Each year, LifeWay Research identifies the country’s fastest-growing churches. Embrace Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made the list as #10. This is 3rd year in a row that Embrace has made the list. In 2014, Embrace was named 58th fastest-growing church overall. In 2013, the Sioux Falls church was 40th overall (4th greatest percentage gain).

Rev. Adam Weber, lead pastor at Embrace, shares his thoughts and reflections about this significant accomplishment.

Each year, Outreach Magazine does an issue on the Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in the America. I can remember getting a copy of this issue the first year Embrace started. After reading through it, I was completely blown away by what was happening in churches all across the country. Seeing churches grow, and grow, and grow. More importantly… seeing churches telling so many people about Jesus!

I was in complete awe! Not of the churches, but in awe of God and the fact that He was continuing to move in awesome ways!

At the time, it never even crossed my mind that Embrace would ever make it. It wasn’t even a thought. I mean, we were meeting in another church’s building, we had an average pastor (me), my office was my 1993 Chevy Cavalier, and we really had nothing figured out. Not to mention, we only had around 60 or so faithful people who were coming.

What and who I underestimated was… God.

Today I got this year’s issue in the mail, and Embrace was the 10th Fastest Growing Church in the country!!! Completely CRAZY!!! It’s our highest yet!!

This is our 3rd year in a row that we’ve made the list. In 2014, we were 58th fastest growing church overall. In 2013, we were 40th overall (4th greatest percentage gain).

I’m much more in awe of God now than I was the first time I saw this issue years back. Why? Even though we now have our own building (4 of them),  I now have an office, and we have a few more faithful people who are showing up on a weekly basis (thousands more), I’m still the same pastor and we still have very little figured out.

Translation: We can’t take any of the credit or glory… only God can!

Lord, would you please continue to somehow… someway… use us to reach people for You.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for His harvest.”

– Matthew 9: 36 – 38