God wants to see His church grow and succeed, and that includes the number of people who come to worship Him on Sundays. But His church is bigger than just the number of people in the pews. It’s about the number of people who hold Him in their hearts, listen to His word, and follow His commandments.

The church involves bringing people to God through Jesus Christ, when people heed the call to come closer to the Lord and lean on Him for their own growth, development, and strength. But the people who come to the church need to believe, as a collection of those who don’t believe isn’t a church. It’s simply a gathering.

People Came to Be Saved

In the past, when Christianity was relatively new and people were first coming to the church, they came to be saved. They heard the call, and they heeded it, because they knew in their hearts that it was true. The words of the Lord resonated with them, and they flocked to the places where they could be close to others who shared that calling.

As the church continues to grow today, people still come to be saved. They come because they know they’re missing something when they don’t have a relationship with God. They come because they see the joy that others have, and they want that for themselves. God’s plan is for the church to grow organically, and to expand its reach to all who are called by God’s word.

Hearing the Message is the First Step

The message of the Lord resonates with those who believe in Him. For those who haven’t yet heard His message, they may feel like something is missing. They aren’t sure what, but they know they feel incomplete in some way. When the message of the Lord reaches them they recognize it for the calling it is, and they become part of the church.

Many people think that telling a non-believer about the Lord’s message will bring them into the church. In some cases it will, because they will hear the truth in the message and become a believer. But that is not always the case, and not everyone who hears God’s message will feel called to Him.

The Believers Are the Body

The true believers are the body of the church, no matter where they are. Whether they’re assembled for worship services on a Sunday morning, or out at the grocery store on a Tuesday afternoon, they are all still the church. In that sense, God’s plan for the growth of the church doesn’t have anything to do with buildings and communal spaces.

Instead, His plan has everything to do with believers, and encouraging all who believe to come to Him for rest, respite, and love. Because the believers are the body of the church, they take the church with them wherever they go. The more people who believe, the more the church grows. That can help reach more people with God’s word, and expand the church so that everyone who believes feels welcome and included with others who share their faith.