It all seems so complicated when it comes to Church. We’ve added technology like audio-visual systems, facebook, twitter, and sermon streaming to the church and we’ve tried so many complex programs to try to “get them in”. It seems that we’ve added complexity rather than simplicity.
Christ promised that HE will build His Church. So does that mean we do nothing?
Recently I talked to the a group of Southern Baptist Leaders and wanted to give them a simple plan for effectively reaching more people for Christ. Nothing difficult. Just 4 things.
I finished my 90 minute session and was surprised to hear what people found was the most difficult of these 4 simple things. Which will you?
First, as a church and as a Pastor, you must consider your Audience. The people in your pew and the people you want in your Church. These are the people you have a passion for. Here are some questions to consider:
- Who do you feel called to Lead? Did God give you a burden for a certain group of people?
- Who do you relate well to? This is the round peg in the round hole paradigm. I believe that God will allow you to minister to people who you relate to and desire to spend time with. Of course, we need to have our eyes open to the people as Christ would see them.
- Who is in your current Congregation? Many Pastor that I talk to have never done a study of the people who are drawn to their local church. Age, Sex, Number of children, where they live, etc. All this information will help set the stage for how to expand your ministry.
- Demographics of your Community. These are the people in your immediate area. Who are they? Do they match who is in your current congregation? Do they line with the people you relate to and are called to lead? What is the potential number of people who “fit” into your local church?
I realize that this sounds like we’re talking that Christ didn’t die for all. We know He did. The joy of local churches being different, mean that you don’t have to offer something for everyone. But the more targeted and intentional you become at reaching a specific group of believers, the more effective you will be.
Homework: This week, take the time to write down the answers to these questions. As you pray about the answers, ask God to give you some goals of how many people your congregation can minister to in your community. Be sure to write the goals down, and be sure to have the goals measurable (time frame and specifics) — they’ll be more apt to be achieved!
