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I believe your small town church can grow; I believe this because I’m living it.
The small town church where I serve as Executive Pastor will turn 12 years old this year. In those 12 years we’ve experienced incredible growth in many different areas. We’ve seen hundreds of people experience salvation and take their next step through baptism. We’ve seen our giving increase tenfold. And we saw our average weekend attendance top 700 people, in a one stop light town with a population of 2,200.
I believe small town pastors have amazing opportunities to do big things in their communities. I believe your small town church can make a big impact, and I believe your small town church can grow; I believe this because I’m living it.
But, before I get you too excited, let me warn you that it wasn’t always this way.
When Strong Tower Church was launched in 2006, we only knew one method of doing church, the way everyone else in our community was doing it. We launched with 87 people in attendance at our first service, and at the end of 2006, we had grown to 86 people. Best-case scenario at this rate was closing our doors after 86 years. Not exactly what you dream of when you plant a church.
The Barna group said that in 2003, the average Protestant church size in America was 89 adults. So, after our first year of ministry, we had basically achieved average. It was at this point we knew we had to start making some changes if we wanted to see the church grow.
In the past 12 years, I can say almost everything about our church has changed. The one thing that has remained the same has been our passion to uplift the name of Jesus and our passion for loving people. I have no doubt that these two things have been the cornerstones of our success.
As far as the changes that have helped us grow, there are ...
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People used to say the same thing about Charles Seomons sermon outline, that he published to help preachers in the 18C, but as Spurgeon commented, if you are a prophet, those dry bones will live.
Look at what he achieved and think what was the real reason for the increase in attendance.Do you think people will attend church because the man or men at the front are casually dress or they serve good coffe?
People attend church because people there are interested in them as people and because the sermons are addressing real issues thatpeople are trying to deal with.
The bible is totaly realavent to modern live and any preacher who workshis way through a book of the bible will have to deal with issuesthat are realavent to today.
QuoteQuoteQuoteThere is nothing whatsoever "prophetic" about regurgitating someone else's sermon outline!
QuoteQuoteThere is nothing whatsoever "prophetic" about regurgitating someone else's sermon outline!
QuoteThere is nothing whatsoever "prophetic" about regurgitating someone else's sermon outline!
There is nothing whatsoever "prophetic" about regurgitating someone else's sermon outline!
I disagree - as every week I am given words that are confirmed when I go to Church and hear the sermon...Every week the word I receive is confimed via Church...You are wrong I'm afraid... You only have to read my posts to see what happens on a daily/weekly basis [go back and see]
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Topic: Five Decisions that Helped Turn Around My Small Town Church (Read 430 times)
