One of the tensions in the church is faithfulness versus fruitfulness. Faithfulness focuses upon the depth of the church spiritually, while fruitfulness focuses upon the width.

Faithful churches are about being true to God’s Word. They teach without compromise. It is discipling people to know the Bible, not just be vaguely familiar with it. They are tenaciously committed to teaching. Their focus is on spiritual depth without seeing a lost world. They don’t change the “furniture” much and what they do is pretty traditional. Their music is straight out of the hymnal with no more than two instruments (piano and organ). Change is hard. Today faithful churches abound with strong believers.

Being a fruitful church is about reaching people. It is looking at a lost world and weeping. It is seeing un-churched, disenfranchised believers and being burdened to get them back into church where they belong. Fruitful churches tend to be culturally relevant and exciting. They have programs that attract people, they have teaching that addresses modern concerns, they have music that is hip, they have coffee shops, and the list goes on. It’s a pretty cool place to go on Sunday morning. Today fruitful churches are bursting at the seams.

Here’s the rub: fruitful “only” churches grow a large crowd of shallow believers while faithful “only” churches grow a small people who really know their Bibles. Here’s my question: why can’t we have both? What is inherently wrong with having a church that is faithful to teach the whole counsel of God’s Word and a church that is culturally engaged in the world? I believe to be tied to the model of either one of these types of church is wrong.

I don’t want Calvary Church to slip into shoddy teaching because we are trying to “reach the crowd.” But I also shudder to think that we will become a church that thinks it is obeying God’s Word while ignoring those who are looking for answers to the struggles they are having in life. Honestly a church that thinks it is being true to the Bible without engaging the world is deceiving itself.

Grace & Peace,