Clarity for Churches Under 500
Something exciting happened this week at Intentional Churches. With the help of Southside Church of Christ, Southeast Christian Church, and Dave Elshaug, we launched our first ever Intentional GrowthPlan Cohort for churches under 500 in average weekend attendance. These two great churches and Dave will be working through a plan to implement an Intentional GrowthPlan in order to reach more for Christ in the Salt Lake City area and beyond.
Why is this important?
There are lost people everywhere. In Matthew 9, Jesus looks over a crowd of people and his heart began to break because there were so many lost people. He went on to say that there will never be a shortage of lost people, and to pray for more kingdom workers. Churches in every region and context in our country will never have a shortage of lost people to reach.
The numbers tell the story. Churches under 500 people make up the majority of churches in our nation and subsequently represent millions of people who can reach millions more. They are part of a miraculous, divine strategy created by God called the local church. More people have experienced salvation, celebrated joys, and found solace in churches in this size range than in any other category.
Churches under 500 are positioned for incredible impact. Many churches in this size range are in communities where they are the lifeblood of their community and connected to it in a special way. They are there for families as they celebrate weddings, mourn over deaths, and welcome new life into the world. When a tragic need happens, many community members depend on their resources. This creates unique opportunities for greater impact.
No one church can do it alone. We can offer access and training to more churches. We know that our tools and training can work in any church and we want to partner with as many churches as possible. We also know that there is significant energy and synergy when you are working on a plan to grow alongside another team. This past week was proof that a new method for Intentional GrowthPlanning has enormous Kingdom upside potential.
Churches of all sizes, models, and styles of ministry are called to carry out the Great Commission. While the mission may be the same, each one has a unique makeup and path forward to make more and better disciples. Please embrace the mission and call for your church to reach more people for Christ and grow them up.
Our prayer is that each church will embrace this call and become more intentional about doing what they can to accomplish this mission. We are also praying that these Intentional GrowthPlan Cohorts will give churches in this size range access to great tools and renewed energy to chase after lost people and grow their Kingdom impact.
Interested in learning more about an Intentional GrowthPlan Cohort? Click here to contact us.
