CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING CHURCHES

1
CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWING CHURCHES

• What Growing Churches Know and the Rest of Us
  Need to Learn

2
Growing Churches Create a Community Where People
Encounter God

• Growing churches are spiritually vital and alive.
  They provide numerous opportunities for people
  to learn, grow, share, and be nurtured in the
  faith.
• Growing churches are outward focused rather than
  inward focused. They are mission oriented not
  maintenance oriented.
• A sense of belonging is important to members of
  growing churches, but belonging is not the
  primary reason that the congregation exists.
• Growing churches understand that they are in the
  business of calling and nurturing disciples of
  Jesus Christ who transform the world in the name
  of Jesus Christ.

3
Growing Churches Know Why They Exist and What
They Are to Do

• Growing churches are clear about their mission
  and purpose.
• Members of these congregations have participated
  in developing a mission statement and this
  statement is visible in all church publications
  and known and lived by church members.
• They grow because they understand their reason
  for being and they stick to doing the things well
  that are essential to their life as a religious
  institution.
• Theological orientation is not a significant
  factor in church growth. Both liberal and
  conservative churches grow. The significant
  factor is whether or not the congregation knows
  and lives its mission and purpose.

4
Growing Churches Understand Holy Conversation

• The strongest correlation between decline and
  growth is the presence or absence of conflict.
• Conflict happens whenever two people have
  differing opinions. Growing churches know how to
  keep conflicting opinions from developing into
  conflict within the congregation.
• Conflict is the number one predictor of
  congregational decline.
• Growing churches provide training for clergy and
  lay leadership in conflict resolution skills.

5
Growing Churches are Intentional About Recruitment

• Growing churches have well planned and
  implemented recruitment programs.
• Members of growing churches promote their
  congregation and invite others to attend.
• Most new people become involved in congregations
  because they are invited by someone they know.
  Growing churches understand this and train their
  members in invitational ministries.
• Growing churches are involved in a wide variety
  of recruitment related ministries. The
  congregation makes itself more visible through
  various forms of advertising and planned
  activities that attract both members and
  non-members.
• Growing churches spend 5-10 of their budget on
  advertising and outreach.
• Growing churches have an appealing, engaging, and
  updated web site.

6
Growing Churches Follow Up on Visitors

• Growing churches make their facilities available
  to community and support groups and follow up on
  people who are part of these groups with
  invitations, emails, and newsletters.
• Growing churches have a means of registering
  guests in their worship services and follow up
  with a personal visit to these guests within 36
  hours.
• Growing churches follow up with visitors through
  multiple means and multiple times.
• Growing churches invite persons to explore church
  membership after they have visited a worship
  service 3 times.

7
Growing Congregations Are Willing to Change to
Meet New Challenges

• Growing churches examine their mission, vision,
  and value statements on a regular basis and make
  changes to fit changing circumstances.
• Growing churches add new classes, mission
  outreach opportunities, and small groups on a
  regular basis. They eliminate classes and groups
  that no longer serve the mission of the church
• Growing churches regularly maintain their
  building and make whatever changes are necessary
  to keep the building in excellent condition and
  inviting to guests.

8
Growing Churches Have Vital Worship in a Variety
of Styles

• Growth is not related to any one specific style
  of worship. Churches with traditional worship
  style grow and churches with contemporary worship
  style grow.
• The greatest growth comes in those churches that
  offer a variety of worship styles traditional,
  praise, contemplative, emergent, etc.
• Growing churches study their mission field and
  offer worship opportunities that match that
  mission field.
• Worship in growing churches is described by these
  words joyful, exciting, inspirational,
  thought-provoking, filled with a sense of Gods
  presence.
• Worship in declining churches is described by
  this word reverent.
• Worship in growing churches is well planned,
  sensory, experiential, participatory, and based
  on scripture.

9
Growing Churches Nurture Faith Development

• Growing churches offer opportunities for the
  unchurched to learn the basics of the faith as
  well as opportunities to study the faith in
  depth.
• Growing churches offer a variety of bible study
  opportunities.
• Growing churches offer a variety of small group
  experiences and expect their members to be
  involved in a small group for growth in
  discipleship.
• Pastors of growing churches are involved in
  teaching and faith development, but so are
  trained laity. Faith development is not totally
  dependent on the pastors leadership.
• Growing churches expect members to be involved in
  service and mission outreach based on their
  spiritual gifts.
• Growing churches have developed programs of
  Christian stewardship and financial management.

10
Growing Churches Involve Children in the Life of
the Congregation

• Children in growing churches participate in
  worship through speaking, reading, and
  performing.
• Growing churches often use families to serve as
  ushers and greeters, or plan mission outreach
  projects that allow families to participate
  together.
• Growing churches demonstrate their love for
  children by having buildings that meet the needs
  of children. Nurseries are clean, have
  appropriate toys for young children, and are
  decorated to appeal to young children. They are
  staffed with professionals that make parents feel
  safe leaving their children. Areas for
  childrens ministry are inviting and childrens
  art is freely displayed throughout the property.

11
Growing Churches Involve Youth in the Life of the
Congregation

• In growing churches, youth participate in worship
  as readers, leaders, ushers, greeters, communion
  servers, dancers, artists, and as members of
  choirs and bands.
• Growing churches provide space in their
  facilities designed to appeal to youth and their
  needs. Youth space is up to date and well
  decorated, not filled with cast off furniture.
• Youth serve in leadership positions in growing
  churches. Their opinions are sought and
  respected. Their leadership is valued.
• Youth are considered a vital part of
  congregational life and are not separated from
  the faith community for worship, fellowship, and
  mission opportunities.

12
Growing Churches Provide Ministry for All People
in Their Mission Field

• Growing churches seek young families, especially
  married couples with children, but understand
  that this segment of the population is declining.
• Growing churches survey their mission field to
  determine who lives within the mission field and
  plan ministries for these constituencies.
• Growing churches understand that young singles,
  singles, special needs families, and multi-ethnic
  families are constituencies within the population
  that are growing and are often overlooked by
  churches when ministries are planned. Growing
  churches plan ministries for these groups and
  welcome them warmly.

13
Growing Churches are Healthy Churches

• Growing churches demonstrate spiritual vitality.
• Growing churches have a vibrancy and sense of
  attraction that cause people to attend and join.
• Growing churches are in good financial condition.
• Growing churches train lay leadership and rotate
  leaders.
• Growing churches care about others and dont
  worry about themselves.