Bayside Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, has been named the #1 Fastest Growing Church in America on the Outreach 100 listings created in partnership with LifeWay Research and released in the 2019 Outreach 100 American Megachurch Annual, a special issue of Outreach magazine.
To survey churches for this report, Outreach partnered with LifeWay Research. The researcher contacted more than 30,000 churches to gather the self-reported data used to compile the lists. The information is then confirmed by phone, fax, email and certified letter.
“The Outreach 100 offers a unique look at many of the churches on the lists to tell the stories behind the numbers—stories of transformed churches and individual life change,” says Outreach magazine Editor James Long.
“As we talked to leaders of churches on the lists, we were encouraged to learn about local churches that are not only preaching the gospel, but also running free or subsidized grocery stores, providing hurricane disaster relief, and making their multifaceted service to the community a priority,” Long says.
The Fastest-Growing and Largest lists are based on February and March weekend attendance averages. The Fastest-Growing list includes churches with attendance greater than 1,010, a numerical gain of 127 or more and a percentage gain of at least 5 percent. The ranking of Fastest-Growing Churches is determined by an average of their numerical and percentage growth. The list of largest participating churches includes congregations of more than 5,138.
Fastest Growing Churches Fast Facts
The issue profiles 12 of these community-minded churches on the Fastest-Growing list, with a dozen more profiles online, presenting transferable principles and insights into their growth. Fastest growing church profiles include:
- Journey Church in Winter Park, Florida (No. 10)
- Christ Church in Gilbert, Arizona (No. 6)
- Harvest Church in Billings, Montana (No. 34)
- Coastal Community Church in Parkland, Florida (No. 7)
- Rockfish Church in Raeford, North Carolina (No. 52)
- Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colorado (No. 85)
- Piñon Hills Community Church in Farmington, New Mexico (No. 91)
- Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbon, Washington (No. 92)
- Hope Church in Cordova, Tennessee (No. 100)
- Evangel Church in Scotch Pines, New Jersey (No. 53)
- Hope City Church in Joplin, Missouri (No. 35)
- Riverside Church in Big Lake, Minnesota (No. 93)
The special issue also includes five profiles from the new listing of 100 Reproducing Churches—churches that are expanding the kingdom through strategic church-planting efforts. Reproducing Church profiles include Northwood Church in Keller, Texas; Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois; Hope Church NYC in New York; The Ransom Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Hill Country Bible Church in Austin, Texas.
The 2019 Outreach 100 also includes candid conversations with 23 of the Outreach 100 pastors, covering themes like church growth, discipleship, outreach and faithful ministry. The 216-page report, Outreach magazine’s largest issue ever, also includes in-depth interviews with J.D. Greear, Ray Johnston and Chad Fisher. Johnston pastors this year’s No. 1 Fastest-Growing Church and No. 7 Largest. Fisher pastor’s the second Fastest-Growing Church. The Summit Church, pastored by J.D. Greear, is one of the country’s most influential Reproducing Churches.
Outreach magazine, published bimonthly, seeks to connect outreach-oriented churches by sharing stories, ideas, innovations and resources. Subscriptions are available at OutreachMagazine.com/Subscribe. For more information about the Fastest-Growing Churches, Largest Churches in America and Reproducing Churches, visit Outreach100.com.
