being the pastor of a small church meant I was insignificant. • I believed that what I read in church-growth literature could happen for me. • I wanted to be respected by my denominational superiors. A large batch of mixed motives, to be sure, which brought mixed results. After one year at Arlington Heights we turned a corner. Although few visitors had previously ventured into our grade school gym, one Sunday in January our attendance nearly doubled—and most of those newcomers joined the congregation.