If you are a pastor, you know that growing your church is the key to longevity. Unless you replenish the members who either leave, move away or die, eventually, your establishment will cease to exist. So how do you achieve this feat in 2013? You do it by mixing technology, common sense and faith. These factors will give you the best results in your quest for more people. Do:
1- Be social.
Create a Twitter, Facebook and YouTube account. This process allows you to interact with millions of Internet surfers. As a consequence, after receiving an uplifting tweet (from you), checking out your friends (congregation) on Facebook, and watching one of your messages on YouTube, an otherwise uninterested individual might be curious enough to visit one of your services.
2- Teach outreach.
According to Mediaoutreach.com, 82% of unchurched people are more likely to attend a place of worship if invited. Yet, only 2% of church-goers ask this group to their church in a year. For this reason, as a pastor, you have to regularly address the subject of outreach in order to grow your church. Through messages, work shops, Sunday school and guest speakers, remind your followers that part of their Christian walk is to win souls, not just warm up pew seats.
3- Sponsor events.
These events should be ones that secular people might be attracted to. For instance, many mega churches offer their community an alternative for Halloween. Instead of shunning a holiday often considered by the religious community as demonic, they open their doors and provide local children a safe avenue to play games, get candy and socialize. This allows unchurched people to come into a non-threatening environment and get a different view of God.
4- Serve the public.
The only way some men and women ever come to Christ is through the love of a believer. Therefore, as a pastor who wants to grow his church, you have to offer the public several avenues of service. Set up programs that allow members to give away free food, provide blankets to the homeless and visit local hospitals. This type of effort attracts people showing them the true meaning of faith.
5- Change your story.
Do you preach that your church is one that accepts everyone – gays, drug addicts, adulterers and people of all race. Or, do you have an inclusive message that leaves people out. Change your story! You should plant in the minds of your members that your church is about love and acceptance. Your goal is to touch the masses, not stay small and closed off from others.
Ready to expand your aisles? Pastors, grow your church in 2013 by using the above tactics. They are no-fail ways to boost the numbers in your congregation.
