How do you draw in church members?

Answer 1

This depends on whether you are wanting to encourage people who are already members of your church to come to church more often, or whether you are trying to attract new members.

To get people who are already members to come to church more often can be difficult, because the damage has already been done. The best thing is to retain the members who are still active in the congregation. One great way to do this is to get them more involved. Churches with a passive membership, meaning all they do is show up and listen, often loose a lot of members because they just don't feel like anyone cares if they show up or not. If members are given a responsibility, such as welcoming people at the door, leading or playing the music, teaching children, making the weekly bullitin, cleaning the building, visiting sick members of the congregation, or reading scripture verses in the worship service, they are much more likely to feel the need to attend church. If you take note when members of your congregation don't show up for services, you could give them a follow up phone call or stop by their home. Do it just to make sure they are alright, that you missed them at church, and see if there is anything that you can do for them. It will let them know that you actually care about them and want them to be at church.

If you're trying to attract new church members, you have to get out into the community! Just putting up a sign out front with a catchy phrase won't do. If you are having a special service for an upcoming holiday, pass out flyers in the neighborhood. Get church members to participate in service and community cleanup projects, and have them all wear matching T-shirts with your churches name on them. That way, it will let people know that your church is an active participant in the community. Hold parties, events, conferences, or concerts at your church. Just getting people into the church building makes them feel more comfortable with visiting for a worship service rather than an activity. Most importantly, when you do get a visitor at your worship service, welcome them! Let them know you're glad they came, but don't make them stand up in front of everyone and introduce themselves, that often scares them away. Often the best way is to have a couple members of the congregation be friendly and welcoming, invite them to Sunday School or Bible Study, and let the visitor know how much they enjoy being a member of this church.