How to Handle 5 Common Church Growth Barriers
The Christian Post has a great article by Nelson Searcy of The Journey Church (New York City, NY) on how to deal with five common church growth barriers. Here is a list of the five barriers with a quick summary of Searcy’s thoughts on each.
- Space
>> When a room reaches 70% of its seating capacity, it’s full.
>> Most churches face growth barriers when attendance reaches 65, 125, 250, 500, and 1,000.
>> It is better to grow to 300 or 400 before starting a second service. - Self-Development
>> If the church leaders have stopped maturing spiritually and progressing personally, the congregation is not far behind.
>> Warning signs include stale sermons, the congregation’s passion waning, and the halt of staff and church growth. - Sharing
>> Churches stop growing when they become inwardly (instead of outwardly) focused.
>> Healthy churches should have a 5:100 ratio of first-time guests. - Weekly Worship Service
>> To keep your service strong, always try to look like a church twice your size. - Staff
>> Hiring staff is a faith issue.
For more on each area, read the full article from The Christian Post.
