10. Your atmosphere is one of condemnation, exclusion, awkwardness or rejection instead of understanding, sensitivity, acceptance and grace.
11. You are not attempting to connect with the next generation.
12. Your mentality is oriented toward the already convinced and those “in-house,” not turned outward toward the skeptic and the unchurched.
13. You do not pay attention to, sufficiently fund or appropriately staff your children’s ministry.
14. Your “front-door” services and events are designed in such a way that people intuitively do not invite their unchurched friends to attend.
15. You haven’t effectively strategized as to how to break through your next growth barrier, which tends to exist at around 70, 200, 500, 800, 1200 and 1800.
16. Your mindset is that you have to do everything, be at the center of every “Yea, God!” story, and micromanage—so your leadership becomes a bottle-neck.
17. You are an eight on a scale of 1-10. But instead of hiring nines and 10s, your insecurity leads you to hire sixes and sevens.
18. Your shoe is telling your foot how big it gets; meaning land, parking and seats.
19. You do not make it easy to connect with others and get plugged in.
20. Your vision has not exceeded your reality.
OK, there you have it. A shopping list compiled from nearly 30 years of experience in the trenches. But again, remember the question: It’s not how to grow your church, but what is keeping it from growing?
