The church must be in the world to save those in the world. In the World Church growth does not take place unless a new Christian enters God's Kingdom. Unfortunately, this is crisis ministry, not comfortable ministry. Middle class America is comfortable and secular, so this is often a barren harvest field to work in. The more a church grows numerically, the more it must engage in discipleship.
Church growth is discipleship.
We have the whole armor of God to help us be in the world but not be of the world. God extends special blessings to unity among the brethren. This is Christ s role. When staff seek to control people, someone goes out the back door of the church every time a new member arrives through the front door. The Bible is meant to be applied, not merely studied.