If you have 50 members in church, then God has really helped you thus far.
But you don’t have to over-celebrate a specific number for too long without
wanting to grow more.
If you want to grow the church membership or attendance from 50 to 100
members, the first thing I would say is… you need to look at how you get to
5o members in the first place and the work that went behind the scenes to
attract and stabilize that numbers. What you also need to understand is what is
happening with the 50 people you already have and how healthy they are
spiritually and in other key areas of their lives.
Are they growing? Are their families healthy? Do they have what they need
for their daily bread? Before you start looking at areas like… Are they
inviting people? Are they excited about what God is doing in the church? Are
they actually bringing their friends?
Because if you have 50 people and none of them can invite anybody, then you
need to find out why, because there might be a real problem or some ignorance
hidden somewhere.
And you also have to understand that growing from 50 to 100 is not just
about praying for another 50 people to appear. You have to build the people you
already have so that they can help you reach more people.
You have teach the members as their pastor how to invite people to church.
Teach them how to carry and talk about Jesus everywhere because we are the
light of the world. Teach them how to share what God is doing in their lives.
Some people genuinely want to invite people, but they don’t know how to go
about it. So you have to teach them.
Then you have to look at your first-time visitors. When somebody comes for
the first time, what happens, and what is their experience like?
Do you welcome the person properly? Does somebody speak to the person? Do
you follow up? Does the person know what the church is about? Does the person
have an opportunity to connect with other people?
Because it is one thing to bring 50 new people into the church. It is
another thing for those people to stay.
And you also need to look at your preaching. Is the Word strong? Is it
understandable? Can people relate what you are teaching to their everyday
lives? You don’t need to change the Word of God because you want numbers, but
you need to improve your communication.
Then look at the atmosphere of the church.
What does somebody experience when he walks through the door? Is the church
welcoming? Are people friendly? Is the service organised? Are people being
cared for?
And Pastor, you also need to improve.
You need to improve as a pastor. You need to improve as a leader. You need
to develop your workers. You need to learn how to delegate. You need to build
people who can carry responsibility with you, because if the church is going
from 50 to 100, the responsibility is also increasing.
And please, don’t try to do everything yourself. You cannot pastor 100
people the same way you were pastoring 20 people. You have to start developing
systems and people who can help you care for the church.
And you have to give yourself and the whole church to fervent prayer. Don’t
remove prayer from the equation because you are now talking about strategies
and growth. Pray for the church. Pray for the people. Pray for the right people
to come. Pray for wisdom to know what to change and what not to change.
But while you are praying, look at what is happening.
Ask your 50 members questions. Talk to them. Find out what they love about
the church. Find out what is frustrating them. Find out what they think the church
can improve on. Don’t assume that because you are the pastor, you are the only
person who can see everything.
So yes, you can grow from 50 to 100. But don’t make 100 the thing you are
chasing.
Build the 50 people you have. Reach more people. Take care of the people who
come. Improve as a pastor and as a leader. Pray for growth, and keep your eyes
on what God has called you to build.
Because if God gives you 100 people, you also need to become the kind of
pastor who can properly lead 100 people.
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