Deep and Wide

1. Create churches unchurched people love to attend

We want to change the world.

Redefine church culture. The primary mission of the church is to reach those who are far from God. To accomplish this, churches must create environments that are welcoming, engaging, and relevant to unchurched people. This requires a shift in mindset from catering to insiders to intentionally designing experiences for outsiders.

Remove unnecessary barriers. Many traditional church practices and environments can be off-putting or confusing to those unfamiliar with church culture. Evaluate every aspect of your church experience through the eyes of an unchurched person:

• Use clear, jargon-free language
• Create a comfortable, non-threatening atmosphere
• Explain potentially unfamiliar elements of the service
• Focus on relevance and life application in teaching

Measure success differently. Rather than just tracking attendance or membership, measure how effectively you're reaching and retaining unchurched people. Success indicators might include:

• Number of first-time guests
• Percentage of attendees who were previously unchurched
• Stories of life change from those new to faith
• How comfortable regular attendees feel inviting unchurched friends

2. Engage, involve, and challenge your audience

Where a weekend experience consistently begins will ultimately determine who consistently shows up to take the journey.

Create a strategic journey. Design your weekend services as a funnel that moves people from engagement to involvement to challenge. This approach allows you to connect with a diverse audience and gradually lead them toward spiritual growth.

Engagement strategies:

• Use relatable stories, humor, and cultural references
• Address common questions and doubts
• Acknowledge the perspectives of skeptics and seekers

Involvement techniques:

• Offer simple, low-barrier opportunities to participate
• Use interactive elements in the service
• Provide clear next steps for further engagement

Challenge methods:

• Present biblical truth in a compelling way
• Call for life application and response
• Offer opportunities for deeper commitment

Find common ground. Begin with shared experiences, emotions, or questions that resonate with both churched and unchurched people. This creates a bridge of relevance that allows you to guide them toward spiritual truth.

3. Embrace both grace and truth in your ministry

When people are convinced you want something FOR them rather than something FROM them, they are less likely to be offended when you challenge them.

Balance acceptance and transformation. Jesus embodied both grace and truth in His ministry. Churches must strive to create environments that are welcoming and accepting while still presenting the transformative truth of the gospel.

Practical ways to balance grace and truth:

• Clearly communicate God's love and acceptance
• Present biblical truth without compromising or watering it down
• Create safe spaces for people to wrestle with doubts and questions
• Challenge believers to grow while offering grace for the journey
• Address sin and the need for repentance with compassion

Create a "messy" church. Embrace the tension that comes from ministering to people at various stages of faith. Don't expect perfection, but create a culture where people can be honest about their struggles and find support in their growth.

4. Focus on five faith catalysts for spiritual growth

Big faith is a sign of big maturity.

Understand the growth process. Spiritual formation is not just about increasing knowledge, but about growing people's faith and confidence in God. Five key catalysts contribute to this growth:

1. Practical Teaching: Present biblical truth with clear application to daily life.
2. Private Disciplines: Encourage personal prayer, Bible study, and spiritual practices.
3. Personal Ministry: Provide opportunities to serve and use spiritual gifts.
4. Providential Relationships: Foster connections with mentors and fellow believers.
5. Pivotal Circumstances: Help people interpret life events through a biblical lens.

Design ministry around these catalysts. Evaluate your church's programs and environments to ensure they intentionally incorporate these elements:

• Develop teaching series that emphasize practical application
• Create resources and opportunities for personal spiritual growth
• Offer diverse serving opportunities for all skill levels and interests
• Facilitate small groups and mentoring relationships
• Equip people to navigate life's challenges with faith

5. Design irresistible environments for worship

Environment matters.

Create compelling spaces. The physical environment of your church communicates powerful messages before a word is spoken. Pay attention to details that create a welcoming, engaging atmosphere:

• Clear signage and intuitive traffic flow
• Clean, well-maintained facilities
• Age-appropriate decor for children's areas
• Comfortable seating and good sight lines
• Professional lighting and sound

Engage multiple senses. Design your service elements to create a holistic experience:

• Use music to set the emotional tone
• Incorporate visual elements (videos, art, stage design)
• Consider how to engage other senses (touch, smell) when appropriate

Prioritize excellence. Strive for high quality in every aspect of the service:

• Well-rehearsed music and technical elements
• Clear, engaging communication
• Smooth transitions between service elements
• Trained, friendly volunteers

Evaluate regularly. Continuously assess your environments through the eyes of a newcomer:

• Conduct "secret shopper" visits
• Survey first-time guests
• Regularly walk through your facilities with fresh eyes

6. Preach to both churched and unchurched audiences

If no one is following you, if you are uncomfortable asking people to follow you, if the only people following you are people you secretly wish would follow somebody else, you may not be the one to introduce and implement change in your local congregation.

Develop a dual-audience approach. Craft messages that engage both long-time believers and those new to faith or exploring Christianity. This requires intentional effort and skill.

Strategies for effective dual-audience communication:

• Begin with common ground (shared experiences, questions, emotions)
• Explain biblical concepts and terminology
• Use cultural references and analogies to bridge understanding
• Address potential objections and doubts
• Provide clear application for various life stages

Focus on one main idea. Rather than trying to cover multiple points, concentrate on driving home a single, memorable concept in each message. This makes the teaching more accessible and applicable for all listeners.

Create tension and resolution. Structure your messages to surface relevant questions or problems before presenting biblical solutions. This engages curiosity and creates a desire for the truth you're sharing.

7. Lead with vision and adapt your model to the mission

Marry your mission. Date your model. Fall in love with your vision. Stay mildly infatuated with your approach.

Clarify and communicate vision. A compelling vision for the future is essential for leading change and maintaining focus. Regularly cast vision to your congregation and leadership team:

• Articulate a clear picture of what could and should be
• Connect vision to biblical mandates and values
• Illustrate vision through stories and examples
• Repeat vision consistently across various platforms

Evaluate your ministry model. Regularly assess whether your current approach to ministry is effectively fulfilling your mission:

• Identify "sacred cows" that may need to be challenged
• Be willing to change or eliminate ineffective programs
• Continuously seek ways to better reach your community
• Learn from other churches and adapt best practices

Empower leadership. Recognize that implementing significant change requires strong leadership:

• Develop a leadership pipeline to identify and train future leaders
• Create a culture that values both pastoral care and strategic leadership
• Be willing to make difficult decisions for the sake of the mission

8. Cultivate a culture of change and continuous improvement

Everything that is currently in place was originally considered a good idea. Otherwise, it would have never been implemented to begin with.

Embrace healthy discontentment. Foster an organizational culture that is always seeking to improve and adapt:

• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of programs and methods
• Encourage innovation and experimentation
• Celebrate learning from both successes and failures

Ask challenging questions. Use probing questions to stimulate thinking and drive change:

• What would an outsider change about our church?
• What are we afraid to measure or evaluate?
• What would we do differently if we were starting from scratch?

Lead through the resistance. Recognize that change will always face opposition:

• Communicate the "why" behind changes clearly and repeatedly
• Address fears and concerns with empathy
• Provide opportunities for input and feedback
• Celebrate early wins and share stories of positive impact

Stay mission-focused. Keep the ultimate goal of reaching people for Christ at the forefront:

• Regularly revisit and reaffirm your church's mission
• Evaluate all decisions and changes against the mission
• Be willing to let go of programs or traditions that no longer serve the mission effectively

Last updated: January 24, 2025