Download or read book Growing the Church written by Gary Vickery and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-05-03 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My mother made sure that all of us were in church on Sunday and that we went to all the Revivals and to vacation Bible schools every summer, and after I was married, I continued that practice with my family. In the '50s–'60s and part of the '70s, all churches were always full with people, sometimes having to stand up in the back. But then near the end of the '70s, I noticed a decline in church attendance and fewer people were being baptized, and this has continued to be a trend today. I noticed this, and I'm sure others have also, and yet nothing was done. I decided to start writing down my ideas about this several years ago, and I kept them in a notebook. After I retired, I had more time, so I decided to put together a plan to not only stop this but also to turn it around; and long before I wrote this book, I put this plan into action. The first church had between fifty and sixty people when this started, and in just about three years, this church had grown to almost three hundred members. So I tried it again with another church in another state, and basically the same thing happened. So being retired, I decided to put this plan together in a book that has taken me almost ten years to implement and write. It does work; however, you just can't wish it to happen. It takes work and work from everyone, but if we are to follow Christ's commandments, it should be a work that is enjoyable and a blessing both for you and to the souls you win, and the blessings will continue as you watch your church grow. May God bless you in your endeavor. Don't give up.