Is the back door to your church wide open?  Growing churches have discovered the keys to keeping people who come in the front door—from quickly going out the back.

Thom Rainer, a church growth consultant, says there are four key factors to keeping church guests and members from finding their way out the back door. In his words, “If all four were in play, the back door would be closed tight.”

How does your church rate in these four areas:

High Expectations
A hallmark of healthy, growing churches is that people understand that being in ministry is a basic expectation of every believer. Discipleship is lived out through service.

Small Groups
Churches that have a high percentage of people involved, value the concept of team.  They do as much ministry as possible through teams or with small groups.

Ministry Involvement
Finding low commitment, quick entry, serving opportunities helps people feel connected from the beginning and is an important foundation in building the expectation of every member in ministry.

Relational Connections
In an equipping church, relational opportunities are part of the culture. People are encouraged from their first visit to connect with others through coffee conversations, fellowship groups, ministry involvement, or a small home group. Intentional relationship-building keeps people connected to the church.

Does your back door need closing?