Church Growth

Church Growth explores how congregations can grow in healthy, gospel-centered ways—both spiritually and numerically. Find practical, Bible-based articles on outreach, evangelism, discipleship pathways, assimilation, small groups, leadership development, and building a strong church culture. You’ll also discover guidance on strengthening ministries, improving communication, engaging your community, and measuring progress with wisdom and humility. Whether you’re leading a church, serving on a ministry team, or helping a congregation move forward, these resources aim to support sustainable growth that honors Christ and forms disciples.

April 12, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Church Statistics: A Healthy Approach

By Michael C. Mack How you view the statistics in this and the next two issues depends on the attitude you decide to take. I suppose you could look at the numbers with a competitive spirit, comparing your figures with those of a nearby church or one in your size category, with envy, suspicion, or snobbery. Some of us might do the same with churches of Bible college friends (and foes), churches where we used to work, or those hip, one-word-name churches—you know, like Vibe, Collage, 24|7, and TheUnpretentiousDeliberatelyIntentionalChurchofAuthenticRelevantChristianCommunity (“Unpretentious” for short). I’d like to suggest two healthier ways to

March 23, 2018

Christian Standard

How to Maximize High-Attendance Weekends (and Minimize ‘One-Hit Wonders’)

By David Dummitt Easter is the best-attended weekend of church services, with Christmas being a close second. How can we strategically maximize our opportunity to connect with people during these weekends in ways that make first-time guests want to come back? The old adage says you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. But you can create environments and opportunities that sweeten the water. When planning big-attendance weekends, we must think critically and creatively about how we can create exceptional environments and opportunities to which people will want to return.   ‘Surprise and Delight’ For

March 9, 2018

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

What Are Your Church’s Push and Pull Factors? (Part 2)

By Kent Fillinger Last month we looked at “push” factors that cause a person to leave a church or religion. This month we look at conditions that “pull” someone into one church or faith over another.   Common “Pull” Factors A LifeWay Research survey asked about 2,000 “unchurched” Americans (those who have not attended a worship service in the last six months, outside of a holiday or special occasion) what, if any, life experiences would make them more open to consider turning to the church for help. The top three life experiences (as reported in Facts & Trends, Fall 2016)

March 8, 2018

Christian Standard

Our Heavenly Father’s Favorite Thing

The True Story of a Defeated Pastor, a Dying Church, and God’s Redemption of Both   By Ken Idleman  Both the Old and New Testaments reveal something about God that we tend to either quietly doubt or glibly take for granted. We can find it buried in the historical narrative of the book of Jeremiah, who speaks for God, revealing both his heart for and goodwill toward his people: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says . . . “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and

January 26, 2018

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

What Are Your Church’s Push and Pull Factors? (Part 1)

By Kent Fillinger My three daughters and I went to New York City for the first time last October. Our visit to Ellis Island was a definite highlight! I was amazed to learn what more than 12 million people encountered at Ellis Island. One part of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration had the history of migration and the peopling of America. I found one display titled “Push and Pull Factors.” The sign said, “Historians talk about the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that influence migration. ‘Push’ refers to the reasons people leave one place to go to another. ‘Pull’

January 24, 2018

Christian Standard

Vibrant Church Rebrands and Rebuilds

By Mel McGowan Imagine if a small church in the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania could pick up the torch from William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” through the development of a postmodern village green. Vibrant Church, previously known as Capital Area Christian Church, has offered its surrounding community a simple, relationship-centric approach to Christianity for 35 years. Vibrant serves the Susquehanna Valley, Mechanicsburg, and Harrisburg areas, where they generously and relentlessly pursue close connection with church members and the community alike. Vibrant’s mission is to be a gift to and destination for the surrounding community. In addition to an all-in-one, multifunctional

December 1, 2017

Christian Standard

Lighting Up the Valley

By Mel McGowan A campus redesign is helping Shepherd Church to be an influence in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the world. Imagine if the world”s cultural capital and dream factory exported God”s truth instead of Hollywood”s “false north” of political correctness and moral relativism. Imagine if a church in Los Angeles expressed the diversity of the City of Angels and offered a taste of kingdom come, where “all the colors will bleed into one,” as Bono sang. Dudley Rutherford””an Ozark Christian College and Hope International University alumnus””leads the 12,000-member Shepherd Church, called “the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles”

October 5, 2017

Christian Standard

The Miracle in the Cornfield

By Darrel Land It has been referred to as the miracle in the cornfield. That is an apt description of Redemption Christian Church. A church of more than 1,800 people in a rural town of 15,000 certainly is rare. To understand the amazing things God has done, you need to know a little bit about Jasper, Indiana. Jasper is unique in many ways. Farming dominates Dubois County, where Jasper is the county seat. The church is literally surrounded by corn and soybean fields. It”s as rural as rural gets. The majority of jobs are blue-collar. Jasper has often been called

September 8, 2017

Christian Standard

If We Want to Reach Millennials, We Must Think Like Veronica

By Haydn Shaw My writing collaborator and I put together most of my book Generational IQ while occupying a corner table at a local Smashburger restaurant. We spent so much time there that the entire staff got to know us. One afternoon, the manager, Veronica, asked how the book was coming along. She said she reads business books, so we talked about my first book, Sticking Points. When I told her Generational IQ was a look at the spiritual lives of the generations, she lit up and told us her grandmother was a devout Catholic. Her mother had been raised

September 7, 2017

Christian Standard

A Heart for Our City

By Aaron Brockett Six years ago, I wasn”t sure how I felt about multisite. I wanted to believe the best about all the hype I had heard about becoming one church meeting in multiple locations, but I didn”t want to throw my support behind it prematurely. I especially didn”t want to lead Traders Point Christian Church in this direction if we hadn”t clearly established the “why” behind it. I believe God calls every church to multiply (Acts 2), however I don”t think this means every church should become a multisite church. (The many reasons for this lie outside the focus of

