Most church aren’t deliberately ignoring the need to grow church attendance. Most churches want to reach unchurched people. They take the Great Commission seriously and want their church to make a positive difference for the Kingdom.
At the same time, we’re coming to grips with the fact that fewer and fewer people are attending church. Even regular members show up more infrequently than in years gone by.
The same group of people, attending less often, is not a recipe for growth. For a church to grow and thrive, it has to reach brand new people.
Even though many churches share in this desire, few actually do it.
How to Grow Church Attendance
If you’re serious about wanting to grow church attendance and reach new guests, particularly those who are not attending any other church, here are five things to consider to reach people.
Grow Church Attendance #1 – Set a goal.
Whenever we ask pastors how many new volunteers they need, how much money they need to raise for ministry, or how many guests they want to reach, the answer is usually the same.
More.
And that’s a great sentiment.
But more is not a number. It’s a moving target that can never be reached.
If you want to reach new guests this year, start by prayerfully setting a specific goal.
Talk about the priority of reaching new people, the Great Commission and the mission of your church, and then make it a goal to reach a specific number of new people.
The number 100 isn’t a magic one. In fact, the number 100 may not be for you. What’s important is that you set a specific, measurable and attainable first-time guest goal.
What should it be?
That’s a matter for prayer and discussion among your leaders.
