I’m sure you’ve heard the startling news that Thom Rainer, President and CEO of Lifeway, has said “eight out of ten of the approximately 400,000 churches in the United States are declining or have plateaued.” Depending on the year, the pace of dying churches has been a little more or about the same as the pace of new church plants. And while many of these new churches are seeing growth in reaching people who were unchurched, ground is still being lost. If reality is even remotely close to what Lifeway has claimed, what can be done? Now, instead of sitting and worrying about the state of the church in America, let’s begin asking the question, what about churches that grow?
10 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHURCHES THAT GROW
Scripture and experience are clear: God causes true growth to happen. He is the one who grows people deeper in their faith. He is the one who draws people to Himself. He is the one who tills the soil of hearts, making them receptive to His Gospel. He is the one who leads pastors to lead the local church where He desires it to go.
RELATED: Signs of a Healthy Church
This series has that truth at its core. It also has this truth at its core: God works through people to accomplish His mission, to cast His vision for the future and to disciple people for His glory. So it is with that tension in mind that we proceed to see the 10 characteristics of churches that grow:
1. Staff Led, Elder Protected Governance Structure // This will also work if you have a governing board that you don’t call elders. Be sure to read this before you write it off.
2. Courageous Leaders Who Pray Boldly and Take Bold Action // Church leaders shouldn’t just be pray-ers, they should be do-ers. And this isn’t about big programs and flashy promotions. This is about the nitty gritty decisions of leadership.
3. Genuine Heart for the Lost and Desire to Embrace the Mess // Inward-focused churches are dying churches. Growing churches aren’t just conscious of the lost, they pursue them and are ready to take on the messes of life they may bring.
4. Engaging, Gospel-Proclaiming Preaching // Many people advocate for shorter sermons. That’s fine, but I think it misses the point. Preaching in growing churches engages people on multiple levels and is a tool to proclaim the good news of Christ.
