Clarksville, TN - Grace Community Church

Looking at numbers and attendance in church is not always a bad thing.  In the seven years that I have been in ministry, I have served at numerous churches that always preface their attendance talk with, "Now, it's not all about numbers, but we had x number of people this weekend.  I have even served on the staff of several churches that publish their weekly attendance numbers in their informational pamphlet (bulletin, order or worship, whatever you want to call it.)  In most churches that I have worked with or heard talk of, they always feel like they have to apologize for talking about numbers, as if Scripture wouldn't want leaders in churches to talk numbers.  

But, numbers and attendance in themselves aren't always a bad thing.  Even the Bible classifies crowds, groups, attendance in numbers.  Think about the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 where the Bible clearly states about 3,000 people became followers of Jesus.  Earlier in Jesus' ministry, he performs a well known miracle.  The feeding of the multitude, where he took 5 loaves and 2 fish, and fed "about 5,000 men, besides women and children." (Matthew 14:13-21).  Or think of the group of guys known as Jesus' disciples.  There were 12.  

I think the problem that comes when we talk numbers in church is when we pridefully take credit for the number of people who gather with us to worship.  You see, when numbers are used for our glory, our fame, and to make us look good, it's missing it.  

For college ministry, numbers of college age students show the movement of Jesus on the campus of APSU.  These numbers are proof that what is happening is so much bigger than me, so much bigger than Grace Community Church and so much bigger than APSU.  These numbers prove that God is doing something that only He can do.  I can tell you that the first year of college ministry at Grace Community Church has been UH-MAZING!!!

 We have started 9 new community groups where college students from all across the state and all across the country get together to dive headfirst into the Bible, passionately asking what it looks like for them to be a follower of Jesus on campus.  We have seen over 80 gather at our once a month college worship nights.  I pull out numbers to say that God is at work in the life of college students in Clarksville.  If you know me, you know I am totally not capable of pulling off something like this.  You know and can see that God is doing amazing things at Austin Peay.

There is a movement of followers of Jesus at APSU. Don't believe me?  Check out some of these students who are living radically for Jesus, running with reckless abandon toward Him.