We Could Have Been Bigger By Now – Part 1

Recently my friend Dave Anderson referred to me as the pastor of the smallest mega church in America…he is fairly correct in that assessment. We have always considered what we do at Compass Point to be pretty serious and feel we are on a track that others can learn from. We have never shied away from talking about our ups and downs through my blog or directly with others. However, the reality is that we are a small church…and we are thrilled with that. The other reality…we could have been bigger by now.

No, we didn’t just stop reaching out to people when we hit a certain numerical level. No, we didn’t run “church” people off on purpose. No, we didn’t have some kind of “in your face” moment one Sunday that split the church. We have shown steady…though not necessarily rapid growth…since we began. We have seen many people far from God…find God. We have a steady stream of baptisms each year…mainly from people that have never been a part of a church before. However, we have a mindset that keeps us on a path where steady growth is the norm…and explosive growth is almost impossible. It’s not that we have anything against big churches…we hope to be one some day. However, we want to be a healthy big church when that day arrives. The pastors that mentor me all have large churches…but they are healthy churches…they didn’t set out to be big for the sake of being big. Because they were healthy they grew…and continue to grow. That is our goal at Compass Point…and we know that healthy growth takes time. We’re under no time frame…we’re here for the marathon…not a sprint.

The following are just some of the reasons why we could have been bigger by now…but are not.

The Church Is Not My Life – My relationship with God is my life. My relationship with my wife and family is my life. Compass Point Church…is not my life…just my vocation. My calling is to take up my cross and follow Christ daily…telling people about His saving grace. I’d do that even if I didn’t pastor a church. Compass Point…at best…is a temporary gig. No, I don’t plan to quit anytime soon and I don’t have any further ambitions to plant another church. However, there will come a day when my time is done leading Compass Point…and then I will be left with my relationship with God and my wife. Those two relationships have got to take priority over my leadership of a church…even if it means passing on opportunities to reach more people.

It’s Not About The Numbers – Okay that’s not true…it is about the numbers…just not in the traditional church planting mindset of today. I’m 42-years-old and have achieved enough things in life that my self-esteem is fairly healthy. I don’t feel a need to spout off attendance numbers at conferences or seminars in order to establish an identity for myself or “one up” someone else. In fact, our staff is on strict orders never to discuss attendance numbers with anyone outside of our leadership…ever. However, we will talk baptism numbers and discipleship percentages with you…because they are the true numbers that count…and the mark of a church that is healthy. We don’t sweat trying to get a huge attendance on Sunday…that would actually be very easy. Instead we sweat reaching people for Christ…one at a time…baptizing them and getting them involved in the discipleship process. For Compass Point it’s about reaching the one…not necessarily the masses.

Sunday Is Not A Witnessing Tool – Yeah I know I’m gonna get hosed by some of my friends about this one…but for us…it is true. Sunday is about preaching the Word of God without compromise and leading believers into a time of worship. We are not seeker-sensitive…we don’t pull out all of the stops for guests. Sunday wasn’t Scripturally meant for them…it was mainly intended for the believer. Don’t get me wrong…we know that guests come to Compass Point on Sundays…and we want them to feel welcomed. We have greeters, Starbucks coffee and decent signage. We explain what each element of the service is so we don’t throw people off. However, when the preaching begins…that’s where “guest friendly” stops. Other church planters always ask me how we keep reaching people that are so far from God…it’s because we couldn’t give a rip about coddling them. People far from God…that venture into Compass Point…are already being engaged by the Holy Spirit. They aren’t looking for budget plans for their finances, their purpose in life or how to have better sex…they are looking for a Savior. If they want “self help” fluff they can get a Tony Robbins video or buy a “Marriage For Dummies” book at Barnes & Noble. If they come to Compass Point…it’s because they want to hear the Word of God…unfiltered. My job on Sunday is not to baby sit consumers…my job is to confront sin…for believers and unbelievers…through the uncompromised preaching of God’s Word.