Most of our churches experienced a slump in attendance the last few years. While some churches have turned the corner, reaching more people than ever, other churches are not there yet. Regardless of where your church is, we want you to reach more in ’24. Here are eight ideas to get your church growing again:

1. Make Prayer a Priority.

Only God adds to our number. We must make prayer a priority for the expansion of the kingdom. Read through the book of Luke, and you will be amazed how many times we find Jesus in prayer. Again, prayer must be a focused priority.

2. Evaluate Reality. 

Examine the past ten-year trend and honestly communicate your findings to the leadership. 

3. Develop a Plan. 

Ask God to give you a vision and grant you wisdom on addressing these needs. As a reminder, Dan Garland will be at the SBOM on Tuesday, April 9, to help you develop and implement a strategic plan (more information below).

4. Be Willing to Change.

Henry Blackaby correctly stated, “You cannot stay where you are and go with God.” Reaching more people often requires change. Think of Jesus’ question to the disabled man lying by the pool of Bethesda: “Do you want to be made healthy?” We need to ask ourselves this question if we want to grow again.

5. Prioritize Evangelism.

Each congregation needs an evangelism strategy to share Christ with our lost and dying world. Evangelism must become a supreme priority once again. 

6. Focus on Multiplication. 

From multiplying our small groups/ Sunday School to life-to-life disciple-making, multiplication must be in the very DNA of our church.

7. Look Outward not Inward.

Ultimately, your goal is not to build your kingdom but to grow the kingdom of God. Therefore, your church can grow by helping other churches grow (by fostering), adopting a struggling church, or planting new churches. Remember, there is a limit to a church’s growth at a single location. 

What ideas would you add to this list?

This article was written by state missionary Rob Jackson.