Strategy for Growth

I believe it is important for churches, whatever their size or shape, to have a ‘Strategy for Growth and Outreach’. The church functions best when it is like a living organism whereby new growth is experienced in springtime and the organism grows to maturity as it is fed by the sun and rains of summertime, yielding a harvest each year.

What you have seen in this bulletin are some ideas which you can use in the various stages in the cycle.

Connecting with the Fringe

A vibrant church will be building healthy relationships with people outside of church, not simply meeting with the same group week by week.

Sharing the Gospel

Having made connections, Christians need to develop the art of sharing their faith in a natural way and encouraging people to start their own journey of exploration.

Proclaiming the Gospel

There comes a point at which we need to talk to people about the core beliefs of the faith in order that they can make up their own mind about Jesus.

Maturity

All of us in the church, whether a new-born baby in the faith or a long-standing member, need to apply our faith in such a way that we grow to maturity and act as ‘salt and light’, making a positive contribution to society in a way which is right for us. Not all the resources mentioned in this bulletin will be right for your situation. Some churches may use Alpha as a means of ‘Proclaiming the Gospel’ and follow it up with Emmaus Growth which lends itself nicely to a ‘pick and mix’ approach.

Once you have decided upon your strategy and selected the material to use at each stage, get people involved. It is wonderful to see the look on people’s faces when they are asked to act as a group leader on Alpha, or lead a short devotional time for a Mum’s Group.