A Theology of Growth

Part of my travels last week involved a five-day think-tank experience with InterVarsity nationally thinking about how individual IV chapters on campuses grow.

In some parts of Christianity, "growth" is the goal--bigger and better is what it's all about. In InterVarsity culture, on the other hand, there has historically been skepticism surrounding growth.

We have over 750 chapters across the nation. Of those 750 chapters, 355 of them are smaller than 30. Some of those are un-staffed chapters. But many of them have IV staff that are either content with a smaller community or have no idea what to do to help grow their community.

One critical piece that we kept coming back to was that we needed a healthy, Biblical foundation for thinking well about growth. We need a theology of growth especially since in IV circles we're well aware that there are bad reasons to pursue growth (self-aggrandizement, for example).

But there are also good reasons, deeply Biblical reasons to pursue growth. It starts with the call of Abraham--look at the stars and count! That's how many your offspring will be! And it continues throughout the Old Testament and the prophetic tradition that calls Israel to be a light to all the surrounding nations. Jesus, of course, picks this up as well: a crop that bears fruit 60, 80, 100 times; the kingdom of heaven is like a tree where all the birds of the air find rest.

Healthy things grow. Growth in and of itself is not an indicator of health (see Joel Osteen). But the absence of growth is a good indicator that something is not functioning as vibrantly and Biblically as it could...or should.