7 Reasons Why Very Large Churches Get Stuck - Episode 297
May 24, 2023
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The podcast discusses the growth barriers faced by very large churches, including top-down leadership culture and lack of clear leadership development strategy. It also explores the challenges of launching new campuses and the problem of complexity in churches. The development of ministry silos, hindering overall church health and growth, is another topic. Alignment is emphasized as crucial to prevent ministry silos and complexity creep in very large churches.
Very large churches face challenges related to personality-driven leadership, hindering engagement beyond Sunday service.
Top-down and authoritarian leadership cultures can hinder growth and limit engagement of other leaders within the church.
Maintaining a sustainable financial model can be challenging for very large churches, requiring the establishment of financial disciplines.
Ministry silos and competition among different ministries can hinder the overall health and growth of very large churches.
Complexity creep can hinder focus and strategic alignment in very large churches, requiring the prioritization of ministry programs and clear communication strategies.
Deep dives
The Challenge of Being Personality Driven
Very large churches often face the challenge of being overly personality driven, with the senior pastor's charisma becoming the central focus. While having a charismatic leader is not a bad thing, it can hinder engagement beyond the Sunday service. To address this challenge, it is important for very large churches to develop a strong leadership team and a teaching team, ensuring that multiple voices are heard and trusted.
The Need for a Team-Based Leadership Culture
Another challenge for very large churches is a top-down and authoritarian leadership culture. While it may have worked in the past, this style of leadership can hinder growth and limit the engagement of other leaders within the church. To overcome this challenge, it is crucial for the senior leadership to embrace a team-based leadership approach, empowering leaders at all levels and promoting collaboration.
The Importance of Financial Sustainability
Very large churches can face challenges in maintaining a sustainable financial model. As these churches continue to grow, there is often a lag between the influx of new attendees and their financial contributions. To address this challenge, it is recommended for very large churches to establish financial disciplines, spending a percentage less than anticipated offerings and creating a margin for future vision expansion.
Avoiding Ministry Silos to Foster Collaboration
Ministry silos and competition among different ministries can hinder the overall health and growth of very large churches. As churches grow, ministries tend to become protective of their programs and resources, leading to a lack of collaboration and alignment. Overcoming this challenge requires a collaborative effort to develop a unified vision and strategy, starting with the senior leadership team.
Dealing with Complexity Creep
As very large churches grow, they often struggle with complexity creep, where ministry programming, calendaring, and communications become increasingly complex. This complexity can hinder focus and strategic alignment. To prevent complexity creep, very large churches should prioritize their ministry programs, eliminating unnecessary ones and focusing on clear communication strategies.
The Danger of Holding onto Traditions
Despite being known for innovation, very large churches can get stuck in holding onto traditions that may no longer align with their mission and hinder future growth. To avoid this challenge, very large churches must be willing to embrace change, seek new perspectives, and adopt new strategies that align with their mission of reaching new people.
Developing Intentional Leadership Development Strategies
Very large churches often lack an intentional strategy for leadership development, which becomes even more crucial when launching multi-site locations. In order to overcome this challenge, very large churches should focus on developing strong senior leadership teams and empowering high-level volunteer leaders. Leadership development should be a relationship-driven process that helps individuals grow spiritually and equips them for ministry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, very large churches face unique challenges including personality-driven leadership, top-down leadership culture, financial sustainability, ministry silos, complexity creep, holding onto traditions, and leadership development. Overcoming these challenges requires a collaborative and team-based approach, embracing change, developing intentional leadership development strategies, and maintaining focus on the mission of reaching new people.
Free Webinar on Church Growth Barriers
If you want to dive deeper into the topics discussed in this series, there is a free webinar on church growth barriers available. It provides further insights and strategies to help churches overcome growth barriers. Register at the link in the show notes.
The Unstuck Group
If your church is facing growth barriers and needs outside perspective and guidance, the Unstuck Group can help. With their experience of working with over 600 churches, they provide support in finding alignment, getting unstuck, and making a greater kingdom impact. Learn more at the Unstuck Group dot com.
On the surface, it might seem like churches with several thousands of people in attendance don't face any new barriers to growth—however, even very large churches can get stuck and hit a plateau.
In this final episode of our series, we'll discuss breaking the 10,000 barrier by exploring common growth barriers that affect churches with thousands in attendance.
Planning Center is an all-in-one church management system that gives you the tools you need to organize your ministries and give your congregants a place to engage. Go to planningcenter.com and start your 30-day free trial today.
If your ministry has hit a plateau or you feel there’s something holding your church back from the next level of growth, this webinar is designed to help you identify that core issue and find your next step towards health. Register now.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode297.
Join the Live Conversation on Social Media
If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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