The world is obsessed with numbers. It makes sense, as we use numbers to keep track of things like growth, age, and how much of something we have, and to measure size and temperature. YouTubers count views, Instagram influencers count followers, schools count students, those on a diet count calories, and churches count members, visitors, and event attendees.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

By focusing so hard on numbers, as the world does, we can become distracted from the truth: we are set apart from the world as part of God’s Kingdom. If we are concerned with how many families we serve each Sunday, we can begin to slip in our service to the families we do have in attendance. If we are comparing our VBS numbers to those of previous years or other churches in our area, we are not only losing the joy in where we are, but also missing the point of our purpose. Each little “c” church is but a small part of the Church. Regardless of the congregation’s earthly size, one may be a pinky finger, one a tooth, and another a kidney.

Each church plays a small but mighty role, uniquely and powerfully, in Father’s plan. While I hesitate to speak for God, He has laid it on my heart that He does not measure our success by the number of seats filled or how many “outsiders” we get at VBS, Christmas, or Easter.
We, individually, in all areas of our lives on the day-to-day, will face Him to give an account for our discipleship. When we get to heaven, we will face Him one-on-one, not as a church staff team. The question isn’t, “Is our church hitting record numbers?” but rather, “Am I being obedient to disciple each person the Lord brings me, as if they are the one lost sheep He sent me to find?”

Safety and Security
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While hyper-fixating on numbers can pull us off course in our mission to truly make disciples, that doesn’t mean we ignore numbers altogether. For the safety of everyone who comes through our doors, measures must be taken. If we aren’t paying attention and children are running free throughout the building, there are risks. We love as Christ does, and as such we must protect all in our care. Having rules and boundaries for children and youth is loving them. It protects them from anything outside of Christ which might bring them harm, and it teaches them discipline, which shares a root word with our mission: to disciple.

In an era of gentle parenting and our desire for families to feel at home in our churches, we can hesitate or feel helpless to enforce rules that are actually backed by Scripture. Again, we are set apart from this world for a reason. We must stand rooted in Truth, and not waver in what is right out of fear. By that token, we assign spaces for the kids in our care so we can keep track of them. Not following such steps can lead to chaos, confusion, and possibly harm. God has rules for us, and it is more than ok to have rules for our churches. It also teaches them to honor God’s house with respect.

The Fruit
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Growth is necessary. We are either growing or dying. If we are doing our job as disciples well, growth will happen. It is not up to us how fast or how large that growth becomes. Our main focus should be the growth of fruit on an individual basis, not how big we can make our congregation. One will hopefully inform the other. By focusing on the few we may have in our midst, cultivating them for the harvest, we can do more than when we are blinded by numbers.

What is better: five fully ripe trees with fruits of the Spirit on every branch or 50 trees who may not have the resources to grow even a single fruit? Sure, we can talk to a room of 50 children, keeping them occupied and fueled with snacks. If we don’t have enough adults to give those kids the unique and individual attention required for true spiritual growth, we begin to see the youth and young adults leave the church in droves. This is not a dig at large churches who are blessed with many hands to impact vast numbers of kids well, but rather a message for the smaller churches who struggle to find enough well-equipped volunteers to feed the crowds they pray to have.

If you have a small number and you feel defeated or discouraged, remember that discipleship really begins, and deeply depends on, meeting a child where they are and connecting them to the Lord. Walk in obedience with Him, for He is the best leader and teacher. He will guide you, and He will not be disappointed if you come to Him with what the world has labeled as “less”.

Samantha Moser is a disciple of Jesus who has served for over a decade and a half in ministry, from nursery to VBS to youth group. She and her husband, Dallas, homeschool their four children with an emphasis on biblical foundations, world history, and life skills. Their oldest son graduated early, and they added a daughter-in-love and grandson to their family. The couple serves in their community by pouring into everyone they meet, young and old, and volunteering and donating to many local organizations. Samantha believes having both sons and daughters gives her a thorough perspective on what boys and girls are facing today. The Moser family is passionate about serving Jesus, seeing and filling needs in all areas of their lives. When they aren’t at church, they enjoy camping, kayaking, and anything that brings their family together.