In the church world, people will complain, gripe, belittle churches that they feel are "all about the numbers". At conferences, often you'll hear one pastor say to another pastor "so, how many people do you have coming". When people ask me about The Journey, they'll often say "how many people attend?"
And, when a church leader says "We had 500 people on Easter Sunday!". There will be some that will say, "they're all about the numbers! What matters is that God was glorified. What matters is the empty tomb", etc.
We have said often that we're all about the numbers, because each number represents someone that God loves, someone that Jesus died for. And, we love to celebrate all that God has done among us - This Easter we had almost 900 people attend our services. 7 years ago we started with 25. What a blessing to those 25 to see all that God has done among us these past 7 years. This last year we baptized 36 people, including the 100th person baptized at The Journey. That's 100 stories, that's 100 lives that have been changed. We have 16 people going to Kenya this summer. We've given over $100,000 in our partnership with House of Hope Home in Kenya. We have over 230 people volunteering on a regular basis. Numbers matter!
Those who complain about numbers, often are people who go to church where they don't have many numbers. Or they are someone who for whatever reason, feels out of the loop, and uncared for - so the church doesn't care about them personally, all they care about is the numbers. There's only so much we can do for that person. Some will claim, that numbers consumerize the message and the faith.
Yet, the Bible is filled with numbers. 12 disciples, Jesus appeared to 500 people at one time after his death and resurrection. Peter preached and 3,000 believed (Acts 2:41). Jesus took some loaves and fish and fed 5,000 men. Someone was counting.
Whether you're a church of 50 or 5,000, numbers are important, because each number represents someone that God has brought into your church or into your life, and it is someone who God sent Jesus to die for, and someone who needs to experience life with Jesus, now and in eternity.