How Churches Prosper and Grow

December 5, 2018

For several weeks I’ve been talking about reasons churches fail to grow and sometimes close their doors. Now today I want to discuss how churches grow. What is it in their DNA that accommodates and even encourages growth?

Of course, in many cases church growth comes for a variety of reasons, but there are also some fundamental factors that tend to induce church growth. They include the following:

The church is clear on what it believes…In fact, most successful churches are clear on their beliefs. I’m a member of a very large church and it has been on a growth pattern for over 30 years. One of the things our pastor decided to do regularly is teach a “What We Believe” class to new people interested in joining the church.

To the extent possible, he wanted everyone to understand the main doctrines of the church. Of course, this doesn’t induce growth by itself, but when most people understand the church’s mission, values and main doctrines, it makes it easier for them to embrace the church and motivates church members to invite others.

The church is friendly…There is nothing worse than visiting an unfriendly church. When people are welcoming it attracts others. Hopefully, most homes are friendly places, and you expect the same from your church home.
The church empowers its people…When people are part of the decision making process at the church…when they’re allowed to do things to serve without someone looking down their collective necks…they tend to assume ownership. This can mean anything from doing janitorial work to Facebook postings to visiting the sick, etc.

Of course, it requires that church leadership also give up some control. I’ve often said that a church can have engagement or control of its membership, but it can’t have both. This assumes also that the church acknowledges the contributions of its members and celebrates their success!

I remember one church that had a very successful campaign…so successful that they created a multi-page booklet to commemorate the event. The only problem was that in the entire booklet the person who chaired the campaign wasn’t mentioned once. He got over it, but he expressed that it bothered him.

The church cares for its pastor…At least part of caring for your pastor is empowering your people to help. Pastor burnout is real, and so is pastoral attrition. When the church cares for its pastor, usually as a person with a spouse and children who can’t physically do everything, then pastors tend to remain enthusiastic about the church.

The church has an outward focus…When churches are insular and focused on themselves, they tend to become territorial and selfish. It is quite contrary to the idea of service that Jesus intended. By contrast, an outward focus asks questions constantly like, “How can we reach more people and how best can we serve them?”

The church’s music and messages are powerful and relevant and not compromised…Today, most people are not looking for watered down, feel good messages. They are dealing with serious issues and need something to hold on to. They want the truth presented in ways that help them both understand and cope with daily living…and they want music that soothes their souls and expresses their deepest feelings.

The church challenges its people…If you learn about the life and sacrifices of Jesus and His disciples, you should be challenged. However, beyond the teaching there should be opportunities to challenge people to stretch and serve in a variety of ways. That could be giving to a church campaign or volunteering in one of many ministries.

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

How Churches Prosper and Grow

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