferences with their partner missions where possible. To register, email Torika Laweloa TorikaLaweloa@adventist.org.au with a supporting email from your conference or mission. Employed pastors, teachers, Bible workers, medical and other Adventist institutional workers must contact their conference/mission or institution for travel arrangements and a supporting email.

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Gary Webster is the Institute of Public Evangelism director at the South Pacific Division.