A couple of days ago, I wrote about the statistics on congregations closing, along with some of my observations and our (TJI’s) anecdotal experiences. I tried to convey an optimistic spirit. There were many responses to the article. One particular response caught my attention: “Brother Jenkins, I appreciate your optimism, but it is not happening here. Our church seems to be dying.” I want the church to grow, but more importantly, I want it to be healthy so that it is positioned for real growth.
What can I do?
First, not every congregation is going to grow. For many years, I said: “If it is healthy and of God, it is growing.” That was from a good heart and seems true, there are reasons churches don’t grow numerically.
It is possible that growth becomes harder because the area you are in is simply declining. A town that once flourished and has now dried up will obviously struggle to have a growing congregation. One town we lived in went from over 5,000 people to about 3,500 in a 15-year period. While that is not an excuse to stop evangelizing, it may explain why, as people move away, even a good church isn’t growing.
I do not like the 85% rule (when you auditorium is 85% full people will stop coming because they have a hard time finding a spot for them and their family to sit together) that I’ve heard my whole life, but it is valid. People will “scrunch in” for a while and even enjoy the fullness of a place, but at some point they will get tired of it. If as a leadership you have a plan and communicate that plan it will help everything!
The Past: It is possible, though not probable, that the past attitudes and actions of a congregation have made it difficult for that church to be attractive.
The Present: A toxic present may keep a church from growing. An elder who is often offensive, a song leader who can’t lead well, or a general negative, pessimistic spirit that casts a pall over the whole church can stifle any energy you try to bring to positive growth.
There are those who do not believe the church can grow. On one side, some believe if the congregation is growing, you should be investigated because you must have left the faith. On the other extreme, there are those who believe we must jettison all distinctiveness to grow. We reject both of these extremes. We believe the future of God’s Family is bright! And we believe that God is more interested in the growth of your church than you are!
What can I do?
Talk about it: Put the desire to grow before the church and get them thinking about growth. If you are a preacher, preach about souls and their value (now’s a great time to do that). Preach about the power of the Gospel. If you are an elder, talk about growth from the pulpit. Tell members where the congregation is and that you are working to grow and need their help. Think about growth all the time! One church I talked with said: “If we keep going in the direction we are, in 10 years we will not have enough members under age 80 to conduct a service without using some of them more than once. We have to do something about this.” They said that from the pulpit and asked the members to help. They hired with that in mind and planned programs with that in mind. The result is that that church today still has some wonderfully committed older members, but they also have many young families, and the future is bright.
Be Optimistic: In my book on church growth that I am still working on, I am concluding that this is, in some ways, the single most important emotion and outlook for growing a church. Faith is optimistic, Bible studies are optimistic. Members are motivated by optimism over neutrality or pessimism. Guests get excited when they find an optimistic church. God is an optimist! This is perhaps most clear in Romans 5:8, “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Start teaching lost people: Start with the low-hanging fruit, guests who are not yet Christians. Then move out to the lives of people you know. For some of us, it means getting outside the cocoon/convent mentality where the only people we interact with, have connections with, and engage with are already Christians. In a culture that is increasingly running after an excess of evil, it is tempting to build our own little islands, BUT we must love the lost and engage the lost. Find places you can engage without sin.
Develop ministries that reach young children: I know this gets very specific, but as you minister to the youngest in your community, care for them, program with them in mind, and protect them, the reputation and outreach of the church will increase (Acts 2:47). The community will recognize this care and be drawn toward you. And, as we all know, there is no better way to increase your stock in an individual’s mind than by caring for their children. It certainly appears we are seeing the direction of our country changing a little in the direction of young children being cared for among the latest generation. Let’s make the most of it. Put the church in a good light in the neighborhood and community.
Be who you are: Good news! What seemed for a long time a disadvantage has slowly become one of our greatest opportunities. It seems for over a generation we have been told by some to be more like the denominational world. By far, the bulk of our congregations rejected that notion. Today, as people are returning to religious moorings, THEY want churches that are independent of a hierarchy, churches where there is no “high clergy,” churches whose worship is not a production, and churches where the preacher preaches the Bible. Check, check, check, and check. We have what people are searching for. Let us be who we are! Do not be ashamed of the church if and as we follow the revealed Word of God.
Check out your facility: Are you set up in the most basic of ways to be a place where people want to be? Is your facility clean and free from clutter? Is your signage clear and readable? What about smells? Is it fresh? Is it confusing or welcoming? I’m not suggesting spending a lot of money, just making what you have as welcoming as possible.
Plan every step of how you welcome someone: Is it obvious where the main entrance is? Have you set aside the best parking for guests? Will someone greet them before they walk into the building? When inside, will they see people only focused on their friends (being friendly to each other), or will there be someone with a friendly welcome for them? Do you use men and women to welcome? What about children? Have you challenged everyone to watch for guests? I do not believe a church can be too friendly if it is authentic in that welcome.
Be prepared to explain: Try your best to listen to your services as a guest. I do not believe we should gear our worship to guests; our worship focus must be on God, as He is the audience. Yet, if you were a guest, would it be confusing what is happening? Is the verbiage clear? Do you explain “why this is happening?”
There’s much more we could discuss here, but the article has gotten long. I pray your congregation will be healthy and grow. If we can help in any way, let us know. TJI’s Consulting arm offers many services that can aid you, just let us know.
Dale Jenkins
