Stetzer's Survey of 2000 A/G Pastors Fall 2008

Ed Stetzer has just completed a survey of 2000 pastors of A/G churches. Here is a sampling of some of their answers:

Growing Churches don’t turn inward
1. Pastors who agree that most of those who attend their church have developed significant relationships with people at their church are in churches with significantly lower levels of growth in average worship attendance

2. While research among Protestants shows that laity’s weakest area of spiritual formation is in building relationships, it appears that AG churches that have achieved it have done so at the expense of any new relationships.

3. Stetzer also shared with us that too many of our pastors have created a co-dependant relationship with their congregation.

My Thoughts on the Survey
1. Stezer’s partner, Tom Rainer has already told us that groups become families somewhere from 6 to 18 months. This answer could be telling us that our church has become a locked up family – EXCLUSIVE. Have we become so focused on those already in attendance that we have forgotten or overlooked the hurting people on the outside?

2. Stetzer’s Survey tells us that we’ve achieved real relationships "at the expense of any new relationships.”

3. We must understand our assignment is not to create people who need us, but to help people grow in the Lord and equip them for service.
Eph. 4:11-13 Note: Service is NOT spelled “serve us”