The Real Key to Church Growth is YOU, Pastor

• What’s New: Forget marketing and “y’all come” evangelism—they’re sinking ships in today’s world.

So What: Your time is precious, and you can’t afford to waste it on strategies that have failed for decades. Let’s focus on what actually works.

What Isn’t Growing Churches Today:

• Marketing’s Flaw: You’re selling to an audience that isn’t buying. Most unchurched folks see the church as irrelevant at best, judgmental at worst. No ad campaign can change that.

• You Can’t Reach Everyone: A one-size-fits-all approach leaves everyone out. A 24-year-old gamer has zero overlap with a 58-year-old empty nester—and neither does your marketing.

• Stop “Y’all Come” Evangelism: Inviting people to church is about as effective as inviting them to a knitting club when they don’t knit. They’re not interested, and they won’t come.

• Your Members Can’t Do It Alone: Let’s face it, your congregation has already invited everyone they know. Repeating the same worn-out tactics won’t bring new results.

And What IS Working Today:

• Pastor = Growth Catalyst: The key to church growth is when pastors leave their desks and hit the streets. In churches under 200, spending 50-80% of your time with unchurched people is the game-changer. (And no, those numbers aren’t typos.)

And … ?

Marketing “the church” rarely brings visitors and virtually never brings unbelievers. Why? Because the unchurched see the church as irrelevant to their lives. They don’t have a compelling answer to the What’s In It For Me? question. And let’s be honest … you’ve been waiting for your members to grow the church for years. Guess what … they’re not going to start now.

So, what works? Relationships. The pastor – that’s you – needs to be out in the community, engaging with people where they are. Networking with networkers, rubbing shoulders with the unchurched, and building authentic connections: this is where the magic happens. When people see that the church’s leader cares, listens, and relates to them, they start to see the relevance of the church. They might not come for a sermon right away, but they’ll come for you. Even better, you’ll get to know them and their needs, and you can adjust your sermons and your church’s events so relevance becomes a reality. And that’s where real growth begins. 

Action! Get start today by blocking 10 hours this week for networking outside the church—and stick to it.