Mental Barrier 5: The Love for Tradition
Some churches do not progress simply because they are stuck in the web of tradition: “This is how it is practiced in my religion, so we cannot seek any other methods outside of this.“ You cling to this stance despite the fact that the strategy has stopped being effective for decades.

Churches do not grow with this old-fashioned way of doing things. For example, Sunday school programs for children have not been updated in 20 or 30 years and have become completely boring. Yet there are still churches that outright refuse to adapt to more lively and engaging approaches.

If you are attached to tradition, your church will go nowhere.

Mental Barrier 6: Fear of Powerful People
Churches should not be built on the special connections of church members or the strong personalities within the congregation. When a person or group of so-called “power brokers” dominates the scene, maintaining control over the church often becomes part of their agenda.

Because these power brokers may have helped the church in the past, the pastor might feel indebted to them and unwilling to displease them. This frequently occurs in churches where the pastor is not naturally very assertive.

In such churches, the congregation is often swayed by the opinions—spoken or unspoken—of these individuals. If these power brokers are not stripped of their influence and the power of Christ is not properly vested in the leadership of the pastor, the church will never progress.

No matter how much these individuals have sacrificed in the past, they must not hold the church or the pastor hostage. It is better for their influence to be curtailed than for them to become a barrier to the church’s growth. Do not allow them to derail the vision and direction of the church. It is better to lose a powerful member than to have a dead church.

Mental Barrier 7: Idolatry
When we build our churches around events or programs instead of around Jesus Himself, we engage in idolatry.

Churches of this kind will never grow. While you may not always be able to avoid it, people will not come to church just for festivals like Christmas or special programs. There must always be something—more than just an event—that motivates people to attend or belong to the church. You cannot build a church with occasional attendees.

Likewise, do not attract people to your church through your music, facilities, or financial status. People may come for those reasons, but it is not a sustainable way to build a church.

The presence of Christ must be the main reason people attend your services. Aside from the power of God, any other factor constitutes idolatry and should not be used to grow a church. People must come to church even if you lack certain things.

Our church in Tamale began to grow long before we had our own property. There were beautiful buildings belonging to other churches in the city, while we were meeting in a classroom, yet the church still grew. You can meet in a classroom, and your church will still grow.

The place of worship is important, but it is not the only determining factor for growth…

This text is an excerpt from the book “From Small to Medium to Mega” written by Bishop Charles Agyinasare.

We invite you to read the next article: “The Plagues That Are Obstacles to Church Growth.”

BARRIERS TO CHURCH GROWTH. BARRIERS TO CHURCH GROWTH. BARRIERS TO CHURCH GROWTH.