8 Things A Church Needs For Continual Growth

Heads up - only THREE SPOTS left for our Church Leaders roundtable - more information right here!  

There is little doubt in my mind Jesus wants the church to grow - He commissioned us to reach the world.  As I’ve spent over 25 years working in the church I believe there are eight things a church needs for growth.  

#1 - Leadership That Is On Fire!  

Jesus called a group of leaders to follow Him, spent intentional time with them, set their hearts on fire…and they went on to change the world.  
If a leader wants to lead an “on fire ministry” then they really need to take a look in the mirror and see if their is fire in their eyes.  
As I’ve heard one popular Christian leader in the past has said, “I just set myself on fire, and people come to watch me burn.”  

#2 - Clearly Defined Next Steps

About 10-15 years ago one of the strategies that was quite popular in church would was developing a 5-10 year strategic plan.  

However, today’s world is changing so fast that 5-10 year strategic plans are often out of date in 5-10 months…

…which does not mean we do not plan anymore.  It just means we take a look at 6-12 month steps and laser focus on what is the next step our ministry needs to take.  

#3 - A Social Media Strategy

Nearly every time there has been some sort of breakthrough in technology an Awakening has followed.  

After the invention of the printing press came The Reformation!  

I don’t believe Jesus gave us the internet so we could have a more convenient way to look at porn, but rather so we could impact the entire world with a mobile device.  

What would it look like for a church to have a social media strategy that was Gospel focused, intentional and captivated the attention of a world that is in desperate need of Jesus.  

#4 - A Sermon Calendar That Flows With The Seasons

One of the most important laws to understand as a church leader is the law of timing.  

There is a time to sow, then there is a time to wait and then a time to harvest.  

I spent years living and dying by attendance numbers…until someone showed me how a sermon calendar really works, how to take 20 “prime time” weekends we are given every year and actually turn them into 40, and how to meet people where they are by answering questions people are actually asking.  

#5 - Consistent & Generous Giving

How much ministry can you do for $100?  

Answer:  About $100 worth!  

One of the marks of a healthy church is giving is both consistent as well as generous.  

Likewise - one of the biggest areas of stress church leaders face is in the area of finances.  How in the world does a church rally people to give when there are so many things competing for our money?  

#6 - Awesome Volunteers

I’ve never seen a healthy church that did not have a healthy and increasing number of volunteers.  

Learning how to recruit, train and encourage volunteers is essential for the long term growth and healthy of a church.  

#7 - Small Groups People Actually Want To Attend

Let’s be honest, what many churches call “small groups” are actually Bible studies.  

Don’t get me wrong, I have NOTHING against Bible studies; in fact, I have attended quite a few that have helped me tremendously in my walk with Jesus.  However, what CAN happen in Bible studies is people attend with each other but do not actually do life together.  

Community is ESSENTIAL for a person to reach their full potential in Christ…and people are looking for community, a place to belong.  It’s just that MAYBE the church should approach community a little differently than we’ve been doing.  

#8 - An Unapologetic & Focused Approach To Evangelism

Evangelism isn’t just a good idea but rather a GOD idea.  

There are actually two things a church can do to take their evangelistic culture to the next level…

The first is to unapologetically use Sunday services as an opportunity to reach people far from God.  I know often times as a pastor I was scared to give an invitation at the end of a message because…well…if no one responded then it would make me look bad.  

However, after I wrestled with that a few times the Lord reminded me that my obedience was actually more important than my image.  

The second thing a church can do is intentionally train the people in the church to share their faith.  It’s not the people who attend our churches don’t actually want to tell people about Christ, it’s that many times they don’t know how or are afraid they will get something wrong.  

Which is why training our people to share their faith is one of the most effective forms of discipleship we can engage with.  

If you want to learn more about these eight things - then you’ve GOT to join us for our church leaders roundtable on March 21-22 - here is the link

Here’s the deal - we only have three spots left (we are limiting registration to 50 people) and the early bird rate of $499 ends tomorrow (where it will increase to $799.)  So, if you’ve been thinking about it I would encourage you to jump all over it - I can promise you it will be one of the best investments you make into the life and health of your church.