How Churches Really Grow

Unless a church is unusual, it is almost always thinking about how to get more people to attend. It is part of why we put out signage, send mailers, run Facebook ads, and try to create events people will want to show up for. Churches long for greater reach, and for good reason. They want the community to know who they are. They want to build relationships. Even as a church becomes more established, there is still this hope that more people will come, so we keep experimenting. Try this. Try that. See what another church is doing and then try it too. Ask people in the congregation to invite their friends. Host something for the community.

But for many churches, all of these efforts do not create much movement. Maybe a few people show up here and there, but most churches stay about the same unless they put in place a truly intentional strategy that meets people in a different way.

I remember working with a church years ago that was spending quite a bit of money every month on social media ads to attract new attenders. I am talking about several thousand dollars a month on Facebook alone, and it was producing almost nothing. It was not that the ads were bad or misleading. They simply were not effective. Very few new people were showing up, and of the people who did, almost none of them came because of the ads. Imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars every year only to gain a handful of new attenders. You can imagine how discouraging that felt for the church.

As we worked with them to figure out where the disconnect might be, something became very clear. The type of church they were and the people who lived in their community did not line up with social media as the primary way to connect with a new church. For many individuals who would have been a great fit for this church, social media just was not a relevant pathway. It does not mean social media is ineffective for every church. It simply was not the right tool for this one, and it started to make sense why.

This church was in a community where people were receptive to faith, but also highly skeptical. They had plenty of other priorities, and church was not high on the list. The only people likely to engage with social media ads were those already committed to a similar church or people moving into the area. But there were not many homes for sale, so there was very little new-move-in activity. On top of that, several great churches already existed within driving distance, and they were doing a solid job of keeping their people connected.

Our recommendation was simple. Stop running ads. They were not going to work here. The church needed a completely different way to think about reaching new people, and it had nothing to do with advertising.

As we walked with them through our process, we discovered that the church needed to take a new posture toward its community. They needed a better understanding of who lived there and what people actually needed. They needed to focus on becoming a good neighbor rather than a destination people were expected to show up at on Sunday.

When the church embraced a new mindset about the community and the people they could build relationships with, attendance actually started to go up. Why? Because a church like this grows best through invitation from trusted relationships. While there were unique things about this church, the truth is that most churches grow through the same strategy. Growth happens when people who have real relationships with others invite them into meaningful experiences.

When this church stopped leaning on advertising and began equipping its own people to invite others into events, conversations, and opportunities, the church began to grow. Over time it grew significantly, and it has continued in that strategy for years.

So when a church asks, “How do we get more people to come?” there is no simple, one-size-fits-all answer. Every church is different. But one thing is consistent. Churches that experience healthy attendance growth become highly intentional about building relationships in the community and equipping their members to do the same. They create friendly, low-pressure ways for people to invite others. They create events and experiences that are more than a Sunday service. They invest in opportunities for kids, families, and the broader community. They offer life-improving experiences that give someone a natural on-ramp to come with a friend rather than respond to an ad.
Here are a few things to consider:

1. Help your people build real relationships.

Encourage your congregation to engage with neighbors, coworkers, and friends in authentic ways. Most invitations grow out of meaningful relationships, not marketing.

2. Create easy, low-pressure invite opportunities.

Offer events and environments that feel natural to bring someone to. Think community gatherings, kids activities, or conversations around everyday needs.

3. Give people something worth inviting others to.

Make sure your church experiences are welcoming, clear, and thoughtfully prepared. When people feel proud of what is happening in their church, they are much more likely to invite others.

4. Focus on being a good neighbor.

Find ways to serve the community without expecting anything in return. Churches that consistently bless their neighborhoods become trusted and known.

5. Equip your congregation, do not just encourage them. 

Provide tools, language, and confidence. Simple invite cards, conversation starters, and a clear vision help people feel prepared instead of pressured.

In the end, churches grow when people reach people. When we learn to be good neighbors and invite others into meaningful experiences, we create the kind of environment where real growth can take root.