11 Challenges Fast Growing Churches Face

One of the most popular posts I have ever written is 17 Signs Of A Fast Growing Church.  The following is a companion piece to that helpful post.

Fast growing churches face a unique set of challenges.  There are growing pains involved even in healthy ministry environments.  Let’s look take a look at 11 challenges fast growing churches face.

1. The primary draw is the platform.  In other words, the music, creativity, audio/visual, and preaching are primary points of attraction.  Do not deny it. Quit fighting it as we are a visual society.  Leverage it to the glory of God!  To see how this is done just watch the video above from the incredible Passion City Church in Atlanta, GA.
2. Attraction (incoming audience) outpaces rotation (those leaving) but your genuine strength is uncertain.
3. The growth is outpacing your ministry, staff, space, and overall infrastructure.
4. The increase in observers is rapidly outpacing your owners.  You have a significant shortage of volunteers.
5. New leaders are unknown to your church leadership.  Encourage them to humbly get involved or even create leadership positions.
6. New attenders sometimes want to hi-jack vision by promoting what works well at other churches.
7. Ministry strongholds can often develop a silo mentality.  This is one of the reasons that current success is the greatest enemy to future success.
8. There is continuous identification of new ministry opportunities.  This is not a new problem.  It is why seven men were appointed to serve widows in the book of Acts freeing up the disciples for prayer and service to the word.
9. Accommodation becomes the norm for solving space and ministry issues.  You are just trying to band-aid issues and less than optimum solutions are needed.
10. Unraveling current issues can cloud long-range vision.  So guard and continually communicate it.  Leaders of fast growing churches must know what to say “no” to.
11. The ministry need outpaces the ministry resources.  Most fast growing churches are reaching dechurched individuals and young families.  Young families come to churches with a house note that stretches them, two car payments, and credit card debt.  A stewardship education plan like I Was Broke. Now I’m Not is critical to addressing this need.

What are your thoughts on the list above?  What other challenges do you see fast growing churches face?

I want to close with a word of comfort. If you are facing the issues listed above, at least you are fast growing.  At least you are making a difference.  At least you are part of significant life change.  At least people are finding hope, meaning, solutions, a sense of family, and most importantly, Jesus, at your ministry.

These problems sure beat the alternative.

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