When small churches try to expand past the 200, 400, and 800 attendee mark, they often run into rigid growth barriers.You need to start thinking big to break growth barriers.The church should be restructured to match the needs of a big church before it expands in attendance.
Step 1: God wants your church to grow.
To break through the growth barriers at your church, you need to believe that God wants those barriers torn down.You need to listen for God's voice and make sure that this growth is His will for your church before you can believe it.There are two ways to think about church size.God wants all churches to grow.The second states that God has a need for both large and small churches.Regardless of which camp you fall in, if you want your church to grow, you need to have confidence in the belief that breaking through these growth barriers is something God wants for your individual church.
Step 2: Don't let conviction get in the way of developing it.
You need to have a firm conviction in your desire to see your church grow if you believe that God wants to grow it.Many church leaders are scared by the idea of growing their church.The steps aren't always clear-cut when it comes to dissolving barriers that prevent growth.If you let the fear control you, you won't be able to get anything done.When you decide to start growing your church, you need to stick with it.It should be your conviction that the church needs to grow.
Step 3: There should be enough space.
You might think there's plenty of room if there are a few seats left each Sunday.Visitors are less likely to show up if the church's seating capacity is less than 70 percent.Take the number of seats in your main worship space and divide it by 0.7.Take your average attendance from last month and divide it by that percentage.It's time to expand if your attendance is more than 70 percent.You can expand according to your resources.You can either build an addition onto your current one or move to a larger building.
Step 4: You can create more worship services.
A new worship service time is the next best thing to do when space is not an option.Even though it can help, this alone may not fix your space issues.New worship times are often less crowded because people are more likely to stick with the same service.In a church with 120 regular attendees, 100 may attend the old service while only 20 will switch to the new one.
Step 5: Hire more workers.
A bigger church will need a bigger staff.It might be sensible to wait until the church expands before you start the hiring process, but it may be better to hire people you need before then.There may be restrictions on the number of new staff members you can hire.Those positions seem to be the most important to your growth as a church.If your long-term budget projections aren't quite high enough yet, you should quickly hire more staff.
Step 6: There are larger congregations in the area.
Even if they belong to other denominations, look to the large, thriving churches in your region.Speak with the pastor and staff if you attend worship services there.If you find out what growing churches in your area are doing to break through the barriers, you can adapt those strategies to your own church.You don't need to copy these churches exactly, but you can try to incorporate some of their ideas into your own church structure.
Step 7: Get your finances in order.
It costs a lot to grow a church.You need to have faith that God will give you money, but you also have to be a good steward of all the money that comes your way.Someone new will need to be hired if the church staff can't handle finances in an expert manner.A full-time finance officer is ideal, but you can also check into contract financial consultants if it will be easier on your budget.
Step 8: Prepare for growing pains.
Everyone from the pastor down to the newest member may have a hard time adjusting during the growth period.The feeling of having less control and less personal interaction can be hard for a pastor to adapt to.Some members of the congregation may feel that their church is not as important as it used to be.The changes that will come as the church grows need to be prepared by the leaders.The leaders need to encourage the members of the congregation through the changes.
Step 9: The pastor needs to be transformed into a leader.
The pastor of a church needs to be able to grow the church.The pastor will have to grow with the church.He needs to shift himself into a leadership mindset.The pastor needs to be both a leader and a minister.You have to respond to others' needs.Without consulting others, leadership requires you to take initiative.There are topics related to growth.You can learn how to raise money and equip your church.You can learn to balance your resources by researching time management.It's a good idea to read on topics related to ministry.It's a good idea to set a reading goal like a book every two months.Conferences and meetings with mentors in the field of church leadership can benefit the pastor.
Step 10: A pastoral care team.
In a small church, the pastor can run the business affairs of the church while still being there for everyone.The church will need a pastoral care team to help when the pastor can't.Sometimes you need to hire an assistant pastor to meet the needs of your church.A pastoral care team may include lay ministries.Lay people of the congregation will not be able to preach and teach, but they can assist with worship, visiting the sick, and leading small groups.
Step 11: Stop micromanaging.
The governing board of your church needs to be in charge of a bigger organization.A board packed with members who fixate on the organization of a small church will struggle to adapt to the needs of large church.When accepting people to the board, keep in mind that they should be comfortable with larger budgets, larger systems, and larger staff numbers.
Step 12: New groups can be built.
Growing churches offer a lot of activities and groups for members and visitors to get involved with.The groups don't need to meet on the grounds of the church.Changing the nature of the groups will allow you to provide a little bit of everything.Group for different ages, circumstances, and interests.You can organize based on the gifts of the people.Understand your staff, volunteers, and congregation.Determine which skills and gifts the people of your church have and then develop programs around them.
Step 13: The worship service needs to be expanded.
You don't need the sort of worship service you need right now.When you already have a service meant for one, it's easier to draw in a larger crowd.Try to have more passion in your preaching.You would expect a larger church to have excitement.Please give feedback on the service.Look for ways to see the service through the eyes of both guests and regular attendees.
Step 14: Turn your attention away from you.
Programs focused on current members of the congregation are important, but if these programs vastly outnumber programs focusing on the community, you won't be able to attract new people.Tell stories about inviting people to church to encourage more outreach.The staff and congregation should invite their friends.
Step 15: Do you know how to make ideas happen?
The leadership needs to start thinking of ways to grow the church when someone suggests a new idea.A church without vision will struggle to grow because leadership teams assume new ideas cannot happen.You need to evaluate each new idea honestly.Those that don't help the church should be set aside, but those that are helpful should get more attention.
Step 16: It's a good idea to consider major events with caution.
Major events can be planned by some churches to create community interest.This can have a positive result, but the result is not very good.For a few weeks after the event, attendance will increase.New visitors may stop coming and the numbers may go down as time goes on.Major church events only work at breaking growth barriers when your church is structured in a way that can keep the interest going after drawing in that initial crowd.