There’s not only a mandate for the church to grow, there is a natural desire for most churches and church leaders to want to grow. There are some people who run around saying, “it’s not about numbers”, and in one sense it’s true. In another sense, everyone is about numbers – because it indicates people, excitement, and growth. What is the first thing people want to know about voting and polls? About the huge concert? About world series game? About the new premiere on prime time TV? Or about the opening movie night? They want to know how many people were there!
One prerequisite to growing your church is to have a vision for growth and to begin changing your thinking. So, here are some ways to think like a big church.
Create large church systems: What systems need to be in place for your church to be twice the size that it is now? Begin implementing a couple of those systems now.
Think about people: When making plans for ways that your church can make an impact, think about the community and region around you. Take a drive around your area. What are the needs? Where are people? What do they long for? How can you extend hope? How can you meet needs? How can you show them Jesus’ love? Big churches also think about missions – they live them, dream about them, and support them. They not only care for those in the immediate area, they look for ways to serve in the greater kingdom.
Oversee strong communication (creative, concise, consistent): Communication is one area you can’t leave to chance. The website, publications, and all aspects of communication need to be correct, up to date, modernized, and able to connect with people.
Grow in excellence (and constantly instill importance of it): Excellence, defined by the Journey Church, is doing the best with what God has given you. This separates the large church mindset from the small one in many ways. Excellence can be grown into and can be accomplished no matter the size of your church. Excellence is a way of living. I once read a quote that said, “how you do anything is how you do everything.”
Cherish momentum: Do you have momentum? Do you keep it going when it shows up? Are you doing something new to make it happen? Click here for six practical ways to increase momentum in your organization.
Live into it: What is your dream and vision for the church? Begin to live into where you believe you are headed. Cast a big vision for people to get and begin to move toward it with all that you are.
Pray for more opportunities: And be ready for them! What if twice as many people showed up next Sunday? Would you be ready? You’re praying for growth, now begin to plan for answered prayer. Start another service or another location. Strike a deal with an adjacent business to use their parking lot on Sundays. Anticipate what God will do as we seek him.
Staff big: Treat your staff well. Make a plan for staff growth. Pinpoint those areas where there is need. Clarify the need. Prune it to be realistic, then pray for the person who would love to do that role. Make plans for hiring, organizing and getting the staff on board for great work. Don’t be afraid to organize and reorganize staff roles for maximum impact as your church grows and changes. Staff for growth in the sense that you may need to step out in faith and hire staff for where you want to be not where you are.
Right in your opening paragraph you demonstrate the out of touch problem of the mega church. Here are the real questions asked about the events you listed:
The first thing I want to know about the big concert is: what songs did they play? And believe me, I’ve had a keen interest in many concerts I’ve not been able to attend and THAT is the first question on the lips of all mega fans I converse with.
The World Series? The big question is: who’s winning? Please don’t let the Giants win. I’m a Dodgers fan.
The new premiere on prime time TV? The big question is: how was it? Same goes for movie premieres. In a fervor over a recent release, I have only discussed with others how we liked the film, not how it did at the box office. That hasn’t come up once.
In all these cases it is the content that is important, not “how many people were there”. You started with a false premise and then proceeded to explain it when you were wrong from the offset. Indeed, seeking the needs of people in the community is needed, but meeting those needs should be the focus, not getting butts in seats. That will come if you’re doing a good job. And even if they don’t come, is there no satisfaction in making a positive impact on a small number of people? Apparently not.
Numbers matter in TV, sports, movies and concerts for they are seeking to make money. Still, it’s good content that draws people in. If you seek numbers over content, it appears you’re willing to trade your members like stocks. A church in it for the money?
thanks for your thoughts… I see your point. Hopefully, I didn’t make it seem like content wasn’t important. I’m writing this with the church leader in mind – someone who would already agree on the importance of the message. I was merely attempting to get people to think about how they might have a mindset for growth in the kingdom.