Through the ages, God revealed Himself to man in the movement of history.

Even His Supreme

Revelation, Jesus Christ, did not break into the world with a legion of angels, but was born in a
stable background in the obscure Judean village of Bethlehem. This unfathomed revelation of
God grew and became the greatest controller of man and materials, physically and spiritually.
The servants of God who have taught the Good News of Jesus Christ (The Supreme Revelation
of God) and the Kingdom of God, through the years, have come to realize that there are greater
sociological and economic forces than themselves that are at work in spreading the gospel. For
this reason, many have begun to seek the strategy of God as He brings the world into
reconciliation with Himselt and to search for their role in this strategy.
In order to help discover God's strategy for any one particular area/purpose, a new discipline has
ariseen in the field of Sociology. This is the Study of Church Growth.

Church Growth began with the publication of Donald McGavrans book, "The Bridges of God",
in 1965. McGavran was a third generation Christian Missionary to ndia, where his observations
on "How Churches Grow'" went beyond typical theological discussion to discern sociological
and economic factors that affected receptivity to the Christian Gospel among non-Christians.
Today, people tend towards Rick Warren's conviction that anybody can be won to Chrıst it you
can discover the key to his or her heart. Warren agreed that it may take some time to identify the
key to someone's heart, but asserted that the most likely place to start is with the person's "felt
needs."

CHURCH GROWTH
Church Growth has been defined by McGavran (1965) as a Movement within Evangelical
Christianity which emphasizes missionary work and spiritual development combined with
sociological, economical and political awareness of the target population." Since the advent of
the modern church growth movement by Donald McGavran, which dates back to the 1950s,
Pastors and local churches have been under massive pressure to do something to facilitate church
growth. Nevertheless, in spite of the numerous years and economical, social and physical
resources committed to the training of thousands of pastors, weekly church attendance in most
orthodox churches has not risen in terms of the percentage of the population. This has also
affected the capacities of these churches to generate revenue. Most of these churches have
become very unable to garner the necessary income required for their expansion. This is because
they cannot fit in comfortably or rather accommodate the prevailing and incessant increases in
the price index. Church Growth advocates have been citing the figure that about 80% of
Orthodox churches and other churches that share the same features in terms of leadership and
worship style with orthodox churches are declining or have been in a state of plateau/stagnation.
Since the Church Growth Movement has yet to reverse the trends, another way of interpreting
this development is to say that if we accept the definition of the Church Growth Movement, 80%
of all those going into the ministry are failing.
The Reverend Paul Lebens-Englend, in his "Stories of Mission a Ministry from Vital Small
Congregations", said "Holy Trinity is rich with history, but it is the future that is on members'
minds these days.
The Small Church is charting a new course after over 200 years working hard to reconnect with
the neighborhood, exploring some new worship forms and offering hospitality to everyone who
comes their way. Therefore, an assessment of both the internal and extenal components of the
church becomes one of the laudable strategies for Church Growth. Many congregations may be
surprised to find from this kind of approach, great talents and abilities within their churches that
are yet untapped. For example, gifts for ministry, worship yet leadership and administration, etc.
Others may find that they lack these things they may need. So the best way to proceed with an
internal assessment is to focus on what you have as assets rather than what is lacking. At the
same time, that internal assessment is taking place, someone needs to be assessing the
"environment" where the church is located. Who are the people in your neighbourhood? Very
often we do not know. Are they elderly, young, renters or landlords or homeowners, and what
are their needs, hopes, dreams and challenges?

Whatever efforts that are being made for church growth, the majority of the members of
churches that are witnessing a decline or have been in the state of plateau over the years believe
that if the local churches are not growing while the communities in which they are located are
growing, that this is a sign that the situation is unhealthy and that their leaders are failing.

Role

According to Adam Augustyn in Encyclopedia Britannica, role is the behaviour expected of an

individual who occupies a given position or status. A role is a comprehensive pattern of
behaviour that is socially recognized, providing a means of identifying and placing an individual
in a society. It also serves as a strategy for coping with recurrent situations and dealing with the
roles of others. A role remains relatively stable even though different people occupy the position:
any individual assigned a role is expected to behave in a particular way. An individual may have
a unique style, but this is exhibited within the boundaries of the expected behaviour.
Role expectations include both actions and qualities: but is expected also to be dedicated,
concerned, honest, and responsible.

Role theory is an often-used explanatory framework for the benefits of volunteering and helping
others for health and well-being. Role theory has its origin in the work of the American
sociologist Robert Merton (Merton, 1957). Roles refer to the social position people have and
behavior associated with that position. Roles tend to carry certain risks and benefits which may
vary by individual characteristics, historical time, and cultural context. Roles can provide
connection to other people and access to resources, which in turn may promote feelings of
security, status enhancement, and ego gratification. Roles also provide directions for behavior in
otherwise uncertain situations (Hogg, 2000), which may serve to reduce stress and improve well-
being. People often fulfill a set of roles at the same time, and this set may change over the life
course (Riley and Riley, 1994).

Definition of Role
(noun) A position containing a set of socially defined attributes and expectations that determine
appropriate behavior for an individual or group based on their status in relation to other people or
groups.

A person who is assigned to the position of clergyman (or who elects to be placed in such a
position in the social structure) is similarly expected to enact the role of clergyman characterized
by certain typical actions and qualities.

Role expectations may be viewed as actions or qualities expected of the occupant of a position. If
viewed as actions, role expectations are codified as in a job description: the occupant is expected,
for instance, to call the roll, open the windows, secure the doors. If viewed as qualities, role
expectations are codified in adjectival terms; for example, the occupant is expected to be warm,
friendly, outgoing, sincere, and cautious.

A role is, as Ogburn and Nimkoff say, “a set of socially expected and approved behavior
patterns, consisting of both duties and privileges associated with a particular position in a group.”
Role is “the behavioural enacting of the patterned expectations attributed to that position,” In
role performance, the emphasis is on quality. One’s role as a father implies a more specific and
particular manner of performance.

Roles are allocated according to the positions (called status) people occupy in the social system.
Each status has its own set of role requirements. Social groups operates harmoniously and
effectively to the extent that performance conform to the role requirements. Role is
sociologically important because it demonstrates how individual activity is socially determined
and thus follows a regular patterns.