In Jesus’ parable of the sower, some seed fell on stony ground and no fruit was produced. Other seed fell on good ground, received sunlight and water and flourished.

In Years gone by, we spoke of the local church as a Church Field. It was not just the area community but included all the people within undefined borders. As any farmer knows, a field must be tilled, free of pestilence, nourished and tended if crops are to grow. The same is true for a church; the field must be prepared and tended.

A church can grow when the environment is right for growth.

What is the right church growth plan for your congregation? Before you call a meeting to discuss the plans for your congregation, consider the environment necessary for a church to grow.

CLEANLINESS

A clean well-maintained facility tells a visitor that the congregation cares about their Church. The appearance of the buildings is a reflection of the commitment of the membership. Buildings in need of repair, dingy if not dirty, will not appeal to the first-time visitor. Young families with small children are especially sensitive to facilities that pose a hazard to their children. A mother might take one look at the old, soiled sheets on a crib and say to her husband, “There is no way I’m leaving my baby in that nursery!”

The age of a facility is not a major factor for visitors. Older buildings have charm or lend a religious atmosphere that attracts visitors. The cleanliness of the buildings is, however, a major influence factor. Restaurant managers know people will patronize a restaurant for great food and great atmosphere. Each is as important as price for many people but it is the cleanliness of the restaurant that ultimately determines if the restaurant survives.

Unstated, but just as important as the food and the atmosphere, is the cleanliness the patron experiences. If the county rated churches as they do restaurants, many churches would be forced to close.

McDonalds routinely demolishes and rebuilds its restaurants. The strange thing about this practice is the new building is often exactly like the one that stood on the location for twenty years. The major change is everything is new, clean and fresh. The manager and most of the employees remain. Why do McDonalds and other chains tear down and build again? Because they know people like clean. It is impractical to tear down churches and rebuild but we do have the ability to make them clean.

PEACE

One fellow said the best glimpse of Hell he had ever witnessed was a business meeting at a Baptist church. People avoid confrontation. When attending a worship service, the last thing a visitor wants to experience is confrontation and hostility. Many pastors can relate stories one family sitting on one side of the church and another family sitting on the other side because of ongoing differences. Visitors who return a second or third time will soon notice and feel the hostility of such feuds.

A growing church will be one of peace. When people get along, there is peace and others desire to share that peace. Congregations should set a high priority on preserving peace and harmony within the Body of Christ. Parking lots, soft pews, a rich music program are important. But peace is essential for church growth. Without peace people will leave the church.

TRUTH

People expect the church to fulfill promises. Advertising An Inspiring Contemporary Hour of Worship that turns out to be a traditional hour of litany, is not fulfilling a promise. The inspiring part may come to pass or it may not but when the advertising said contemporary; the visitor will be expecting contemporary.

Times and places announced in bulletins, newsletters or signs are expected to be as advertised. If the Sunday School hour is at ten and there is a class for everyone; then there should be a class for everyone at ten! Parents will be very upset if they visit a church for the first time and discover the director of Church School has to locate a teacher and a room for their child. The church has an obligation to be truthful and honest.

Brochures and pamphlets are great tools to reach prospective members. Care should be taken to update the information in these publications when changes occur.

A growing church takes special care to coordinate and to facilitate various functions. There are no money-back guarantees but there should always be a high regard for honesty. A church without integrity is a dying church.

STABILITY

Immanuel Baptist Church in Kinston, North Carolina sold out and moved. For a time after selling, the congregation met at a local church prior to the host church beginning their services. Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights Immanuel held to a set schedule that did not interfere with the host church. The members of both congregations knew when services and activities would be held. Church life went on for Immanuel just as it had before moving. When construction of Immanuel’s new facilities were completed most of the congregation remained.

Drastic leadership changes, policy changes, programs canceled and a host of other CHANGE can kill church growth potential. Famous last words of a church about to die, “This is the way we have always done it.” People want stability and when there is change for the sake of change, stability is lost. When change comes, it should come with prayer, planning and information. A congregation empowered to participate in making changes accepts changes. When change is thrust upon a congregation they will rebel.

“If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it!” Pastors hear such phrases and cringe. My reply to such a phrase is, “If it’s not working, then it is broke!” Broken needs to be fixed but you can’t drop a 2005 engine into a 1950 body and expect perform perfectly. Stability is maintained by planning for change. Pastors and committees would do well to research the needs of the congregation, share the research with the congregation and allow even those not directly influenced by the change to have input.

