I was encouraged on this subject by a recent Pastor's Toolbox article by Rick Warren. Here is what Rick said:
FORGET CHURCH GROWTH, AIM FOR CHURCH HEALTH
Church health is the
key to church growth. All living things grow if they’re healthy. You don’t have
to make them grow – it’s just natural for living organisms. As a parent, I
didn’t have to force my three children to grow. They naturally grew up. As long
as I removed the hindrances, such as poor nutrition or an unsafe environment,
their growth was automatic.
If my children had not grown up, something
would have been terribly wrong. I would have done whatever it took to discover
the disease and correct it. I wouldn’t have remained passive, spouting clichés
about faithfulness, or wanting “quality not quantity” in my children.
Rick Warren, Pastor's Toolbox, May 8, 2013