Growing your congregation not only responds to The Great Commission but sharing God’s word will make a positive difference in lives within your community.
There are many church growth strategies to help you increase attendance and participation. They take thought and planning, but many of these strategies require minimal expenses. Here are some practical approaches to achieving growth that will support your spiritual goals.
Start with a Plan
First, develop a plan, clearly defining your goals as well as the specific audience your church wants to target. Whether or not you form a church growth committee, you’ll need help from members of the congregation who are ready to help out. A plan requires many components to function effectively, including goals and targeted communication.
Define Specific Goals In Your Growth Plan
Be clear and specific on what growth looks like for your church. Does growth mean gaining 30 new members, planning 5 charitable events, training 10 new leaders, reducing your budget by 10%, or helping 50 people in the community?
If you clearly define your goals, they’ll become much more attainable. Plus, setting a timeframe for this project will act as extra motivation to keep working at it.
Improve Communication with Your Audience
Determine who your target audience is and find ways to categorize them. Identify the needs of different age groups, locations, or incomes within your community. Define the needs of these members and the ways in which they communicate across platforms, like social media. You can even identify members who’ve visited your church before but haven’t been back for various reasons.
Defining your specific audience will help you find the best ways to reach out to and retain them. Some people may be more responsive to a face-to-face invitation to a church picnic or a small group discussion. Meanwhile, others might prefer interacting with church social media. Once people start coming, make sure these church visitors feel welcome. And don’t forget to follow up with guests and make sure they know they belong.
Develop Your Church Youth Program
If a young family visits a church, having a well-developed youth program can encourage them to return. Plus, children are an important part of growing your church’s congregation.
You’ll need to develop a dedicated team, whether it consists of teachers, youth pastors, parents, or other young adults. Starting small allows you to grow your team, ministry, and budget along the way. You might begin with weekly meetings, a fun family activity, or a volunteer opportunity and move from there.
Ask the children what types of events excite and interest them and get their parents involved too. Parent feedback will help you cater your ministry to the amount of previous church exposure these young families have.
Engage with the Community
Of course, the best way to reach the community and invite them to join your congregation is to get out and engage with them.
Get your volunteers together, go out into the community, and give back to its members. There are many ways you and your congregation can volunteer:
- Take meals to the elderly or shut-ins
- Volunteer at a homeless shelter, food bank, or women’s shelter
- Clean up litter or do yard work in a local park
- Help with landscaping or crosswalk monitoring at a local school
- Open up church events to the whole community
- Run a vacation bible school or plan a fun event for the whole family
- Allow local groups to hold meetings at your church facility
Review your volunteer roster, their specific abilities, and their availability before you find the best ways you can make an impact on the community. Not only will it increase your church’s visibility, but it will also make your current congregation feel great to help out.
Empower Your Congregation
One key church growth strategy is to provide opportunities for church members to actively participate in ministry and outreach initiatives. This can involve identifying and utilizing individuals’ talents and passions to contribute meaningfully to the life of the church. Encouraging a culture of ownership and stewardship fosters a sense of belonging and investment among congregation members, motivating them to engage more deeply in the church’s mission and vision.
Additionally, leadership development and volunteer training programs equip individuals to serve in various roles within the church, fostering personal and spiritual growth while preparing them for leadership positions.
Offer Livestreaming
One thing that we’ve learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is how important flexibility is for so many people. Moving forward, a top priority for churches should be to offer flexible worship options for their members. Technology has made this much easier.
Churches can livestream all or part of their service or offer an online prayer group. Leveraging livestreaming and similar online technologies, like video on demand, will help you reach people who aren’t able to make it to your physical location because of an illness or a lack of transportation or childcare. Plus, college students or people who travel for work can stay engaged with your church while they’re away.
We hope these strategies help with your church growth, expanding your influence in the community.
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