Is 10 per cent impossible?

The virtual mid-point of our 10-year Diocesan Mission program prompts us to ask again why we have chosen the figure of 10 per cent in our plans to reach the population of our region in a decade.

First, it is impossible. Such a growth rate of churches in a liberal secular society would be unheard of. The 10 per cent in 10 years is a constant reminder to us that only God could do such a thing. That is why the first policy of the Mission is to pray and to preach the word and to give ourselves in sacrificial compassion for the lost. If we thought that the 10 per cent target was equivalent to business strategy, we would fool ourselves into thinking that we are in charge, not God.

That is why I remain comfortable with our aim. God is sovereign, not us, and he will bless our efforts as he sees fit. We must make sure that our motives and our methods honour God and do not express human pride and self-sufficiency. It is still a worthwhile goal, not least because it lifts our prayers.

Second, the 10 per cent goal makes us face the reality of how little impact we have as yet made for the gospel in our society. Churches are prominent still, and many still wish to be known as Christians, but the truth of the matter is that the actual number of church-going persons in the community – and especially Protestants – is small, perhaps as low as two per cent.  That is why when we passed the motion about this in Synod the goal was changed to make 10 per cent the initial goal.

Talk like this is a vivid way of reminding a sleepy church that if we wish to fulfil the Lord’s mandate to ‘all the world’, we have a long way to go. Furthermore, 10 per cent would actually constitute an important number for making real inroads into the community. This figure would mean that most people would know a church-going Christian. Since evangelism is best done through relationships, we would have a real chance of making Christ known everywhere.

Third, the ten percent figure acts as a challenge to the local church to move from a model of growth to a model of outreach. Growth is fine. But our steady growth can deceive us into thinking that we are grappling with the reality of the community around us. When we look out to the community and ask about 10 per cent, we recognise the real effort which evangelism calls upon us to make. The results already have been the starting up of new ministries and churches as people have begun to think beyond church into community. Talk of 10 per cent is merely a vivid way of saying that our churches have a responsibility to the community of which they are a part.

The ten years is also important. Most Christians and Christian ministers are busy people. It is not a matter of challenging laziness, but of helping us to sort through priorities. We can easily let day succeed day as we do important and satisfying things, but never force ourselves to look beyond the immediate to the big picture. The 10 years is designed to give a sense of urgency to what we are doing.

I sometimes hear of negative views of the 10 percent figure, almost as though people are willing us to fail so that they can make the usual ‘I told you so’ remark. To me this just indicates that they have not understood what is being said. If instead of using 10 per cent we had said that ‘we wish to engage in a dedicated, decade-long evangelistic effort, under God, which will not simply grow existing churches but create multiple new ones and penetrate the community in such a way that everyone will know at least one church-going Christian who can share the gospel,’ I suspect that there would be fewer doubters. But I am not sure that it would have created the same sense of focus and interest. And yet we are saying the same thing in talking 10 per cent in 10 years.

For myself I remain completely unabashed by the appeal to this figure and this time frame. It helps keep me motivated and it helps me prioritise. Do I think that God will bless our efforts? That is up to him and I trust him entirely for what he will do. What I think he will not do is bless our non-efforts. Why not use the figure of ten percent in ten years to think hard about your own evangelistic responsibilities? If it does not grab you, why not join me for the next five years in seeking so to make Christ known in the community that everyone will know at least one church-going Christian who can share the gospel – should God be pleased to bless us in this endeavour.  Agree to that and I will not personally trouble you about percentages!

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