How to Build a Strong Church
Building a strong church requires meeting the needs of current members as well as reaching out to potential new members. According to testimonials from Rolling Forks Baptist Church, there are two major reasons people love their church. The first is the spiritual message the church provides and the impact it has on their personal lives. The second is the sense of community the church provides and the feeling of belonging to a church family. When a church is able to address both of these needs properly, a strong church results.
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Instructions
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Deliver a Clear, Understandable Spiritual Message
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Develop a clear, concise mission statement and post it conspicuously outside the building and in high-traffic areas indoors.
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Use sermons, or homilies, to reach all congregants, not just those who have a certain background or educational level. Only use obscure wording or references if they are defined and used for learning purposes.
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Personalize the church's message so that it feeds the spiritual needs of individuals, inspires personal growth and provides motivation.
Involve Members in Church Life
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Appoint or elect church members to serve within the church's hierarchy. This can be done through lay leadership, peer mentor groups and structural authority positions such as deacons and board members. Other lay positions include Sunday School teachers, ushers and parking lot attendants.
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Address the need for a church as spiritual home by encouraging participation in church activities. Some examples of successful church programs are Bible Study classes for adults, sports leagues for children and organizing groups to volunteer in the community.
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Offer social clubs broken down by demographics, such as single adults, young mothers, married couples and senior citizens. Or offer social clubs that are open to all ages but based on interests such as hiking, knitting or cooking.
Encourage Members to Share Their Faith
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Institute a "Bring a Friend to Church" program. According to The Institute for American Church Growth, 79% of all first-time visitors were brought to church by a friend or relative.
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Organize social activities that are conducive to bringing friends such as spaghetti dinners, garage sales and free concerts.
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Provide informational handouts to your members to share with neighbors, friends and coworkers. The handouts should convey the church's mission, location and time of services; and be written in an inviting fashion.
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Tips & Warnings
The deeper the level of commitment of the church member, the stronger the church.
References
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