Subtle Barriers to Church Growth

“The greatest fear in the world is the opinion of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion.”
Osho

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
Amelia Earhart

“Action is the foundational key to all success.”
Pablo Picasso

“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Daniel Boorstin

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”
William Faulkner

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
John A. Shedd

In our last blog, In the Name of Effectiveness: A Church Out of Breath, we explored the illusion of busyness and its impact on our sense of effectiveness. We discussed how the frantic pace of activity can mask true productivity, leaving us feeling spent but spiritually stagnant. But busyness is only one side of the issue. Just as the frenzy of activity can keep us from genuine growth, there is another, quieter problem that can hold us back: subtle barriers that operate beneath the surface. These obstacles —though less obvious—can be just as significant, quietly stifling the church’s potential to thrive. As we dive deeper into the discussion, we must see these two dynamics together. While busyness gives the appearance of life but lacks depth, stagnation often hides behind comfort and routine. They represent two sides of the same coin, both obstructing true growth but in different ways. Perhaps you have heard it before, maybe too often: “God builds the church.” A convenient phrase, is it not? Whenever a congregation is not growing, the usual fallback is: “Well, it is not really up to us, is it?” And sure, there is truth to that. No amount of programs or marketing tricks can replace the sovereignty of God. But something about that phrase feels like a shrug, does it not? Like we are off the hook. But are we? I cannot shake the feeling that we might be hiding behind the idea. It is an excuse that masks something deeper, something we do not want to admit. Maybe the truth is that we are the ones standing in the way, not God. Maybe He is waiting for us to step out of the way.

The Misunderstood Promise
Sometimes, I think we need to stop saying “God builds the church” as if it absolves us of responsibility. Jesus tells Peter in Matthew 16:18 (ESV), “...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is a statement of divine certainty, yes, but it is also wrapped up in human participation. Jesus was speaking in response to Peter’s confession of faith and the Church is built on Christ’s identity and mission. But, the Church was never intended to grow apart from the people who form its body. Somehow, the phrase “God builds the church” has come to mean “do nothing and wait.” That is not what the early church did. Look at the believers in Acts 2. There is no mention of anyone sitting around waiting for God to add to their number. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and prayer—and then God added to their number. There is a pattern here that we cannot ignore: their faithfulness and the work of obedience came first God’s increase came second. If a local church is not growing, it is worth asking if something has gone wrong on our end.

We Bury What We Fear
One of the biggest reasons for this problem is fear, but not in the ways we might think. It is not always fear of God or fear of the world outside—it is the quieter fear of losing control. We hold on to our routines, our ways of doing things, and our traditions, because they are familiar. The moment we step out of them, things get uncomfortable. Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. What did the servant with one talent do? He buried it. Not because he was lazy, but because he was afraid. He did not want to risk losing what he had been given, so he thought the best way to protect it was to do nothing with it at all. That is how fear works. It convinces us that the safest option is inaction. How many churches bury their “talents”? We cling to what we know, fearful of stepping out in faith because we might lose something—members, finances, approval. So we settle. The music stays the same. The sermons do not challenge us. The outreach events feel like they are on repeat. We bury what God has entrusted to us, thinking we are being cautious when we are being faithless. The church in Laodicea found itself in a similar place, and Jesus’ words to them in Revelation 3:15-17 are not the kind of words we like to hear: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” Lukewarmness is what happens when we play it safe. It is the spiritual equivalent of that servant who buried his talent. We can look like we are doing all the right things, but if we are not moving, if we are not growing, we have buried something. Maybe it is passion. Maybe it is vision. Maybe it is courage. But whatever it is, it is buried deep, and until we dig it up, the church will remain stuck.

Division or Distraction?
Another reason churches find themselves stagnant is division. But division is not always loud. Sure, sometimes it looks like full-on disagreements and splits, but often it is quieter than that—just a slow drifting apart. The early church was not immune to it, either. Paul calls out the Corinthians for this exact issue. In 1 Corinthians 3:3 (ESV), he says, “For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” Division stunts growth. That is obvious, but it is not always the visible arguments that do the most damage. Sometimes, division looks like people building their own little kingdoms within the church. It does not take much for a church to start breaking apart at the seams. And while we are busy fighting, whether openly or quietly, growth never gets a chance to take root. But sometimes, the issue is not even division, it is distraction. Churches that are too busy with the wrong things can miss out on growth entirely. It is easy to lose focus because we find ourselves consumed with the details, the logistics, the programs, all the while forgetting why we are doing any of it in the first place. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being obsessed with the minutiae, saying, “Woe to you... For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (ESV). How often do we focus on minor things—protocols, procedures, paperwork, programs—and lose sight of the mission? It is not that things do not matter; they do. But when they become the main thing, the church cannot grow in any meaningful way. Are all these things real growth, or are we just getting busier?

The Comfort of Stagnation
Maybe the most dangerous hindrance to growth is comfort. Not the kind of comfort that makes life easier, but the kind that makes us complacent. A church that is comfortable in its rhythm where there is no major conflict, no massive issues, but no real movement either. It is just... there. In Hebrews 12:1, we are reminded to “lay aside every weight...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (ESV). Notice it does not say to throw off only the sin that entangles, but the “weights” too. These are the things that are not necessarily wrong in themselves but slow us down all the same. Comfort can be a weight, a subtle one. It is the weight of tradition, of routine, of “the way I like doing things.” Churches can get so comfortable in their rhythms that they stop moving forward altogether. And once we are comfortable, we resist anything that threatens to disrupt it.

Are We Willing to Move?
So what do we do? Maybe it starts with admitting that growth, real growth, is disruptive. It is risky and forces us to change, to step into uncomfortable places, to deal with parts of ourselves and our church that we would rather not touch. It is easier to stay comfortable and to keep things running as they are, but comfort does not produce life. God does build His church. That is undeniable. But the part we so often leave out is that He builds it through people. Flawed, fearful, stumbling people like us. And sometimes, we are the ones who get in the way. Growth requires something of us. It always has. It is never just going to happen while we sit on the sidelines, waiting for God to “make it happen.” If we are not willing to move, if we are not willing to risk, if we are not willing to change, then maybe the reason the church is not growing is us. And maybe it is time we stop pretending otherwise.

Dear reader, where do you find yourself in this journey of contributing to the growth of your church? Perhaps you are a committed leader, yet you find yourself caught in the trap of procedural minutiae or comfortable routines. Or maybe you are a dedicated believer, but distractions and personal preferences are taking precedence over the mission at hand. Wherever you are, remember this: contributing to the vitality of the Church is not about reaching perfection but about a continual process of engagement and realignment. It means examining our roles and responsibilities with honesty, and actively removing the barriers, whether they be procedural, traditional, or personal, that hinder true growth. The call to build the Church is not a passive waiting but an active, diligent pursuit. Let us reassess our priorities, shed the weight of distractions, and engage fully in the mission God has entrusted to us. Embrace this calling with renewed energy and faith, knowing that as we commit ourselves to the work, God will faithfully bring about the increase. For in our faithful labor, His promise stands: the gates of hell shall not prevail.