A lot of people seem to have been sharing my 25 Questions for people who want to make their churches grow on social media.
So, here’s 25 more…
- If you didn’t have to go to your church on Sunday would you still go?
- Are the clergy happy?
- Are the musicians happy?
- Does the congregation have a stronger ethos than that of its denomination?
- What one thing could you change this week to make the worship better?
- Why didn’t you make that change last week?
- What steps are you taking to make the phrase “All are Welcome” come true?
- Do you do church business on a Sunday after church or is there a better time for that?
- In the next month are you more likely to spend time on ecumenical activities or church growth activities?
- Do people who leave become ex-members who have disappeared or do they still contribute to the life and ministry of the place?
- What is the noticeboard like?
- What is the first thing you see when you come through the door?
- Did you implement the recommendations of the last “mystery worshipper” you asked to give you a candid assessment?
- Which church events in the next six months will be newsworthy locally?
- Which church events in the next six months will be reported in the local media?
- Do you have enough staff and who decides this?
- What would your clergy really like to do that they can’t because of the laity?
- What would your laity really like to do that they can’t because of the clergy?
- Which would attract young families more – a bible-based week long summer activity for children or letting it be known that gay people are welcome in your church?
- Can you email those members of your congregation who want to receive regular updates?
- Do you email those members of your congregatio who want to receve regular updates?
- Has someone done the work required to make sure emails sent to large numbers of people don’t end up in spam boxes?
- Who in the congregation has gifts that could be better used doing a different job in the congregation than what they are currently doing?
- Who is your volunteer co-ordinator and is it obvious how to contact them?
- Can you volunteer without being a member of the church?
‘In the next month are you more likely to spend time on ecumenical activities or church growth activities?’ Do you have to chose between these two activities? Are they mutually exclusive?
Yes, that’s exactly the kind of choice many people do face frequently.
The point really is that we all have choices to make and limited time. Churches which grow often have people in them who give up other worthy and worthwhile things to help make them grow.
Obviously I have read the 25 more things etc. Although I am a member of the local church,. The volunteer coordinator is not known to me. I have been attending the church for 14 months. Children are welcome to attend the church, as long as they don’t annoy the harpies. Recently a family who were involved in the music played in the church. Apparently there child was a bit of a handful, and one of the congregation said something about this,to the parents. Now they worship in a Church of Scotland, and will not be back.
This leads to some people also leaving. I now pay for a bus to Inverness and go to the Cathedral’s services. If this continues the church will not survive. In one sense that may not be bad, this church is one of two joined together. As far as I know the entire congregation have cars, so travelling to the sister church would not be a problem. The comments are perhaps not immediately apparent, in the way you have written the list.