Growth in worship attendance falls into one of two categories:
- Increasing attendance among those who already attend.
- Increasing the number of people who attend for the first time.
For those already attending:
- Renew membership vows. Every four years, ask members to recommit, in a public ceremony, to the vows they made when joining the church.
- Set personal attendance goals. Members often are asked to make faithpledges with their money. Why not with their attendance? Experience has shown attendance jumps by at least 10 percent.
- Preach to answer people’s questions. Take a survey and ask three questions: “What do you wonder about most?” “What do you worry about most?” “What do you wish for most?” Then give them God’s answers.
- Tell people they were missed. When regular attenders miss a Sunday, drop them a card or e-mail and let them know they’re an important part of the church—and are missed when they’re gone.
For new attenders:
- Add a new service. According to Lyle Schaller, half of all churches in the U.S. should add a new service—and most will experience growth as a result.
- Hold more special-event Sundays. We all know what happens at a special event—more people come. So, plan 15 to 20 per year!
- Improve your website. More than 60 percent of people visit a church’s website before they visit their physical site. Put a “Visitors & Guests” link prominently on the home page.
- Increase your community visibility. Conduct 3 to 4 “Entry Events” each year— high-visibility events of interest to unchurched people in your community. Get names and addresses and then invite them to relevant “Entry Paths,” where they can make friends and build relationships.
