Here are three ways you can continue to grow your ministry and reach new audiences for your church. It's the centerpiece of our series on church growth.
If you have fewer than 100 members attend your church on a given weekend, you’re in the majority. In fact, 60% of Protestant churches fall into this category.¹
Though becoming a mega-church (church bodies that typically attract more than 1,000 adults each weekend) is in no way the goal for most pastors, you probably want your ministry to touch as many people as it can.
Here are three small things every church can do to grow and become more inviting to its members - old and new alike.
1. Work on Your Welcome
Though this seems incredibly elementary, giving some extra thought to your Sunday Morning Welcome can have a big impact on your community. After leading a church for a number of years, it can become easy to forget the hesitations of a new church-goer:
Making a concerted effort to welcome your new members - by name, if possible - as soon as they walk through your doors will increase the chance they’ll return next Sunday and the Sunday after that (79% of churchgoers say this matters).
They’ll also appreciate a sweet note following up after the service. If you can, see if a family is willing to host them for dinner in their home. Humanizing your church and entire community is a wonderful way to strengthen connections to new members.
2. Invest in Young People
Thirty-Five percent of Millennials claim they don’t go to church because it’s not personally relevant to them.² To effectively increase membership and build an engaged community, churches are starting to devote resources and create programming that pertains directly to our youth.
Providing younger members with leadership roles will also show them the power of worship and increase the likelihood that Christianity becomes a permanent staple in their life. When children and teens are excited about your worship, they’ll spread the word to their entire families and many of their friends.
Ultimately, an investment in young people is an investment in the future of your ministry and your church community.
3. Increase Your Accessibility
Despite their best intentions, even the most faithful churchgoers can’t make it to church every Sunday. This can often leave them feeling isolated from their communities and less grounded in their daily lives.
Offering your congregants the option to stream your services live, from wherever they are, whether at home, on vacation, or in the hospital, is a great way to make sure they can still connect to their faith community.
Here's Jenny's Story
New families also love being able to watch a sermon online.
Many report feeling intimidated by the idea of going to a new church in-person without having first been able to get a sense of its worship. Watching online gives them the confidence that a church is the right fit for them.
Final Thoughts + Further Reading
Small churches play an incredibly important role in millions of people’s lives. They offer people the ability to connect with Christ in ways that larger churches are sometimes simply unable to do.
Still, if growing your congregation is something you’re trying to do, give these three tips a try. They’re easy to do, and you’ll be glad you did.
To learn more about live video streaming and how it can help you share your church's ministry, you can check out our [Free] Reach and Engage Guide.
Here's some further reading on church growth that you might find interesting:
5 Ways to Attract New Members to Your Church
What Can Your Church Do to Attract Young Adults?
The Unconventional Way this Church is Attracting its Youth
Research Shows This Is Why People Switch Churches
5 Easy Ways to Raise the Profile of Your Church
