We live in world that forces us to constantly perform and progress and do and then do some more. If you don't progress, whether you are going backwards, or staying at the same place, you are considered a failure.
Likewise, your faith and usefulness as a Christian are measured with numbers. You are to evangelise otherwise you are not a true Christian. Your church's purpose is to be a factory of mass production of converts otherwise it is problematic.
However, we do forget that, although God aims for the expansion of the Kingdom, He is not a businessman. Bringing new people to the church comes AFTER the strengthening of the people that are already in the Kingdom. And this strengthening TAKES TIME, SOMETIMES YEARS. Faith is not an easy thing. Most of the people out there are full of traumas with a false image of God in their minds. How will the sick cure the sick? How will those who are not strong in faith and not healed from trauma help those who are equally traumatised but not yet Christians?
Moreover, our role in the Kingdom is not just to be preachers. Sometimes God wants us to be CHILDREN and dwell in the Father's love in order to grow (Matt. 18:2-6). Other times we are called to be VESSELS, that is, to just "wait in the cupboard" until we are needed. And, when we are vessels, we are to "fill our containers" with good things (Phil. 4:8). Aim to become a bottle of perfume not a sewage tank (2 Tim. 2:19-21). Some other times we are called to be SOLDIERS and do warfare (Eph. 6). And other times we are to be SERVANTS that is, to go wherever God wants us to serve Him (Book of Acts) and preaching may not be what He wants from us at that point.
Even if we are called to evangelise, it is not our job to make people believe. I'm sorry dear Calvinists but we have free will. We are called to preach the gospel and care for people but if they don't believe it's not our fault. No, the machine is not malfunctioning. No, we are not to be replaced by a better machine that will increase the numbers. Sometimes our role is to plant, not to reap. And, let's admit that, obsession with increasing the numbers has lead the church to become of the world. Liberation theology is not the only way for a church to become wordly. Having a showman as a preacher, gatherings that look like TED talks, church buildings that look like shopping centres and music that sounds like Cardi B and Taylor Swift are also signs of being of this world. Yes, you may have dozens of people in your church. But are these people true followers of Christ or are they continue to be worldly but hide their wordliness behind some "Christianese"? Have they came to the faith BECAUSE of your wordly Christianese or IN SPITE OF it?
My previous church had four people. Me, my husband and two priests. But it was at this church where I was at home and grew in faith. Not at the other one where I used to go, despite being a popular church with around 600 people and thousands of views on YouTube, despite having a disco ball on the ceiling, despite having pop music with Christian lyrics. In fact, in one of the ministries they changed the material they were using and stoped making Christian references so they don't "offend" newcomers. But, according to the mentality I described, this church is still considered successful because of big numbers. In the meantime, the priests in my previous church are certainly considered a failure in most Christian cycles because we were not growing in numbers. But they are not a failure to God because He used them to help me and my husband grow in faith and feel protected and loved.
Therefore, you as a person and as a church be who God wants you to be and do what God wants you to do. Most of the times, this goes against society's and Church's norms, standards and demands.
