Reality Check

It is always good to do a reality check!   A reality check is when you recognize the truth about a situation, especially about the difficulties involved in something you want to achieve.   From time to time it is good to personally do a reality check; it is also good to do that as a church (and as churches).

In the lead up to the CRCA Triennial Synod in May 2021 I put our denomination through a reality check.   In my role with Ministry Formation, this is what I am tasked to do.  When it comes to the CRCA missional vision and related strategies in the fourfold task, we stress the importance of showing "particular successes and failures and the causes thereof."  (ALIGN)   In my blog last week (Calling?) I detailed a reality check on our TRAIN strategy to multiply the number of well-trained leaders.   In this blog I want to do a reality check on our GROW strategy to "by God’s grace, expand numerically, become the mother-churches of as many fellowships and congregations as possible."  

So here is the reality check:  are we expanding numerically as churches?   Some churches have seen remarkable growth in numbers.   A prime example is Grace CRC (WA). They have grown from 80 members in 2009 to 453 in 2015 and in 2020 they number 425. This is an increase of 32% per year.  But Grace in an exception.   When we look at the top five churches that have seen consistent percentage growth (10% or more) over the years between 2006-20, the other churches are church plants:(Pakenham (VIC), Wilson(WA), Hope Baldivis(WA), Forrestdale(WA), and Summerleas(TAS).   Several other churches have seen growth in actual numbers from 2006-2020: Bray Park, QLD (119), Christian Chinese, VIC (97) and South Barwon, VIC (71).   Some churches that have been in decline, are now rebounding with growth.   A good example of this is the New Life CC (Blacktown, NSW) which was in steady decline from 2007(324) till 2012(203).  Since then they have seen consistent growth of around 5.5% annually to 289 members in 2020.

We praise God for each and every person represented by these growing numbers. These men, women, and children who are counted are part of God’s family in our churches. Some are migrants who have decided to join us in God’s mission here in Australia. Some are neighbours and co-workers who have been invited into our congregations. Some are those who once were lost but now are found and being discipled in our churches. Some are children born into our covenant families.  There is much to be thankful for and to God be all the glory.

While a few of our churches are consistently growing, this is not the story for our denomination as a whole. By way of summary, from 2006 – 2020 whilst we have grown from 47 -57 churches, we have declined in overall membership from 8576 to 7601. We also have seen our churches shrink in size, from an average of 182 members to 133.  While 21 out of 59 (36%) of our churches showed growth, there is a general decline in membership across most congregations.   NSW has shown the highest decline in number (434) while SA has the highest decline (51%) as a percentage.  While all states showed a decline in membership,  WA shows an increase in membership from 1,088 in 2006 to 1,326 in 2020.  The majority of the growth in WA has come from the exceptional growth of Grace CRC.

Some of this decline can be accounted by the closure of a number of our churches, including The Vine(TAS), Kalgoorlie(WA), Hawkesbury(NSW), Perth(WA), and most recently, the HUB (VIC).  We also have seen huge decline in some of our larger churches: Kingston(TAS) stands out by how much it declined. It went from 669 in 2006 to 333 in 2020.   Willetton (WA) saw a decline of 234, Hill Street (SA) a decline of 133, and Box Hill (VIC) a decline of 115.  While Bray Park (QLD) saw amazing growth from 2006 to 2012, growing from 329 to 634 over that period, they declined from 2013 from 634 to 448 in 2020. Take these six churches mentioned above and this accounts for 998 people of the overall decline in the CRCA.  From 2006 – 2020 the CRCA declined in number by 975.

Church plants that have started in the CRCA since 2006 represent a significant segment of the overall membership in our churches. Over 600 people are now part of these churches.  Church planting remains a clear objective in the CRCA.   While we have encouraged the planting of new churches, we also need to realise that the planting of new churches does not necessarily result in overall denominational growth.   This would take a simplistic view of church planting.   When you add up the  number of people in the mother church and the church plant(s), the reality is an overall decline in numbers.

This is the truth about the situation of the CRCA in Australia, its successes and failures when it come to expanding numerically.   We have seen a number of churches planted, over a third of our churches are expanding numerically, and it is so encouraging to see declining churches take a U-turn to vitality and growth.   The facts also show that if churches engage in church health initiatives, there is a corresponding increase in numerical growth.   But there much yet to do!   This is not a time for us a Christians and churches to "shrink back" (Hebrews 10:39).   Rather this is a time for us to "encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25) to become all that God has called us to be as churches:  reaching the lost for Christ, multiplying disciples and gospel workers, growing healthy churches, and reaching out and embodying the good news of God's kingdom in our neighbourhoods and to the ends of the earth.   This is the time for us to "serve shoulder to shoulder" (Zephaniah 3:9) in being salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-16).  That too is a reality check!