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When it comes to their approach to church size, many church leaders find themselves on one of two ends of a spectrum. Some think, “Increasing church attendance numbers is not our focus; what really matters is having deeply committed disciples!” Or, on the other side of the spectrum, people think, “Attendance numbers are very important; we have to reach as many people as possible with the gospel!”
The reality is, of course, someplace in between these two ideas. The number of regular attenders can certainly be a sign of church health and the vibrancy of the church community, but this isn’t always the case. There are healthy big churches and small churches just as there are unhealthy big churches and small churches.
It is important for church staff to care about church attendance because it is one of the ways they can measure how well their church is evangelizing, or at least being hospitable toward, the surrounding community.
Since the 1940s, church membership in the United States has dropped by about 26%. Answering the question, “Why don’t people come to church?” is nearly impossible as there are likely several reasons any single person may not attend church.
Some feel burned by bad church leaders. Others simply don’t believe in Jesus Christ or any god of any sort. Yet others may want to attend a church but are nervous about whether or not they would be welcome.
Are you interested in a practical church growth strategy with simple steps to reach more people in your community? Let’s look at ten ways a healthy, faithful church can increase attendance without making it all about numbers.
1. Help people discover your church
When someone is looking for a new church, they search phrases like “churches near me” or “church service times.” Most churches already have a website, so the important question your church needs to ask is this: “Where does our website show up in these kinds of search results?”
In order to help more people find your church online, it’s important to steward your church website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If that sounds complicated, don’t worry, we’ve created a free SEO guide with step-by-step instructions to walk you through setting up your church’s Google Business profile, optimizing your “local SEO,” and improving your website’s overall SEO.
People also search social media for churches in their area, so it’s important to make sure your church’s social media pages have helpful information such as your location, contact info, service times, and upcoming events. In order to draw people into visiting your church, be sure to include engaging content such as photos of recent events, sermon videos, and live streaming.
2. Make your church building more welcoming
Many people go to church looking for a new place to call home. Ask yourself this question, “How would I feel visiting my church as a first-time guest? Would I feel welcome, valued, and understood?”
Making your church building more inviting doesn’t mean you need to have the best coffee or the trendiest interior decorating—but it does mean spending a little bit more time and effort to focus on your visitor’s experience!
Creating a welcoming church environment isn’t as much about stuff as it is about having a spirit of hospitality. Here are just a few ways to help your guests feel at home:
It’s amazing how simple changes can impact your church culture and help grow your church in an organic way.
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3. Follow up with first-time guests
Church leaders understand how frustrating it is to see new visitors come, go, and not come back again. Oftentimes this is due to gaps in visitor follow-up plans. For example, it’s possible that your welcome team may miss a first-time guest and not have the chance to welcome them. Or perhaps someone visits your website but doesn’t know how to connect with your team.
Connection cards are an effective way to gather a visitor’s information to connect with them later. Provide printed connect cards in your building as well as online forms prominently displayed on your website and mobile church app. Ask for basic contact information and offer them checklist options that focus on your visitor’s needs such as prayer requests, small group sign-ups, or pastoral counseling. Follow up with them soon after their visit, and be prepared with next steps they can take to get plugged into your ministry.
If you’d like more first-time visitor ideas, download our free ebook, How to Connect with Church Visitors. Explore strategies for connecting and following up with guests, outreach action plans, and tips from real church leaders.
4. Create an inviting worship environment
What do people experience when they attend your worship services? Providing your guests with an inviting worship environment doesn’t mean you need to have an amazing sound system and slick smoke machines on your stage. Those things aren’t bad, but they’re also likely to go unnoticed by first-time guests or others who may be considering attending your church.
The key to creating a truly inviting worship environment is making your visitors feel at home when they walk into your auditorium. Be sure to welcome first-time guests from the pulpit, and don’t forget to greet people watching online and invite them to attend in person.
Clearly explain what they can expect during and after the church service. Invite them to participate in your regular church activities such as weekly youth services and small groups, and get them excited for special upcoming events.
5. Amplify your online presence
Your church’s digital front door is your website. That’s why it’s important to create a user-friendly and informative church website that includes your location, meeting times, contact information, connection forms, and other information to encourage them to visit.
About 82% of Americans use social media, so be sure to get your church on Facebook, Instagram, and other channels. Consider how your church can effectively use social media—including paid ads—to reach unchurched people in your community. Well-targeted Facebook ads are the 21st century version of the church postcard. You can also create a social media plan for your church for outreach and engagement.
To reach remote or homebound visitors, live stream church services and upload on-demand sermon videos to your church website and mobile app. With Subsplash Live, you can also chat with your online guests in a safe and secure environment.
6. Build a sense of community
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the local church (Isaiah 28:16). A vibrant church community helps build out the rest of the foundation of a healthy church. A church that is only set up for people to come in, hear some music and a sermon, and then leave is going to struggle with building a strong sense of community.
Healthy church community requires both the church leaders and the body of believers to remember they are a family. Provide small groups to allow people to connect with others in the community. Another great tool to support community-building is Subsplash Messaging—where your people can chat, share prayer requests, and have meaningful conversations to build relationships.
7. Foster youth & children ministries
A good way to increase overall church attendance, especially with families, is by investing in vibrant and relevant youth programs. By establishing an environment that encourages children to grow spiritually, you’re investing in future generations of church leaders and the long-term sustainability of your church. Be sure to share stories, photos, and videos of special events such as summer camps, vacation Bible school, and other youth-centered celebrations.
8. Connect with unchurched people
The reality is that people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ or have family who attend your local church community are unlikely to just show up to your church building on their own. As a church leader, you need to do the equipping work to which you have been called and train your church members to befriend and invite their unchurched neighbors, co-workers, and friends to a church service.
Create church programs that are centered around connecting with your broader local community. These could be local projects for serving meals at soup kitchens, helping elderly people with home repairs, or even creating or serving at a local food bank.
9. Empower your church leadership
The people on your church leadership team are some of the most passionate individuals in your church—why else would they be giving their careers (or lots of volunteer time) to support the work of the local church?
In whatever position you’re in as a church leader, be sure to invest in your volunteers and staff. Model what servant leadership looks like. Regularly check in with them to make sure they have the tools they need to succeed. Provide training and the resources they need to equip the saints for ministry (Ephesians 4:11–13) and reach your surrounding community.
10. Create a plan for long-term engagement
Of course the hope is that first-time guests will become long-time church members. In order for that to happen, church leaders should be sure that all church attendees have ongoing support for personal growth and spiritual development.
On top of that, church leaders should do all that they can to create and maintain a sense of belonging and community for those who attend.
When it comes down to it, welcoming unchurched people or others from your surrounding area isn’t too different from welcoming people into your home. Create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere filled with passionate people who follow Jesus Christ, and encourage your people to show God’s love to others—these are at the core of how your church can grow in attendance.
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