Category: Church Growth
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Investing in trust – 7 ideas for building trusting relationships
Investing in trust – 7 ideas for building trusting relationships As the anonymous quote goes, “It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.” In a recent webinar I attended, a group of parish leaders from around the diocese discussed strategies for increasing inter-parish collaboration, and the foundational role that trust…
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How to blog successfully: framework and tips for church leaders
How to blog successfully: framework and tips for church leaders By Michelle McDonald, Editor of anglican focus, Parishes and Other Mission Agencies Commission I remember when I was a secondary student restlessly approaching my dad in the backyard of our Canberra home. As he dug a garden bed, I resolutely informed him that I wanted…
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Straw & Order: how to create your own nativity short film
Straw & Order: how to create your own nativity short film By Shona, Toby and Eleanor Bailey. The Parish of Kenmore-Brookfield community has a long tradition of putting on nativity plays for our local kindergartens and schools. Historically, local community members come and watch as they gather in the church or when the church takes…
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Hey, can you please explain ‘TikTokers’ to me?
Hey, can you please explain ‘TikTokers’ to me? By Fiona Hammond “If a child is named and intentionally included in the life of a church community…by five adults…there is a greater chance that they will feel at home.” (John Roberto, 2014, Generations Together) “At home” is such a throwaway line. How amazing would it be…
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Becoming wider, deeper, wiser and smarter
By The Ven. Bob Jackson (Eyam Parish, Derbyshire): Greetings from England! I have fond memories of doing ‘Leading your Church into Growth’ in Queensland a few years ago. But suddenly the way churches grow has transformed, so we need to transform as well! Around 85 per cent of Church of England benefices appear to have…
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Hospitality: How well does your church do it?
Hospitality should be a hallmark of every local church. This means welcoming new people and helping them to form ongoing relationships. Hospitality is key to church health and growth. This was confirmed by the Church of England Research ‘From Anecdote to Evidence’, which is discussed here. It found that “growth in numbers was more likely if a…
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How is your church responding to the local context?
Engaging with the local context was one of the common factors for church growth found in The Church of England’s research report, ‘From Anecdote to Evidence’, which is discussed here. “The research showed that churches that have a good understanding of the area that they are serving, and who tailor their outreach to the needs and…
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Church growth – what do we really know?
What do we know about church growth? Is the church growing? Where is there particular growth? What do we know about why some churches grow and some decline? Are there factors likely to be present in growing churches and declining churches? What strategies appear to make no difference at all? These were some of the…