When I go to a restaurant, I don’t want my server to be slammed with tables. It prevents me from getting refills. But the restaurant owner, wants every table in the house filled, with a waiting list to boot.
When I hire a consultant, I don’t want him to have 35 other clients. It means I miss out on personal attention. The consultant, however, wants a packed calendar because it leads to a bigger paycheck.
Customers don’t want their favorite business to grow because it means less personal attention – less of what attracted them in the first place. Yet most business owners want to expand, often choosing to focus on who is NOT a customer. It’s an unresolved, never ending tension.
You can brag about how many clients you have. For some, that’s social proof. For others, it’s a sign that you’re too busy for them.
It’s true for churches, too.
Do you realize that most people in church don’t WANT their church to grow. It means more hassle in the parking lot, less personal attention given to their kids, and more difficulty finding a seat.
Church leaders like crowded services – most church attenders hate them. Leaders like crowded parking lots – anyone driving a car hates them. Pastors like crowds of people in the congregation – most people avoid crowds.
But there are very few churches whose members are clamoring for the next capital campaign and building expansion.
Because growth is an inconvenience.
After a dozen years as a student pastor, and five years a church-starter, I'm the Chief Operating Officer of 
