Overcoming Barriers to Growth: Proven Strategies for Taking Your Church to the Next Level

by Michael Fletcher

Know What Lies Ahead for Your Church Each local church is unique and has its own personality. But almost every congregation will face the same numerical barriers, according to decades of church growth research. These barriers can sidetrack good churches and leave their pastors and leadership teams wondering why attendance has slowed, plateaued, or even declined. Drawing from tried and true success with his own church and from years of working with other churches worldwide, Michael Fletcher explains that internal changes--not external--are the key to clearing these hurdles. Inside, you will learn: The points where active membership ordinarily stalls out The changing roles of pastors and leadership teams at each growth stage How to facilitate strong relationships within the congregation Ways for churches to jumpstart their ministries...and more Throughout, Fletcher emphasizes that growing attendance numbers is not the goal. Instead, it is all about growing people and extending God's kingdom on earth.

Genres: Leadership, Church

144 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2006

Reviews

[Christopher Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another on my list of mandatory reads for church leaders, or leaders in training. Fletcher doesn't just diagnose the problems, but true to the book's title, offers clear, concise strategies to help see more people effected by the Kingdom.

Far from a religious grocery list of stagnant mandates, this work touches on some of the very human, key elements needed for sound leadership and service.

I suppose the greatest testament I can give to this book is that our Board read it when we were at 200 members; after a few years of changing priorities and working to develop more healthy structures, we passed 800, and we are nearing 1,000 members today. The majority of our congregants have met Jesus within the last two years, and this in a historically "dark" region of the American northeast. It's not God who needs to change to reach "dark" places, but the Christians who are serving in such regions.

[Joshua Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I am generally not into “church growth-y” literature (it seems to basically turn the local church into a local business). But Fletcher doesn’t. His love for Christ and those who do not yet know him is tangible. The amateur ecclesiologist in me squirmed here and there, but the leadership principles were helpful.

[Joseph Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super practical.

[W. Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

got some good info at the last of the book

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly one of the better books I have read on church growth. Practical and helpful.

[Todd Mckeever · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast read. It wasn't a very in depth book and didn't give a lot if any new type of details run your basic church growth book.

If you are wanting to read a quick one to just get a basic idea of growth barriers this book may be for you. If you want more than that, this is probably not the book you us.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

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