Here’s some research that you should know about – it could give you some pointers on what grows church plants. The research included all major denominations and some 1200 church planters. The survey was limited to churches started after 2007, so there were 843 church planters that fit the criteria. The research was done by Newchurches.com and Ed Stetzer.

General observations for comparison purposes:

• Average worship attendance in the third year was 95.

• There were 18 new commitments by the third year.

• 34% of the church plants had an unchurched background.

Every study I know of has shown that new churches that aren’t self-sufficient by the fourth year most likely will never be self-sufficient.

New churches that aren’t self-sufficient by the fourth year most likely will never be self-sufficient.

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So what helps a church become self-sufficient? Consider the following.

• 71% of new churches that put their sermons online as a form of communication are self-sufficient within three years. Those that don’t – 57%

• 74% of new churches that meet in a school are self-sufficient within three years. Those that meet elsewhere – 60%

• 71% of new churches that have membership classes are self-sufficient within three years. Those that don’t – 53%

• 68% of new churches that have a leadership training plan are self-sufficient within three years. Those that don’t – 57%

• 72% of new churches with a proactive stewardship plan to move to self-sufficiency within three years. Those that don’t – 53%

• 71% of new churches that contribute to other church plants are self-sufficient within three years. Those that don’t – 54%

• 73% of new churches whose pastors feel adequately compensated are self-sufficient within three years. Plants with pastors who don’t – 57%

• 71% of new churches that plant at least one church in their first three years are self-sufficient within three years. Those that don’t – 63%

But what about things churches do to grow attendance? Consider the following.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches that use mailers as one of their top 3 forms of communication is 129. The average attendance is 86 for those that don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches that use radio or television ads as one of their top 3 forms of communication is 167. The average attendance is 92 for those that don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches that contribute to other church plants is 117. Average attendance is 62 for those that don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches whose leaders invest or mentor other leaders of new churches is 121. Average attendance is 73 for those whose leaders don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches whose leaders receive at least a month-long training course provided by their denomination or network or coach is 154. Average attendance is 93 for those whose leaders don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches whose leaders receive financial compensation for their work is 108. Average attendance is 50 for those whose leaders don’t.

• The average attendance by the third year in churches that hold new members classes is 113. Average attendance is 67 for those that don’t.

There are a lot of myths about outreach that just don’t hold true.

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When it comes to reaching the unchurched, we are learning that there are a lot of myths about outreach that just don’t hold true, like door hangers and door-to-door strategies. Consider the following.

• 37% of those in attendance are unchurched in new churches that use special events for kids as a primary form of outreach. 30% are unchurched in new churches that don’t.

• 45% of those in attendance are unchurched in new churches that use door hangers or flyers. 31% are unchurched in new churches that don’t.

• 38% of those in attendance are unchurched in new churches that use prayer walking in preparation for their launch. 33% are unchurched in new churches that don’t.

• 45% of those in attendance are unchurched in new churches that use door-to-door outreach as a primary strategy for their launch. 33% are unchurched in new churches that don’t.

• 46% of those in attendance are unchurched in new churches that use ongoing sport leagues as a primary form of outreach. 32% are unchurched in new churches that don’t.

The goal of the Great Commission is to reach new believers. Consider the following information about how this happens in church plants.

• New churches that use podcasts as a form of communication have an average of 60 commitments the third year compared to 38 for churches that don’t.

• New churches that use mailers as one of their top 3 forms of publicity have an average of 25 commitments the third year compared to 16 for churches that don’t.

• New churches that use a sports league as a continuing form of outreach have an average of 20 commitments the third year compared to 18 for churches that don’t.

• New churches that have a plan for leadership development have an average of 22 commitments the third year compared to 11 for churches that don’t.

From this survey we can conclude the following:

• New churches that use digital presence, have intentional outreach activities and programs, and are investing in developing lay leaders are more likely to see a higher number of commitments from people with no church background.

• Growing churches are more likely to use door hangers, mailers, television, sport leagues, special events for kids, prayer walks, door-to-door outreach, and podcasts than those that don’t.

• New churches that prioritize a public presence, focus on new membership assimilation, and emphasize developing leaders are more likely to become self-sufficient by the fourth year.

• New churches that invest in other church plants are more likely to grow than those that don’t.

• New churches that have an intentional plan for leadership development are more likely to grow than those that don’t.

• New churches that have membership classes and raise the membership bar are more likely to grow than those that don’t.

Question: Which of these trends have you witnessed in church plants you’ve observed? Share your experiences in the Comments section below.