August 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Medium-Church Insights

By Kent Fillinger From Abingdon, Virginia, to Woodland Park, Colorado, medium-size churches are a vital part of our annual church survey. Over the last three years, 160 different medium-size churches (average weekly attendance of 250 to 499) from 37 states have participated in our research study. On average, 93 medium churches have responded each of the last three years. Most recently, 88 medium churches completed the survey. I hope to see the number of medium churches that participate grow in the future! Here”s a quick statistical overview of the 88 medium-size churches based on 2016 data. The list of these

July 27, 2017

Christian Standard

A New Lease On Life: First Christian Canton Comes Rushing Back

By Ryan Rasmussen I must admit, right off the bat, that as a minister, I”m still learning, and the church I lead, First Christian of Canton, Ohio, is a work in progress. We don”t have the greatest turnaround story of all time, but God has done some incredible things over the past few years, despite our imperfections. You see, as I write this, I am sitting at my dining room table on a beautiful 82-degree day. The sun is breaking through the blinds as if God himself is stretching the rays of light, pinching one end between his thumb and

July 20, 2017

Christian Standard

FLYING HIGHER: The Eastpoint Story

It’s sunny but chilly this Sunday morning in Portland, Maine. That’s typical for May. It’s Eastpoint Christian Church’s final week in this facility, their fourth location in 13 years, but such is the case for many church plants, especially in the Northeast. Each location has had its challenges, but this one has been especially interesting. It’s a former DHL Express warehouse on the grounds of Portland International Jetport; worship and sermons are regularly interrupted by the roar of jets taking off and landing. Churchgoers have overlooked the noise and been thankful for the building, cramming nearly 1,500 people into 15,000

June 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Large-Church Insights

By Kent Fillinger I”m excited to share key metrics and findings of 94 large churches (average weekly worship attendance of 500 to 999) from our recent church survey. The August issue of Christian Standard will provide an overview of the 88 medium-size churches surveyed. And if you missed the big picture snapshot of the 133 megachurches and emerging megachurches, check out the May issue online. Growth & Attendance The large churches we surveyed grew 4.3 percent last year, faster than any other segment of churches. Large churches have grown an average of 4.4 percent annually over the last three years.

June 20, 2017

Christian Standard

The New Face of Rural Ministry

Roachdale Christian Church has been faithful to its mission for 129 years. Over that time, it has seen its share of preachers come and go, but lately the church is looking a whole lot younger!  Since starting, the church building has been located on the same corner in Roachdale, Indiana, a sleepy little town of just over 900 in the middle of Indiana cornfields, about an hour west of Indianapolis. A circa 1888 white clapboard building was replaced in 1924 by a larger brick structure. An educational wing was added in the 1960s, and in the “90s, a worship center

June 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Called to Serve Millennials, but Can We Reach Them?

By Haydn Shaw Churches have three main options for reaching millennials (those born 1981″“2001). When I consult with churches, I usually recommend the first, and sometimes the second, but never the third because it”s the one that doesn”t work. Option 1: Change the church now This is the best option for most churches. It”s important to hear what people who never grew up in the church have to say, so research is invaluable (my Generational IQ book is one resource, but there are many other helpful generational resources). Since 30 percent of the unchurched used to go to church, don”t

June 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Here Is the Church . . . but Where Is the Steeple?

Nontraditional approaches to building use and design From urban artists” colonies in the Southwest to suburban Tennessee, independent Christian churches are challenging””and abandoning””traditional American church design. While every church featured this month is seeking to use its facility to further the gospel, each congregation is taking a unique approach. Click on these links for a sampling of some of the most unconventional church building approaches to be found among Christian churches and churches of Christ. These profiles are written by Justin Horey and Jennifer Johnson: Bayside Church, Roseville, California CrossWinds Church, Pleasanton, California Journey Church, Three Way, Tennessee Crosspointe Church of Cary,

June 19, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE?—Area 10 Faith Community, Richmond, VA

By Justin Horey Area 10 Faith Community was established in the fall of 2008 in Richmond, Virginia—a city incorporated in 1742. (The church takes its name from the designation local Realtors have for downtown Richmond.) Not surprisingly, in a city nearly 300 years old, there is no vacant land available for new churches to buy. Since its inception, Area 10 has met for Sunday worship at The Byrd Theater, a historic, 1,300-seat movie cinema. The Byrd is a local landmark, but it lacks space for children’s ministry and other church needs like offices. One month before Area 10 held its

June 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Large Church . . . Small Town?

By Jim Estep It”s easy to understand why small towns have small churches. We can visit a town of 3,500 and find several congregations with fewer than 100 people in each. In fact, some would say that small towns like small churches. Bristow, Iowa, for example (population 160), boasts of having “The Smallest Church in Iowa.” One can readily explain a large church being in a large city. Finding a church of 1,000 in a city of 200,000 people””that”s reasonable. Most megachurches are in “mega” cities. But, what happens when we encounter a church of 1,200 in a town with

June 19, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Journey Christian Church, Roswell, GA

By Justin Horey For many years, Journey Christian Church met for worship in a traditional brick building with pews and a steeple. Today the congregation worships in the media room of a local high school. But Journey Christian Church isn”t dying. Journey didn”t lose its building. The congregation willingly sold its seven-acre campus so it could spend more on “ministry and mission” and less on “mortgage and maintenance.” When senior pastor Dan Garrett arrived at Journey (then First Christian Church of Roswell) in 2011, the congregation was averaging around 150 in attendance. Though Roswell has one of the highest per-capita

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link