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800-member West Coast church
Insulate the church from potential erosion in membership due to declining national interest in church attendance and organized religion, to prevent defaults on the building mortgage and other financial obligations.
Research firms continue to document declines in weekly church attendance, professed adherence to Christianity, and overall enrollment in faith-based colleges. The average age of those attending church regularly is rising, with one third of church congregations comprised primarily of seniors.
During a strategic planning engagement with the church, the future insolvency of the congregation was identified as a plausible Wild Card. During ensuing discussion by the church board, they determined that the strategic plan should address this potential Wild Card. They included aggressive church growth prominently in their Vision and made it one of their Strategic Goals. We suggested drafting a formal church growth plan so there would be a blueprint for achieving their growth goal and – ultimately – for realizing their Vision for the future of the church. The board agreed and gave us the assignment of developing that plan to address The Challenge articulated earlier in this narrative.
Step One – Define what growth will “look like” in five years for the church, in terms of programs and ministries, and in terms of goals for overall congregational growth and for growth among the key demographics that will drive that growth, such as children, young singles, and married couples. Define what makes the church unique and attractive . . . attributes that would make people want to go there.
Step Two – Determine how to “get people across the threshold” beyond advertising in traditional media and asking members of the congregation to invite friends and neighbors to attend with them. Network with Realtors to access people moving into the community, join (and be active in) the Chamber of Commerce to be visible to businesses, work with city government to network with those in agencies working to attract people to the community, be active with newcomers clubs and Welcome Wagon, and identify blogs, podcasts and social media groups that cater to new residents.
Step Three – Bring a broad cross-section of the community into the church by utilizing meeting rooms that are silent and empty most of the week. Welcome service clubs, community groups, Toastmaster clubs, hobby clubs, and support groups for unwed mothers, alcoholics, and a host of other potential ministries for the church. Bring people “across the threshold” to get comfortable with being in the building before they’re ever invited to a service.
Step Four – Make those who do visit want to come back. Give them a cup of coffee and a gift in the entrance foyer, connect them with a church couple to sit with, offer to take them to lunch to get to know them, send them a handwritten thank you note for coming and an invitation to come again and meet their “buddy couple” in the lobby for another service. Make them feel welcome and wanted. Then FOLLOW UP!
Five years later: 6,000 members, 4 locations, more than a dozen ministries, 300 voice choir, thriving children’s department, support for three missionaries, and a paid-off mortgage.
