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What’s Up:
It’s not that church marketing is bad, but the REAL reason your church isn’t growing is because your invite strategy is weak (or nonexistent!).
So What:
If you don’t have new faces coming in consistently, your church is on borrowed time. Period.
The Point Is:
Front Door Matters
Let’s get real. Weekend worship is your main gateway to disciple-making and church growth. While groups and events may help, if you aren’t filling seats on Sunday with first-time visitors, your church growth is already stalled.Marketing Mythbusting
Yeah, marketing feels easy. Spend some cash, run some ads. But here’s the tough love: Significantly less than 2% of your community is remotely interested in what you offer. Pure marketing might get you noticed, but it rarely fills seats.Pastor, It’s Your Job
Your congregation has already invited everyone they know … twice. Now it’s your turn. An effective pastor meets 15–25 new faces every single week, intentionally building genuine relationships that lead directly to your weekend service.
And … ?:
Let’s dig deeper. You can’t outsource genuine connection. Churches that rely only on broad marketing strategies rarely break the growth barrier because marketing lacks relational authenticity. It’s transactional, not transformational. The truth is simple but hard: people don’t join churches; they join relationships. As the pastor, your presence, personality, and genuine interest in community connections will do far more than any billboard or social media blitz. Never forget: YOU are the face of your church to your community (whether you like it or not).
Networking isn’t handing out business cards at mixers. It’s about intentional engagement, personal interest, getting contact information, and consistently showing up. It’s leveraging your role as the church’s face to foster curiosity and community trust. People show up because they’ve connected personally with you. When they come through your doors, they’re not just attending a service, they’re responding to a relationship.
Action!:
Ready to shift from passive marketing to active growth? Pick up the strategies that work—grab your copy of Effective Staffing for Vital Churches and start inviting strategically.
