Dear Pacific Union Member:

Everyone likes to be successful. Churches are no exception. Pastors are very frustrated and sometimes discouraged when their churches don’t grow. Members like to be part of a winning team.

Recently, I had a letter arrive on my desk that offered the perfect solution for slow growth in our churches. It suggested we should follow successful Sunday-keeping churches. Many of them have simplified their membership requirements, and at the same time, have entertainment-focused worship services. Why, I was asked, are we not doing the same?

Lower the Standards

To attract more people, it is tempting to lower the standards by not preaching or teaching those things that make people uncomfortable. Sermons can make us uncomfortable when they point out sin and call for change. Yet, that is the very purpose of the church.

Paul wrote to the young pastor Titus: “We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God... He [Jesus] gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. You must teach these things and encourage your people to do them, correcting them when necessary” (Titus 2:12-15, NLT, emphasis added).

We are called not only to tell people about the love of God, but also to issue a call to live for Him as well. “If you lower the standard in order to secure popularity and an increase of numbers, and then make this increase a cause of rejoicing, you show great blindness. If numbers were an evidence of success, Satan might claim the pre-eminence; for, in this world, his followers are largely in the majority…. It is the virtue, intelligence, and piety of the people composing our churches, not their numbers, that should be a source of joy and thankfulness” (Ellen White, Counsels to Teachers, p.94).

Focus on Entertainment

Using an entertainment format to attract people is another trap of the devil. Yes, Sunday-keeping churches do it. They even mix applications of popular movies to make church services more interesting. Time magazine, Aug. 16, 2004, carried an article entitled: “The Gospel According to Spider-Man.” In it were these statements:

“Publicists hired by studios feed sermon ideas based on new movies to ministers…. Movieministry.com provides homilies for Sunday sermons. The website is a kind of Holy Ghostwriter…. The clergy see all this as a revival; Hollywood sees it as a customer bonanza…. Moviemakers are happy to be the money changers in the temple, even as preachers are thrilled that a discussion of a movie can guarantee a full house on Sunday.”

Gripping, interesting, relevant sermons are critical to members' spiritual growth. However, entertainment for entertainment's sake is not God's way. God says to pastors: “Preach the word of God” (2 Timothy 4:2).

“A profession of religion has become popular with the world.... A high salary is paid for a talented minister to entertain and attract the people. His sermons must not touch popular sins, but be made smooth and pleasing for fashionable ears. Thus fashionable sinners are enrolled on the church records, and fashionable sins are concealed under a pretense of godliness” (The Great Controversy, p. 386).

In the end there is no easy way to grow our churches. It will take a lot of hard work by pastors and members, blessed by God. And beware when the popular, easy ways are suggested to you.

Sincerely your friend,

Tom Mostert, president

Pacific Union Conference

P.O. Box 5005

Westlake Village, CA 91361

tmpm3@attglobal.net