FIVE WAYS CONGREGATIONS GROW

Emmanuel is blessed to receive new members and attenders. For example, in 2025 and 2026 we offered two adult catechism classes, bringing new persons into mature congregational life. In this article, I’ll write about basic ways congregations receive new members.

Before I continue, we should note that “growth” is not simply growth in attenders, which is just one way to measure growth. Growth in particular is growth in faith—that new persons fear, love, and trust in God above all things, knowing the triune God as their Savior (“No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:3; cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:3).

Birth, Baptism, Confirmation. Every baby born in our congregation is cause for rejoicing. Every Baptism is a celebration in heaven! (cf. Luke 15:10). From the beginning, families have baptized and raised their children in the Christian Faith (Acts 2:39; cf. Acts 15:16, 31, 34; 18:8). Following Baptism Emmanuel intentionally teaches the Christian Faith to its children through the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism, which is a summary of Bible teaching. When a child has grown in faith and understanding, we practice confirmation (cf. Matthew 10:32–33; 28:19).

Emmanuel grew most during the Baby Boom years (1946–1964) when the South Side neighborhood greatly expanded. As Boomers moved out to the suburbs, the congregation declined. Today, people are choosing to have fewer babies, which reduces this opportunity for churches to share the Faith and grow. Nevertheless, we continue to encourage our families to present their children for Baptism, catechism, and confirmation. It is a perpetual way that many come to know Christ.

Alongside the practices described above, and applying also to the practices below, congregations need to practice retention. In other words, once a person becomes a mature member, they should continually participate in the congregation’s life. Retention is the work of the whole congregation as we continually care for and encourage one another in the Faith.

Word of Mouth. Members of Emmanuel invite their family, friends, and neighbors to church. This is another common way people come to Christ. This is the simplest form of outreach (or evangelism). People who feel blessed at Emmanuel want to share the blessing and do so with an invite.

Often when I preach and teach, I pause to encourage our members to think of someone who needs the blessings of the Gospel; when we pray, I will lift up “family, friends, and neighbors” as we join our hearts to intercede for them. Many people are simply waiting for an invitation to church—that’s what studies say.

Word of mouth is an excellent way to invite others to learn about Jesus (cf. John 1:4346). The reason invitations are so powerful is because of the trust factor. When you know someone and they invite you to come with them, you are more likely to go because you trust them. This trust factor makes personal sharing of the faith most powerful.

Outreach Events. As your pastor, I have prepared our congregation to host outreach events throughout the year (cf. the Old Testament annual feasts in Leviticus 23). These are activities that are for the congregation and also for the broader community. They include Christmas activities, the Easter Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, All Hallows’ Eve, and most recently the July 5th Ice Cream Social. We also have regular bowling and Game Nights as specific times we invite youth.

Outreach events help our congregation continually meet new people—especially on the South Side—­with whom we share the blessings of the Gospel. Emmanuel has a healthy relationship with Southwood School, where a number of us serve as homework helpers or readers with students; the school kindly distributes news of our events to their families. We thank the Lord for this good relationship, which contributes to our outreach events.

An important supplement to our outreach events has been bus ministry. The bus allows us to bring persons who otherwise would not have a ride to Emmanuel. This is especially helpful for ministering to youth as this year’s surge in VBS attendance shows.

Referrals and Transfers. Among denominational churches, when a member moves, it is common for the pastor to recommend (a) new congregation(s) in their new area. Because Emmanuel is an independent Lutheran congregation, we experience this means of growth less often. But occasionally we benefit from referrals.

If a member of your family is moving away, please ask the church office for referrals to congregations in their area. We will happily provide that support.

Advertising. Ads published by Emmanuel—anything from our signage to print adds to Facebook—let the broader population know about our congregation. This may lead them to visit and learn more.

Conclusions. When all the above activities are at work at the same time, that’s when congregations typically grow. When one or more of these activities is not in use, that’s when congregations may decline. Keeping all of this going at once is a challenge for our vestry and members!

A final factor is demographics. This measures whether new people are moving into the area and whether people are staying in the area, which provides opportunities for congregations to reach people. For example, the new apartments opening on the South Side are an example of demographic changes at work, which gives Emmanuel new opportunities.

We could use help reaching out at apartment complexes in our area. I would like to organize some events where we travel to the complexes with our bus (a rolling billboard), distribute fliers, and talk to persons who show interest in the Lord and Emmanuel. If you would like to help with this new outreach, please let me know. Let’s share the blessings of knowing Jesus!