- Do you have a decent church website?
- Is it up to date?
- Is it responsive – ie does it work on mobile phones?
- Does your own online profile feature your ideas and hopes and dreams other than a desire for people to turn up to church?
- Do you know what you are doing with twitter and facebook?
- Who could you learn more about social media from?
- Do you have a compelling reason why people should come to your church other than where it is or what denomination it belongs to?
- Can everyone in the church tell you in one sentence what that compelling reason is?
- What is your beginners’ course like?
- What comes after the beginners’ course?
- Do people like the preaching?
- Do people enjoy the music?
- Have you dealt with conflicts from the past?
- Are the people friendly?
- Do you have any new groups starting soon?
- Do you talk about making the world a better place?
- How will people experience joy if they come to your congregation?
- If someone from your past turned up unexpectedly at worship how would it make you feel?
- How do you identify newcomers and what do you offer them?
- What problems will arise if you do grow and how will you deal with them?
- Do claims that you welcome everyone stop you working at welcoming those who traditionally find it hard to find a home in church?
- Do you use language that is inclusive of everyone?
- How do you know?
- Is there any identifiable group of people that you can’t explicitly say are welcome because of how an individual or group in the congregation will react?
- Do you want to grow or not?
7 responses to “75 questions for people who want to help churches to grow”
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Kevin, that’s very interesting set of questions. Can I shamelessly steal some for something I am working on in Chichester? Thanks
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Feel free to share – please give a link to the website where appropriate.
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Very thought provoking set of questions applicable in large part to many walks of life as well as the Church.
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I should like to share it with my Baptist masters in Oxford if that would be OK. We’re in process of deciding who we are, before starting to look for a new minister to work with and lead us.
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Of course.
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76. What role does Jesus play in your preaching/formation/proclamation?
77. Can you wrap your reasons for going to your church into a joyful and inviting “elevator speach” (a speech taking the amount of time you need to ride a lift/elevator)?
78. Do you know what your neighbourhood is looking for, what its needs and desires as much as its joys and hopes are?
79. What would you miss if your church would close? Would you neighbourhood miss you?
80. How does your church get its “hands dirty” with creating a just society and preserving creation?
81. Do you undergird all you do with prayer and worship?
82. Do you willingly and joyfully give of your time, talent, and treasure to your church?
83. What role does discussing your own resources play in the formation of your church? (Stewardship)
84. Do you share details you spiritual and church life joyfully with friends and neighbours?
85. Do you share the concerns and worries of your friends and family with the responsible people in your congregation?
86. Are there church events happening outside your buildings?
87. Are children neither seen, nor heard; seen, but not heard; or seen and heard?
88. Do you pray for growth?
89. Do you pray for your city and neighbourhood?
90. What role does the cross play in your identity and formation?-
It seems to me that people can help churches grow with the most varied theological presumptions. I’m not convinced that any particular one leads inevitably to growth.
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