30 Observations About Fast-Growing Churches

I am getting more and more questions about the subject of fast-growing churches.  This has caused me to wrestle with many thoughts.

The following are 30 General Observations About Fast-Growing Churches:

1. Most are staff led.
2. Growing churches are led by leaders committed to personal growth.
3. Primary draw is still the platform (music and preaching).
4. Pastors are the embodiment of the mission and vision.
5. Safety and a culture of excellence in children and youth ministries are mandatory.
6. Connection and engagement are primary focuses.
7. Growth outpaces ministry, staff, space and overall infrastructure.
8. Growth of observers outpaces the growth of owners.
9. Ministry needs often outpace financial resources.
10. New leaders are unknown to church leadership.
11. Fighting a ministry silo mentality is a constant.
12. Accommodation becomes the norm for solving space and ministry issues.
13. Message series answer questions people are asking.
14. They have a community ministry, not just community events.
15. Core values provide the grid for decision-making.
16. Healthy systems are in place.
17. They’re online.
18. They’re fun.
19. They’re multi-cultural, just like their community.
20. They speak to young people making growth sustainable.
21. The “vision pie” is sliced into many pieces facilitating broad-based ownership.
22. Leaders are nimble and can make decisions fast.
23. The past is honored but does not hold the leadership captive.
24. Life change is celebrated.  Stories are told.

But not all is perfect:

1. Sorry multi-stie but many of your sheep have no shepherd.
2. The Bible is becoming decreasingly positioned as the inerrant Voice of God and final authority of all human life.  The result is many in churches are biblically illiterate.
3. Personal freedoms are often celebrated over personal holiness.
4. Regarding baptisms, a lot of people are just getting wet.
5. Fast growing churches can plateau in 3-5 years.  As a result, there could be a dramatic change in staff and lay leadership during this time.  This is due to changes in ministry demands, the elements and manifestation of the vision change due to the scope of the ministry, professional opportunities at other churches, and fatigue.
6. To quote Donald Rumsfeld: “The needs of the people are no longer the primary area of focus, but the regime.”