My primary occupation is that of a computer consultant. I live in a world of numbers. Numbers tell me how much money is not in the bank when needed. Numbers indicate problems or indicate success. As a consultant, it is my responsibility to understand what the numbers are really saying and draw a solution from that information.
The same approach applies to ministry. Numbers can tell us “how many” are in Sunday school or worship service on any given week. Numbers can tell us “how much” is being given through tithes and offerings.
But in ministry, we use numbers, quantitative values, more often than we use qualitative values. Please don’t get me wrong. God Himself uses numbers for His Glory. Not only did He give us an entire book of the Bible called Numbers, the other books are full of quantitative information:
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
Wow! More were added to the body of Christ in one day than attend my local church in a week. But that is simply the quantitative information given in the passage.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
These souls didn’t simply walk the aisle, say a prayer and disappear into the night. There was no great post-event follow-up required. No maps, no packets, no brochures.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They devoted themselves to fellowship with other believers. They devoted themselves to the communal breaking of bread. They devoted themselves to prayer.
Is your church prepaired to handle 3000 new believers who are devoted to learning, fellowshipping, communing and praying? Are your small classrooms able to handle them all for teaching and discipleship? Why are our worship centers able to hold thousands, but our classrooms can’t handle half that many?