How is it possible for a church to witness 100 conversions and 45 new memberships in one year and still have the same number of attendees? Why do members drop out of church? What is the key to church growth? The answer to these questions has to do with part of the title of this book—expectations. After conducting a survey among evangelical Southern Baptist churches, churches reaching at least 26 people a year and baptizing one person for every 20 members yearly, the author analyzed the data and has determined the most effective means of church practice for keeping members, while continuing to gain new ones. At one point the author uses three terms to describe these churches’ programs: intentional, organized, and expecting.
The five elements covered in depth in the book, which will be summarized in this paper, do not represent the whole of the study’s findings. The study gave special emphasis to prayer, youth/children’s programs, Sunday worship service, an expository preaching style, and church doctrine all as factors contributing to the retention of church members. This summary will cover what the author deemed to be the most vital and potent areas of church ministry for keeping people. These are the Sunday school program, membership, leadership, the greeting committee, and a mission statement.
The single most significant element of church practice is the Sunday school program. If nothing else were improved in a church except the Sunday school program, the change in attendance would still be marked. The two keys to effective Sunday school are high focus and high expectation. Classes should focus on four areas of church life: relationships, doctrine, discipleship, and evangelism. The teachers must be well organized and studied up. All teachers should sign a covenant agreeing to serve for a specific amount of time and to fulfill their duties as teachers to be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually for class. Teachers should be members of the church and in agreement with church doctrine. The goal for each class should be to expand by means of intentional, accountable, relational evangelism until it is necessary to form a new class, keeping the classes somewhat intimate and providing more opportunities for people to serve. This is the primary and often only small group that church attendees will be a part of, so leaders should always be striving to provide an environment that promotes intimacy, accountability, and strong relationships.
The second most significant part of church practice, and the real clincher when it comes to assimilation of converts into the church, is the membership program. Some churches in more recent times have chosen to keep no membership roll; many churches keep an obsolete membership roll, which has not been updated, of people who used to attend. These “inactive” members may have quit coming for a number of reasons, primarily if they moved away or have become apathetic toward church or were hurt by the church. Nonetheless, if they don’t choose to jump back on ship themselves, they are much more trouble to win back than to go out and win new converts.
Churches should have an aggressive membership program. To create high expectations, membership should be pushed for immediately after salvation and baptism. Some churches in the study have had people pray to be saved in the membership class! Membership should be attractive, demanding, and natural. It should be demanding in two ways: 1. New membership ought to require a confession of faith, baptism, one-to-one discipling for new converts, agreement with church doctrine (at least generally), and attendance in a membership class. Membership should also expect involvement in a church ministry, regular giving, and Sunday school and service attendance. 2. The membership class should cover a vast array of information about Christianity, Christian living, and church life. Subjects to be included are salvation, explanation of baptism and communion, spiritual disciplines (Bible reading, prayer, giving, etc.), church doctrine, membership requirements, church policies (discipline, etc.), individual history of the church, the Church’s mission and the church’s vision, and the church’s ministries.
A third factor in keeping members active is a church mission statement. Church mission statements are not generally unique because they ought to cover the five purposes of the Church. However, they are necessary so that the members can know the purposes and understand the reason behind the programs that they are involved in. A mission statement also keeps the church’s focus in balance, recognizing that the budget should be divided fairly between the five purposes and that the ministries of the church should not be overlooking any purpose. It is also important for the members to know what the Church’s function is and what part of the big picture they serve in being a part of it. This gives individuals the feeling of inclusion in something greater than themselves—a purpose!
Fourth, the leader plays an important role in the integration of attendees into the church. There seems to be a correlation between retention and four characteristics of the pastor. First, the longer the same pastor has led the church, the more likely that church is to have a high assimilation rate. Second, if the pastor’s preaching style is primarily expository, which emphasizes explaining and providing commentary for a passage and usually works through whole books of the Bible, the people experience more spiritual growth and desire to stay. Third, if the pastor concentrates primarily on his sermon preparation and study, even to the point of missing some church events, and if he delegates the responsibilities of pastoral care to his teachers and leaders, the results are positive. Not only is the pastor more prepared for the one or few times that the public sees him each week, but more people in the church have more opportunity to get more involved by performing visitation, counseling, discipline, etc. Finally, the pastor’s leadership personality affects the growth of the church. He should be persistently task-oriented but also lovingly people-oriented.
The last significant effort the local church can make to keep people is a dynamic greeting committee. This committee must be characterized by the three key terms offered at the outset of this paper: intentional, organized, and expecting. On Sunday morning, greeters should be positioned throughout the church building, including in each Sunday school classroom, and even in the parking lot. A welcome or visitors’ center should be prominently located and manned by several greeters willing to lead visitors to any place they would need to find. During the service, registration cards are the most unembarrassing and convenient way to recognize guests in the worship service because everyone attending fills one out every Sunday. The greeting committee should also have an organized method of follow-up that includes the participation of Sunday school teachers and other leaders. First-time visitors should be connected with in any of various ways four times throughout the first week, and once within the first 36 hours.
Though other methods and programs may have a greater effect in certain locations, improving these five areas of church life is a sure-fire way to gain and keep more people in church. However, it will be impossible to make any significant changes overnight. Pastors and leaders must be patient, and they must keep the people informed. A long tenure by the pastor is the most effective way to turn the church around, but getting the boulder rolling is going to cost the pastor much of the trust and loyalty that he has accumulated over 10 to 20 years. Unanimous leadership support, a biblical mandate, and time are the most important factors to care for when pursuing change. Starting the momentum is the hard part, but the long-term benefits will be worth the heartache.
Rainer, Thom. High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.
