Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Church
A Preface from Bishop Benfield
A few things stand out for me in my early involvement in the Episcopal Church—careful attention to the details of worship, thoughtful preaching, an invitation to share coffee, a phone call thanking me for attending.
None of these actions cost the churches I attended much money. Rather, each one showed an interest in my presence and a hope that I would connect with a group of fellow Christians on a journey to discover God’s presence in our lives. The people perhaps understood that the risen Christ is present in me, the stranger in their midst.
This “top ten” list helps us to do the same thing for those who walk through our doors. Practice these habits, and you will discover your congregation changed. Practice these habits, and I sincerely believe that your church will grow.
1. Get Ready.
Can you articulate why you attend the Episcopal Church—and why anyone else might want to? Who are we? What makes our tradition unique among Christian denominations?
- We have deep roots; we are part of a 2,000-year-old Christian tradition.
- We believe that regularly receiving Communion sustains us.
- We respect the dignity of every human being.
- We engage scripture honestly and value each other’s viewpoints.
- Spend some time (re)learning about our tradition and be prepared to talk about what you love about it. Read John Westerhoff’s A People Called Episcopalians and have extra copies on hand to give to newcomers.
2. Spread the Word.
People won’t show up if they don’t know where you are! Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone new to your town. How will they learn about your church?
- “Market” your church with a well-designed, up-to-date website. Make use of Facebook and other social media. Craft your website and publicity to express your congregation’s personality. How are you unique? What gifts do you have?
- Place signs to your church on main thoroughfares. Have signs on your property clearly indicating parking lots, entrances, and service times. Use banners to announce special events.
- Be consistent with your service times throughout the year. Most people “church shop” during the summer. Why consolidate and offer fewer services during this time?
3. Improve Your “Curb Appeal.”
How we dress says something about how we see ourselves. The same is true for churches. When a church looks cared for, people notice. We tell our story through our buildings.
- Clean the exterior of your church and your property regularly. Remove clutter and make repairs promptly. Give rooms, halls, and restrooms a fresh coat of paint.
- Be authentic. Don’t settle for anything artificial, from flowers, to candles, to attitude.
- Keep the vestments laundered. Size vestments correctly and have all liturgical leaders wear consistent vestment styles.
- Be good stewards of the environment. Recycle … and let people know about it.
4. Take Time to Prepare.
It is unsettling for members and visitors to walk into a frenetic worship space on Sunday mornings. Nothing should feel hurried or last-minute.
- Complete preparations for worship 15 minutes before the service. Tell ushers, greeters, and liturgical leaders when to be ready.
- Take time to center yourself before worship.
- Rehearse special liturgies or seasonal liturgical changes. Consult Howard Galley’s The Ceremonies of the Eucharist as a resource.
- Some congregations find it helpful to have someone other than the priest concentrate on pre-service preparations.
- Mirror the diversity of your community in your choice of readers, acolytes, and ushers. Train them well.
5. Focus On the Worshiper.
Think through the worshipers’ journey from parking lot to pew. How and by whom are they met at the front door, and how are they oriented to the worship space?
- Keep your doors open.
- Train individuals who have natural “people skills” to be greeters. A greeter helps worshipers and visitors feel as if they belong.
- Make your orders of service easy to follow. They should be comprehensive and contain the actual liturgical text. Congregational directions, such as how to receive communion and when to sit or stand, should be clear. Include basic hospitality information.
- Offer a visitor the best seat in the house. Do not hog the aisle seats. Late-arriving visitors do not enjoy crawling over two or three people to reach an available seat.
6. Make Connections.
One of the best ways to incorporate newcomers into the life of a community is to help them connect with others. Newcomers are also seeking answers to specific questions or concerns.
- Have up-to-date printed materials available that contain basic information—how to get married in the church, what programs you offer, and basic information about the Episcopal Church.
- Assure visitors that we are not looking for their money, but are simply glad to have them among us. Think twice before putting out a donations basket at coffee hour or other community events.
- Make an effort to find out a particular interest of a newcomer and introduce that person to a member with the same interests.
- Use emails and newsletters consistently to stay connected with newcomers and long-time members.
7. Include Children and Youth.
Your church should be ready for families with children, even if they rarely visit. Your level of preparedness may decide whether or not a family returns next Sunday.
- Have a clean, well-staffed nursery. Parents will only leave their child in a nursery if they feel the child will be comfortable and well cared for.
- Provide activity packets or “doodle cards” for children whose parents choose to take them into worship. Let the parents know where changing tables or “crying rooms” are located. Include this information in orders of service.
- Showcase opportunities for children and youth (such as EYC, mission trips, and Christian education). Put this information in orders of service or on highly visible bulletin boards in the church.
8. Offer Transformative Worship.
Worship is the heartbeat of congregational life. Worshipers should be nourished and transformed by the experience weekly. Don’t settle for “good enough.”
- Whether using a guitar, piano, or organ, make your music first rate. If the music cannot be good, omit it.
- Have a good sermon that is applicable in daily life. Preachers, lay and ordained, should continually develop their skills.
- Make announcements short and relevant.
- Let the Prayers of the People reflect the life of your congregation. Adapt what is in the Book of Common Prayer or craft your own.
- Have good lighting and a quality sound system.
- Don’t rush.
9. Celebrate Together After Church.
For a newcomer, coffee hour can be more uncomfortable than an unfamiliar worship experience. But if done well, coffee hour can be a powerful way to build relationships within a community.
- Do not let newcomers stand by themselves in isolation. Don’t assume someone else will talk to them. Take the initiative and begin a conversation.
- Make certain the food and drink are first rate. Entice people to stay at church rather than go to a nearby coffeeshop or restaurant.
- Get creative. Display local art in your fellowship hall or invite a musician to play while people mingle.
- Make certain that the location of coffee hour is convenient to those leaving the worship space. Direct people there.
10. Follow Up.
Newcomer ministry doesn’t end after coffee hour. Many potential members are lost because congregations do not have systematic follow-up plans. Visitors need to know they have been noticed.
- To follow up, you first need contact information. Have visitor cards available.
- Make a phone call within 24 hours, then follow it up with a letter.
- Invite newcomers to be part of the community in a specific way. Ask them to join you at a specific activity, dinner, or retreat.
- Thank anyone who gave any amount of offering. Recognizing generosity is common sense, and to fail to do so can be off-putting.
Let’s work together to grow your church. Call the bishop’s office at (501) 372-2168 or email us for more resources.
Download a printable PDF version of the “Top Ten” pamphlet.
