Our Church Growth Creed

We believe the Church of Christ is ordained for continuous and unending growth. As it is written, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That is, the gates of hell shall not be to stop it from advancing/growing until the end of time. Matthew 16:18/ Proverbs 4:18.

However, by wisdom, a house is built, and by understanding it is established—Proverbs 24:3-4.

Therefore, wisdom is key to sustaining the growth of the church, as indicated severally in the early church. Divinely inspired strategies are crucial to sustaining church growth.

As it is written: And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Acts 16:4-5.

From the above scripture, we see the amazing effect of the Church Growth Policy of the early church, and so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily. It is obvious from the outcome that the decrees referred to were Church Growth Decrees. The apostles reasoned out well-defined strategies in the Holy Ghost, and the church continued to erupt in growth.

Over the years, and by the grace of God, the Living Faith Church, a.k.a Winners’ Chapel International, has been recording some amazing dimensions of growth, as driven by certain biblical concepts. It is these concepts that we have put together as our Church Growth Creed as follows:

We Believe in Soul Winning:

We believe that soul winning is a Divine Mandate for all believers, and it is most profitable to personally engage in it – John 15:1-2, 4:35-36.

We believe that every member of the body of Christ has a part to play in the growth of the local church – Ephesians 4:16.

We believe that passion for souls stirs the zeal for soul winning – Romans 9:1-3.

We believe that a godly lifestyle is a requirement for effective soul winning – John 15:1-4.

We believe that God is glorified when we bear much fruit and most profitably when our fruits abide – John 15:8, 16.

We believe that God expects us to bear fruit annually, that is, making Yearly returns on harvest of souls – Luke 13:6-9.

We believe multitudes are still in the ‘Valley of Decision’ around every believer, longing for rescue – Joel 3:14.

We believe the field is white unto harvest all around us – John. 4:34-35

We believe that the breakthrough testimonies of the saints are a vital force for drawing multitudes into the kingdom – Zechariah 8:20-23.

We believe the Holy Ghost in bringing in the harvest – Matthew 9:36-38; Acts 2:1-3, 37-41, 4:4, 5:14, 6:1-7, 13:44.

We believe that the wind from the Lord, which is the Holy Spirit, is still in the business of drafting multitudes into the kingdom today – Numbers 11:31; Acts 2:1-3.

We believe that when the Holy Spirit hisses or sounds, great harvest results – Isaiah 5:26; Acts 2:2.

We believe the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts sinners unto repentance – John 16:9-11; Acts 2:37.

We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit through prayers for the salvation of souls – Acts 2:37-38; Psalm 2:8; Romans 8:26-27.

We believe in engaging the Holy Ghost through prayers for utterance in soul winning – Matthew 10:19-20; Colossians 4:2-4.

We believe that the Holy Spirit can destroy all hindrances standing against the salvation of every soul we reach out to – Isaiah 59:19; Acts 13:9-12.

We believe in the ministry of signs and wonders in drawing multitudes to Christ –John 4:48; Acts 9:31-35.

We believe in the Prayer and Fasting for the harvest of souls into the kingdom – Ps. 2:8/ Ezek. 36:37

We believe in prayer and fasting for the harvest of souls into the kingdom – Psalm 2:8; Ezekiel 36:37.

We believe that praying for the salvation of souls is every believer’s responsibility with attendant benefits – John 15:16, 4:35-36; Ephesians 6:8.

We believe that going through the labour room of prayer is a requirement for birthing souls into the kingdom – Isaiah 66:7-8; Galatians 4:19.

We believe in prayer and fasting as a vital spiritual force for boosting church growth – Matthew 16:18, 17:21.

We believe in targeting specific individuals and families in prayers for the salvation of their souls – Acts 16:30-31.

We believe that praying in the Holy Ghost enhances the effectiveness of our prayers for the salvation of souls – Romans 8:26-27; 1Corinthians 14:15.

We believe that praying for the lost commits God’s integrity to save them because it is His will that all men should be saved – Psalm 89:34; 2 Peter 3:9.

We believe that praying for breakthroughs one for another is one of the ways to draw many to Christ – Ephesians 6:18; Zechariah 8:20-23.

We believe that the more we pray for others, the more answers we get to our own prayers – Matthew 6:5-6; Colossians 4:12.

We believe that making disciples of men is the most effective way to commanding healthy church growth – Matthew 28:19-20.

We believe that when it becomes our meat to do His will and finish His works in reaching out to the lost like Christ, discipling men and women for the kingdom will become a way of life – John 4:31-34

We believe that every Christian must strive to be an example of believers in order to be effective in discipling men for Christ – 1 Timothy 4:12.

We believe that teaching the principles of the Scripture is the most effective way to make disciples of men – Acts 10:41-44, 2:41-42.

We believe no one ever lacks what he shares; we only lack what we keep – Proverbs 11:24-25; Acts 20:35

We believe that the more we sow/share the Word, the more we flow in revelation – 1 Peter 1:23; Galatians 6:7-8

We believe that every believer owes God at least ONE ‘properly-discipled’ and ‘church-established’ soul every year. However, there is no limit to how many souls one can disciple in a year because, ‘He that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully’, ‘Everyone shall be rewarded according to his own labour’ – Luke 13:6-9; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; 1 Corinthians 3:8.

We believe in the ministry of Angels as reapers of the end time harvest – Matt. 13:39

We believe that Angels are still involved today in mobilizing men and women for salvation – Acts 10:1-6

We believe that we can engage the ministry of Angels for soul winning through prayers – Matt. 26:52-53

We believe that the body of Christ is in the era of Supernatural Church Growth – Isa. 2:1-3 / Acts 2:16-17

We believe that continuous outreach is a vital tool for sustainable church growth – Luke 14:17-23; John 15:16.

We believe in compelling people, through prayers and demonstration of love, to come into the kingdom of God – Jude 23; Luke 14:23.

We believe in strategic outreaches for effective ingathering of souls into the kingdom – Proverbs 11:30.

We believe in the ‘Andrew Principle’ where every believer brings someone to church, and through the power of the Word, they get saved – John 6:37; Obadiah 1:17.

We believe that setting a Sunday apart every month as Operation Andrew Sunday will enhance the focus of members in the pursuit of this strategic soul winning outreach. In light of this, the third Sunday of every month has been set aside in all our churches worldwide as “Operation Andrew Sunday”, where every member shall be expected to prayerfully come along to church with an invitee, especially an unbeliever, a backslidden Christian or a challenged believer that requires divine intervention – John 1:35-42; Act 6:7.

We believe that no local church can experience real growth without the head pastor having a vision and passion for church growth – John 2:17, 4:34.

We believe that the passion for the souls of the shepherd will naturally impact the membership – Hosea 4:9.

We believe that every shepherd must pray and trust God in the pursuit of all church growth endeavours – Ecclesiastes 10:10; Proverbs 21:22.

We believe that the shepherd must provide effective leadership in driving the church growth agenda of the local church – Judges 7:17; Philippians 3:17.

We believe that there is a coin in the mouth of every fish caught – Matt. 17:27

The blessings that accrue include the following among others:
Divine Health (Pro. 13:17/ 2Cor. 5:20)
Divine Protection (Lk. 10:19)
Divine Wisdom (Pro. 11:30/ Dan. 12:3)
Divine Preservation (Lk. 13:6-9/ Jn. 15:2)
Express answers to prayers (Jn. 15:16)
Supernatural Breakthrough (Lk. 5:1-7)
Supernatural Supplies (Jn. 4:36/ Luk. 22:35)
A Crown of Righteousness (2Tim. 4:8) etc, etc.