Top 10 Ways to Grow Your Church Without a Big Investment

There are many ways to grow your church, but all of them start with making sure you are doing everything possible to help people feel a sense of belonging and community. And the good news is that this doesn't require much cash. Once you've got that down, the rest comes easy.

This blog provides a variety of ideas and suggestions for how to do just that, without a big investment of money. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should provide you with plenty of ideas and help you think about how your church can be more approachable and supportive, even as you continue to grow and develop.

1. Start with the basics: evangelize effectively

Evangelism is critical to church growth, so do your best to get this right as it's the very heart of everything else on this list. It is about more than just inviting people to church or telling them about the church's programs; it's about inviting them into a relationship with Christ and helping them understand their need for Him. 

Sometimes, churches put so much emphasis on numbers that they lose sight of the fact that evangelism is about making disciples, not just adding people to the church rolls.

If you want to know more about evangelism strategies, click here. 

2. Establish an effective worship experience

If people aren't drawn towards God in worship, then they won't stick around when things get tough outside of Sunday mornings. So invest in high-quality music, thoughtful preaching, and meaningful prayer times so that people will stay connected with the church even after the service ends. 

A great worship experience doesn't just happen—it takes intentional planning and strategy on the part of leaders. 

3. Focus on relationships

One of the most important activities you can do as an organization is to connect with your community. If people feel like they truly belong, and feel a sense of community, they are more likely to attend and engage with the church on a deeper level, providing them with positive experiences that help them grow in their faith and connect them to the help that they need.

This can be accomplished when small groups are strengthened because they provide good opportunities for people to connect with other believers in meaningful ways. This helps them to grow in their faith and become more spiritually mature.

4. Create a ministry culture

Building a ministry culture is all about providing clear direction, building habits, and giving feedback. It's all about pointing your members in the same direction so that they can work together to accomplish the same thing: reaching people with the gospel.

Whether they're doing it in their homes or at work, or even if they're doing it online or in person—as long as they're living out their faith in whatever way they can, they're contributing to your church's ministry culture. And that's what helps make your church grow!

5. Promote your church's story

People want to know what makes your church special. They want to hear about how you started and why you're here. So share these stories with your congregants, and let them know that this is an important part of what makes your church unique.

It can be as simple as sharing your mission statement or as detailed as creating an entire video series that tells the story of how your church came to be. Whatever you decide, this will give your community members a better understanding of what they're signing up for when joining your church family.

6. Focus on what already works

If you already have an effective program or ministry, focus on improving it rather than starting from scratch. For example, if you're doing well with children's programming, keep doing it—and just make sure it's even better! 

You can also take advantage of opportunities for collaboration between programs or ministries. This will also allow you to improve what already exists in one area by giving it extra focus and support.

7. Develop a strategy to reach out to new families

One of the best ways to grow your church is by reaching out to new families. Families are one of the most important groups to develop a connection with because they often represent your maximum potential church attendance.

Here are some ways you can reach out to them:

1. Send out a welcome packet to new families with information about your church and events.
2. Provide childcare during Sunday services (or other times), so parents can fully participate in the church community.
3. Update your website to include information about getting involved as a family at your church, including links to relevant resources and information about upcoming events that families would enjoy (e.g., summer camp, family worship nights, scavenger hunts).
   

8. Get involved in ministry outside of your church walls

There are plenty of ministries that need volunteers from churches. From soup kitchens to homeless shelters and other social service agencies, churches have no shortage of opportunities to make a difference in their communities.

When members of your church participate in these ministries, they have the opportunity to get out into the world and meet new people—people who might become part of your church family one day!

9. Make it easy for people to get involved

If you want people to get involved with your church, remove the hurdles. Provide clear instructions on how to start attending events or join groups at your church, so they don't feel overwhelmed by all of the options available to them when they come through your doors for the first time (or even the second time).

If you are looking for a way to connect with more people and let them know about all the significant events happening at your church, consider using Tithe.ly Messaging. This church texting service and email tool is built specifically for churches to help you reach more people, connect with new guests, and grow your church faster!

10. Make good use of social media platforms

Many people think that growing your church means spending a lot of money on advertising, but it doesn't have to be that way. With some creativity and planning, you can get people to come to your church without spending a dime.

Here are just a few things you can do:

1. Create an official church page and update it regularly with information about upcoming services, special events, and more! Your church social media page will help you reach new people interested in getting involved with your church community.
2. Post engaging content on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You don't have to be an expert writer or photographer, but you should make sure that whatever you post is interesting enough for people to want to keep scrolling through their feeds.
3. Use hashtags when posting content. These digital labels will help people interested in what you're doing find it more quickly, which can lead them back to your website and hopefully into your church building.

Remember that social media platforms have their limitations, so it's important to try new angles to see what works best for you and your congregation. It may take some time before you see results from this strategy, but it will be worth every minute spent once you start seeing results.

Over to you

If you can provide your church members with an environment that encourages connection and relationship building, your church will have a strong foundation for any future growth. 

Because at the end of the day, growing a church isn't all about programs. 

It's not just about lining up the money or putting on huge events. It's not even about marketing or trying to hit particular benchmarks. 

At its core, growing a church is all about people—and if you can provide an environment in which people are given opportunities to get to know one another on a deeper level while professing their faith in Christ, then your church just might grow in unexpected ways.

The little but consistent efforts you make can all lead to the best returns on investment—a church with love for Christ and for each other.