Growth: Horizontal or Vertical?

Growth is a change that isn't often placed into a realm of debates. However, through this post, I would like to challenge the readers of this blog, both young people and leaders on the topic of growth.

What is your consideration of growth in a group, numbers or knowledge?

While keeping the question clear, I will give my view on the topic throughout this post. Some may view assume that I would be more concerned with numbers, due to the traditional church setting. However, I'm honestly more concerned with vertical growth than I am with horizontal growth. Although numbers are sought after in our current time, numbers aren't everything. There are many Biblical instances in which the concept of numerical growth was crushed and proven less important. Primarily, the first story that comes to my mind is of Gideon and three hundred men of war that went up against an army, clearly outnumbered by their enemies. (Found in Judges 7)

Thus, I move to my main point and reason for the side that I have chosen. In my estimation, growth in knowledge is more important because its recipients are made free by the knowledge they possess. We are often faced with a situational story that goes like this, "You don't give a hungry man a fish, you teach him how to fish and he'll never be hungry again." If we give him the fish, he comes asking for more and brings his hungry friends as well. This will cause your group to expand horizontally. But, if you teach him how to fish, he will teach his hungry friends how to fish as well. Has anyone realized the key to the scenario?

I lead a relatively small group of young people, yet I give my all regardless of their size. I focus on the growth of knowledge in there lives for the same reasons that you would teach a man how to fish. Ultimately, it relieves the burden of feeding him and it also multiplies his influence on his companions. So, your intermediate group may be small numerically, but the growth of knowledge has caused your group to expand immensely. Simply put, you may reap the same quantity of people if you focus on horizontal growth, but the difference lies in the quality of your group.

My most recent event has had a very small turnout, but produced significantly greater results. Thus, in the completion of my perspective on the matter, here is the photo of young people that are committed to Jesus; the ultimate goal.

So, what is your opinion of horizontal and vertical growth? I would like to hear from you!