It’s sad, but true — church attendance is declining. How can you beat the odds, grow your congregation, and be a good steward of your church?
Running a church isn’t exactly like running a business. You are called to do it by a higher power and a sense of faith and devotion to what’s right.
That being said, you’ll need a lot of the same skills that the best CEOs swear by. Here are five church management tips and tricks to help you find success and serve your community.
1. Perform an Audit
Before you can get down to the nitty-gritty of things, you need to take stock of everything that’s going on with the church. Do a complete top to bottom audit to better understand your needs.
Get hard numbers on church attendance and income. Make notes on everything from how many side groups, what kind of church activities you have planned, and whether or not the church needs structural maintenance.
2. Set Up Systems
Smart people know that setting up systems will help your business run like a well-oiled machine. Take a look at the processes you already have in place and see if there are ways to improve them.
Funding systems like those found at https://www.iconcmo.com/blog/church-accounting/ can help you figure out where money is coming in and where it’s going. Things will start falling into place once you take the time to work out the church systems that are right for you.
3. Develop Your Team
Your church has both employees and volunteers. Investing in them and making sure they feel supported is a surefire way to grow your group from within.
Do they have the right equipment and staffing they need to take care of projects you can’t oversee? Take a few moments throughout the month to touch base with them to make sure they have the right support.
4. Guides and Handbooks
Speaking of your team, you can’t be there for everything. There’s a lot of room for mistakes and miscommunication when you’re not there.
Don’t allow things to slip out of your control. Sit down and create guides and handbooks for the major processes at your church so that there are no questions about what needs to be done.
5. Create Goals
Where do you see your congregation in one year, or five, or even in ten years? Without a clear vision, you’re just in maintenance mode instead of growth mode.
Sit down and think about what you want to accomplish in the future. Set your goals and then work towards them every day.
Church Management Tips and Tricks
As you can see, church management can be exactly like running a business. However, you’ve got a bigger chairman to answer to than most, and a duty to your community.
There’s a lot you can take from the world of business and apply to your church. Use these five great tips and tricks to improve your processes and grow your congregation.
Wondering what else you can learn to build your church? Check out our other business blog posts for ideas!
