Written by Ben Griffin, LINC's CEO

In my last post I responded to a study that showed that most churches in the US are not growing, and most of that growth is coming from transfers and not new believers. I asked the question, “Does the American Church need a new strategy?”

The answer was a nuanced “yes and no”. I proposed that the church needs to remember an old strategy and innovatively apply it to our modern context. That strategy being: God’s people on mission.

Churches that are effectively engaging new people live this out. They see their role as equipping their people to be on mission for God. Statistically, the younger a church is, the more likely it is to be effective in reaching new people.

Statistically, the younger a church is, the more likely it is to be effective in reaching new people.

Note this insight from Portable Church Industries which says young churches see 60%-80% of their new members coming from unchurched backgrounds. Compare that to churches that are 15 years old churches where that number  is 10%-20%.

Here are five characteristics I’ve observed in churches that are effectivelyreaching unchurched people:

1. Members see themselves as missionaries

Immigrant churches are leading the way. When I go to a typical suburban church and ask the question, “Who here is in full time ministry?” most people point to the staff. When I ask that same question in an African immigrant church, almost every hand in the room goes up. The calling is owned by everyone. It is no surprise then that these same immigrant churches have a much higher rate of engaging unchurched people.

In our organization, LINC, we dream of a day when everyone can experience the Gospel in terms they can understand from someone that they know. That happens when the whole church is involved in bringing the whole Gospel.

There is a much higher likelihood that unchurched people will walk through the front door of the church if they have first been invited through the front door of someone that they know.

2. The celebrate transformations

What you celebrate is what you replicate. On the same podcast I referenced earlier the pastor was asked how often they tell the stories of someone whose life was transformed by God. The answer was ‘constantly’. Effective outreach churches are always talking about the new believer, the transformation story, the one whose life God has changed. It is a theme over and over and over again.

How often is that a theme in your church? Once a month, once a year at Easter, or every single week?

3. They try new things

Being willing to try new things for the sake of reaching new people is a hallmark of effective outreach. Our organization, LINC,  lives on the innovative side of the church. We’ve had the privilege to play a role in helping many innovative church ventures, like a mobile church that goes to the homeless and one called Strip church that gets in the backdoor of strip clubs with the good news of Jesus. All led by people who are not afraid to try something new to reach the one who is far from God.

4. They consistently and sacrificially serve their communities

There is a question I’ve heard asked of church leaders, “If your church was gone tomorrow, would anyone in the community notice?” Every church has servant events. But there is a difference between one-off serving events and having an ongoing presence of care in a community.

Years ago the church that I was leading began investing in a local women’s shelter. We were determined to do what they needed, not what we thought they needed. So we asked them. They were shocked. Most people came with a preconceived idea of what they would do for them. Nobody had ever asked them.

Their answer was that the women needed someone to watch their children for a few hours so that they could have a break. So we started doing that every Wednesday evening. After about six months our team started to feel like they were not making much of a difference. The moms were watching tv and one of our volunteers received a concussion when a kid threw a heavy toy. We didn’t pull out. We doubled down. Even though it was hard, we kept sacrificially serving their spoken need. That consistent and selfless commitment made a difference. Not long after the concussion incident, they asked us if we would provide a Bible study as an option for the women (instead of watching tv). And that long term connection has led to many people coming to faith in Jesus.

Where is there a need in your community that you could be persistently and sacrificially present?

5. They see ‘the one’

What is one soul worth? I sometimes ask churches, “If this church existed for 100 years and only one person came to know Jesus through this community, would it be worth it?” The answer is always ‘yes’. Why? Because of the immeasurable value of every soul. Churches that grow through reaching unchurched people see the one. They care about the one. The people of the church constantly have their eyes open for the one in their lives that God has called them to.

Would you agree with these characteristics? Are there any you would add to the list?

In my next post I will continue this conversation with a focus on how highly localized nonprofits are a key to effective community outreach.