Wearing many
hats
typically
come easy to
a minister.
Such is the
case with
Ray Baumann.
Youth
Pastor,
Associate
Pastor,
Coach,
Husband, and
Father, Ray
wears them
all, while
continually
trying on
more. Ray is
a former
emergent,
postmodern
relevant,
purpose-driven
church
growth
thinker that
God has
dramatically
transformed.
Currently
serving as
Associate
Pastor at
First
Assembly of
God in
Belleville,
IL, Ray is a
10-year
youth
ministry
veteran
turned
family
pastor.
While he
spent the
first eight
years of his
ministry
focused on
growing the
church, Ray
has recently
changed his
focus to
growing the
believer.
Coupled with
a passion
for speaking
on youth
culture and
church
issues, Ray
enjoys
coaching and
training
high school
soccer
players at
Belleville
East High
School year
round.
Juggling
ministry,
coaching,
and family
isn’t always
easy, but
Ray’s easy
going
personality,
quick wit,
and his
desire to
disciple
students are
truly
God-given
gifts, gifts
that God has
used to
bless Ray in
both his
ministry and
his family.
Ray and his
wife Kristi
have four
children and
have taken
on the
challenge of
working to
home school
their
children,
all the
while
teaching
them of the
importance
of leading
Christ
centered
lives.
Their
active,
lively
household is
located in
Shiloh, IL.
Church Growth
Hormone - a
Biblically Banned
Substance
by Ray Baumann
I used to be a
Church Growth
Hormone addict. For
my first eight years
in the ministry, I
was on a daily diet
of books and videos
centered around the
latest church fads
and trends that
focused on church
growth. I was on the
cutting edge of
ministry thinking,
learning more and
more about marketing
and the psychology
of connecting
people. I believed
that numbers equaled
success, even if
that meant changing
the name of the
church, offering
self-help programs,
or implementing any
other sort of method
I thought would help
to boost the
numbers.
Like many pastors, I
could be compared to
a professional
athlete when it
comes to how we view
success and how we
perceive we are
valued. For an
athlete, the math is
pretty simple; if
you score goals, hit
home runs, and nail
the three point
shot, its all about
the numbers. The
more successful you
are in making the
score, in essence,
hitting your
numbers, the greater
your worth. For
pastors, it’s the
number of people
that are sitting in
the seats that seems
to be the measure of
success. This is
something, however
misguided it may be,
that we all strive
to obtain. Now, more
than ever before,
there are numerous
books that place
emphasis on the
subject of church
growth and there
seems to be a
greater desire to be
a mega church. This
desire then
facilitates the
thought pattern of,
“If I grow the
church, I’m doing
more for God than
the next guy.”
What we have seen in
recent news is that
many professional
athletes have been
taking illegal
substances to build
muscle and strength
to improve their
performance. These
players will do
whatever it takes to
bump up the numbers
that they think give
them value. To these
players, the end
result justifies the
means no matter what
the side effects.
Pastors around the
world have come to
believe that church
growth equals
success. Thousands
have attended
conference after
conference, read
book after book, and
are even listening
to audio messages
regarding church
growth. Just like
the professional
athlete on steroids,
pastors have been
caught taking Church
Growth Hormones for
growth’s sake. Many
have seen the fast,
“successful” results
and have signed on,
thus endorsing this
dangerous pill. They
have improved their
performances on
Sundays and
Wednesdays to
attract people. The
Church Growth
Hormone contains
some very ugly
ingredients. Let’s
take a look.
The ingredients are
as follows: man-centered
theology, relevant
messages that solve
people’s problems by
meeting their needs,
events and programs
that reach out to
the community, and
music that is
contemporary and
entertaining. For
best results, remove
pews, dress casual,
and install a 5000
lumen projector. If
taken weekly and if
you follow a
regimented marketing
strategy, you are
guaranteed growth.
The side effects may
include unbelievers
in leadership, false
converts,
uncommitted members,
and shallow minds.
On my own, there is
no way that I could
see the damaging
effects of what I
was participating
in. To top it off, I
was encouraged in
this sin by many
people. If anyone
asked how the church
was doing, what they
really wanted to
know was how our
attendance numbers
were, not how God
was working or what
He was doing in our
congregation. My
world view was
filled with garbage
and I was blinded.
My flesh was in
constant need to be
validated, which was
coming directly from
numbers and growth
instead of how God
was moving. That’s
right, I said flesh,
and this was my
first problem. It
was all about me.
When I took me out
of the equation, my
sight started
becoming clearer.
The Word had to
become my number one
reference for all
things.
After some study, I
actually began to be
discerning. Those
many books that I
owned went right
into the trash and I
learned how to
inductively study
the Bible. When it
came down to it,
Jesus basically
rewrote the hard
drive of my mind.
Steering away from a
numbers-driven
thought process,
growing the church
was no longer my
focus. Now my focus
is about training
the believer.
"There is a way that
seemeth right unto a
man, but the end
thereof are the ways
of death."
– Proverbs 16:25
