What Do I Do When I’m Struggling to Grow the Church I Lead as a Pastor Who Wants to See the Church Grow?

First, don’t let the fact that the church is not growing make you conclude that you are a bad pastor. Sometimes, you can be doing some things right and still not be seeing the growth you want to see yet.

But at the same time… don’t just keep praying for growth without asking yourself some hard questions.

What exactly is stopping the growth?

Are people actually coming and not staying? Are members inviting people? Is the church reaching the kind of people you are called to reach? Are you preaching the Word in a way people can understand and apply? Is there a welcoming environment? How are first-time visitors being received? What happens after they visit? Are people being discipled?

You have to look at the whole thing.

Sometimes, the problem is not that people are not coming. People are coming, but there is nothing helping them settle down and become part of the church. Sometimes, people are not coming because nobody is actually reaching out to them. And sometimes, we may need to look at the way we are doing things and be willing to change some things without changing the message or the vision.

I would also talk to your members. Ask them honestly, “What do you think we are doing well, and what do you think we need to improve?” You may hear things you don’t like, but at least you will be working with reality instead of guessing.

And please… don’t compare your church with another pastor’s church.

You don’t know the full story behind their growth. You don’t know what season they are in. Focus on the people God has given you and ask yourself, “How can I serve these people better, and how can we reach more people from where we are?”

Then start with what you can actually do. Teach your members how to evangelise. Encourage them to invite people. Improve your first-time visitor experience. Strengthen follow-up. Develop leaders. Create opportunities for people to connect and serve. Pray, but also work.

Because sometimes we say, “God will grow the church,” and yes, God gives the increase… but He still expects us to plant and water.

So don’t lose heart because the numbers are not where you want them to be.

Pray for growth. Study the situation. Ask difficult questions. Make the necessary changes. Keep serving your people. Keep reaching people. And keep building.

Growth is not only about having more people on Sunday… you want to see people come to Christ, grow in Christ, and become people who can help others grow too.