The Top 5 Reasons Churches Don't Grow 4

This brings us to the number one reason churches don’t grow.

1. Worship Services that aren’t Worth Shouting About:

Your church can have all the other growth-killers sorted and still not grow. If conflict isn’t an issue the almost certain cause for lack of growth is because the worship services don’t move, touch or inspire!

Churches can grow in areas of declining population, in economically impoverished communities and even in hostile environments. But if worship doesn’t inspire, especially its guests, then the chance of growth is almost zero. It’s not about the worship style, technology, nor the range of instruments or lack of them – it’s about the totality of the worship service. Services that blend different worship styles usually disappoint everyone but even they can contribute to church growth if they move, touch and inspire. This means that the music connects with the worshipper’s spirit and the presentation of the gospel in preaching, music and action is clear and concise. This requires that the sermon/message is so motivating that people don’t leave with a list of facts but with a heart-wrenching commitment to live their lives differently when they leave the building. This means that nothing gets in the way of the Holy Spirit – in spite of our theological inadequacies and odd ways of doing church, God shows up with power that breaks the rocks of the heart and with a gentleness like a whisper in stillness.

Here’s the deal. If your worship services aren’t moving your members enough to invite their friends and relatives, let alone their acquaintances, neighbours, co-workers and everyone else, then your worship services aren’t worth shouting about. It’s time to examine the whole of this area of church life and – if necessary – get help to make changes in order to take your worship to another level.

Bill Tenny-Brittian’s view is that if you nail down these five areas of church life, you will not only grow, you’ll explode. In a good way!