A small church may not have the money to provide free transportation, food, gifts or other incentives that can bring large numbers of people to church, so it has to think differently. This doesn’t mean larger churches don’t need spiritual capacity, but when resources are limited, the church has to pay even more attention to its spiritual health, its people and the kind of church it is building.
One of the first things to figure out is who you are actually trying to reach. Are you trying to reach young people? Families? Older people? Working professionals? Students? People who are hungry for prayer? People who want to grow deeply in the Word? Once you understand that, you can begin asking, What would genuinely interest these people, and how can the people already in our church help us reach them?
It doesn’t always have to be an expensive programme. It could be a special service, a practical seminar, a youth activity, a community outreach, a prayer gathering or something as simple as creating an environment where members can comfortably bring their friends and colleagues.
Your existing members are probably your greatest outreach resource. If you understand the people already in your church, understand the people you want to reach, and create simple opportunities for those two things to connect, you can grow without having a huge budget. Sometimes the answer isn’t spending more money; it’s becoming more intentional about the people God has already placed around you.
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