By Danny Minton

Over the decades since becoming a Christian, I have worshipped and worked with congregations in numerous cities. Along the way, there have been some good experiences and some learning experiences. Looking back, each one had its good qualities and areas needing improvement.

In all my former experiences, one stands out as what a “church” should be like. It was an experience that started on a sad note but would be one of the most heartwarming times in my memory. It’s been so long ago that many details have faded from memory, but the feeling of the time remains.

I was part of an East Texas congregation that split over ideas that involved the church’s growth. Church divides are not fun experiences, with hurt feelings and lost relationships that can last for years to come. The two ministers, including me, two of the four elders, several deacons, and members left to start a new congregation. 

With no building and little assets, the small group of Christians began worshipping in an empty part of a strip shopping center. From what I can remember, it was comprised of three fairly large rooms. The adults met in the largest room for Bible class and worship services. The church secretary and pulpit minister were set up in the main front room. My office was set up in the back of the third room where I worked with the youth. My wife taught a children’s class that met in the hallway. Showing filmstrips with her Bible lessons was challenging, making it necessary to open the women’s restroom door, turn the light off, and project the images on the wall. 

What made the situation special was the spiritual closeness that the group held. We knew we would eventually need a building, but that was not always the focus. What was extraordinary was the sense of community and focus on what could be done for Jesus then and in the future. The first building was small and nothing fancy, but the group began to grow and has continued to do so long after I left. It grew because of the people, not the facilities.

I remember watching the movie “Field of Dreams.” Everyone who has seen it remembers the haunting voice the actor heard while standing in his cornfields; “If you build it, he will come!” He then envisioned turning his cornfield into a baseball field. However, it wasn’t the physical field that would bring them to the game, but the experience that reached their hearts and love for the game.

Despite all the laughing and ridicule the main character received, he forged ahead, building a baseball diamond on the edge of his Iowa cornfield. He only listened to the voice in the field, not all the others around him. Sometimes, I believe “churches” listen to the voices of the world around them in decision-making instead of listening to the voice of God. Men will tell us that fancy church buildings, up-to-date media, and extravagant, lively worship services are needed to grow a congregation. Too often, we look at numbers to gauge success. We count attendance and then measure it against the past or against how many all the other churches have. We ask how many came to this event, function, or assembly.

Although all these things are helpful, are they really what it takes to grow? With all these things in mind, Sunday morning worship service attendance in the U.S. has decreased from 42 percent 20 years ago to 30 percent today. What does it take to allow God to grow a church through His followers? The answer is to change our focus, moving it to what it takes to change people’s hearts. With the proper focus, “They will come.”

If we focus on the work, “They will come.”
If we focus on the lost, “They will come.”
If we focus on serving others, “They will come.”
If we focus on changing hearts, “They will come.”
If we focus on Jesus, “They will come.”
If we focus on building up God’s work, “They will come!”

How many? Allow me to use another movie reference to answer this question. The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” tells of the experiences of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who was an Army medic who would receive the Medal of Honor for bravery in saving several men at the Battle of Okinawa. Refusing to retreat, he helped the injured and lowered them down a 400-foot cliff to help below. It is reported that he would say to himself as he went back time after time for the injured, “Dear God, let me get just one more man.” 

When the Apostles stood before the crowd on Pentecost and preached the first sermon, one person stepped forward to become a Christian. We have no idea who he was, but we do know that that one turned into over 3,000 on that day. And that 3,000 turned into billions through the ages.

How many will we reach if we keep the focus on Christ? As long as we focus on one more, we can help God change the world one at a time. 

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