TRUE

A rural congregation meeting in facilities constructed in 1946 will not rival the Crystal Cathedral in attendance. Time and change may bring such numbers but the congregation today must be the congregation of today and not the congregation of tomorrow.

Christ Community Church was organized in 1982 in rural Union County of North Carolina. At the time, there were seven houses on Rogers Road. Since then, an elementary school was built beside the church, a middle school behind the church, and a mile away a high school. There are several thousand homes within a mile radius and more are completed each day. The congregation of less than fifty will one day be more than five hundred. Until the growth happens, they must continue to pay the bills and operate as a church of fifty not five hundred.

A church should have a vision. Through study, planning and prayer a church can achieve a realistic vision. As a church prepares for growth it must first know itself. A resort congregation ministers to vacationers; a congregation located beside a military installation ministers to military families. A congregation far from the nearest town and set in the midst of large farms will minister to farm and migrant families. The future for each of these is based upon how well they minister to the needs of their community. Such congregations have potential to grow in number as they reach out to new members of their communities.

If a rural congregation decides to become a city congregation, they either move or build a city. Visions must be realistic and in line with “who” the congregation is.

VISIBLE

Visibility is an important part of church growth. No matter what strategy a congregation chooses, visibility is necessary. The seeker has to know you exist before they can visit. A huge spire stretching toward heaven looks great but it does not mean your congregation will grow. Visibility has to do with the members of a congregation actively promoting their church to the community. Visitation programs, daycare, hosting AA meetings, scouting, and soup kitchen duty are ways of making the church visible. It is interaction with the community that draws attention to the church.

Buildings do draw attention but are a poor substitute for a caring congregation reaching out to the community. The size of the church building is not important but the size of a congregation’s heart is important. “Location, location, location” is preached by real estate agents; but without a heart for people location means little. Jesus said, “Where your heart is where your treasure is.” People being faithful Sunday after Sunday committed to their church and the ministry of the church will bring visibility and growth.

I recently urged all our members to park in the front of the church instead of behind the church. “Why?” They asked. I explained, “People living in this neighborhood see a building on Sunday morning but no cars. We give the impression the church is closed, there are no services. By parking in front of the building, people passing on the street will see your cars and know services are being held and you are here to worship.”

I have seen, just as many pastors have seen, visitation programs fail when the visitation falls on the pastor and staff. A church desiring to grow is a congregation giving of their time more than their money. Before real growth can take place, the congregation prepares for that growth by being involved in the ministry of their church.

The very best planned, organized and financed program fails without people committed to the church. Enthusiasm is contagious. Where there is no fire, there is no warmth. The visibility comes from excited, committed people not programs. It doesn’t take a large advertising budget to reach people, it takes committed people.

FRIENDLY

Yes, you have heard this before! We have heard that WAL-MART is successful because they are shopper-friendly. They have greeters; they have service people to help with problems. They stress to their employees the need to be service oriented. The business truth is good service brings repeat business. This is well and good for the local congregation but go a step further. Why not have members being friendly with each other?

Standard practice at many churches is to have “handshaking” time during worship services. Ever notice people heaving a sigh of resignation then standing, putting on a false smile, then turning to the person behind them to give the compulsory handshake? The “handshaking” time needs variation. It should be a reflection of caring and friendliness existing within the congregation. There is no substitute for a real smile and heartfelt welcome.

Instead of the handshake, give a hug to someone who needs hugging. Instead of the handshake, go sit next to someone for the remainder of the service. There are many ideas that can be tried and some will work but even those that work need to be varied.

Visitors don’t want to be singled out but they want to be noticed and appreciated. In efforts to become friendlier, extend friendliness to all without turning the spotlight on a few.

Church growth can “just happen” if the house is in order. Churches that have plateaued or are dying are not reaching new people. Why not? Church leaders should step back, take a hard look then decide what common sense measures need to be taken.

Not just church leaders but the whole congregation should walk around the outside and look at their church. Perhaps take pencil and paper in hand and make notes. Do the same for the inside, going room to room examining everything. Have them ask, “If I were visiting here, would I be a one time visitor?”

Consider the environment of your church, would a seed be nurtured and produce fruit?