Every Church’s Secret Weapon
Every church wants to see growth—not just in numbers, but in hearts, relationships, and impact. Yet, one of the biggest misconceptions about church growth is that it happens through flashy programs, expensive marketing, or even the latest worship trends. While those things can help, the main way to grow your church is far simpler and far more biblical: by engaging your congregation.
You Already Have the Tools to Grow Your Church
You already have all the tools you need to start growing your church.
But if you’re like many churches that are struggling, the issue likely isn’t a lack of staff or training — it’s probably that you're approaching it from the wrong direction.
Christianity in America has been declining at a rate five times faster this century than in the last. But even now, that’s still less than 1% per year. It doesn’t feel like much on a week-to-week basis — until one Sunday morning, during the sermon, you hear something chilling: an echo.
I made this video to explain why I created Wellerman Digital in the first place. Yes, I’m stunned by the rate of decline in the church — but I also believe I understand part of the problem.
The Secret Behind the Success of the Wellerman Digital Website!
Many treat their website like a shot in the dark, following generic advice from self-help guides or online tutorials that aren't tailored to their specific objectives.
The most crucial aspect of a website is a clear objective. Knowing what you aim to achieve before you even begin building will guide your entire development process. This also means understanding your audience and what they are looking for. A church aiming to grow its regular congregation needs a very different approach than a clothing store focused on selling dresses or shirts.
While the church and clothing store examples represent extreme differences, it's surprising how often people build a church website with e-commerce or sales lead conversion best practices in mind. This approach often fails to achieve the church's true goal: increasing weekly attendance.
Four Ways To Improve Your Church’s Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate directly with your audience and increase weekly attendance. However, many churches only send a single weekly email detailing events to all members. Some churches send specific notes to members of particular ministries, but little else.
Email marketing for church growth differs significantly from event notifications for existing attendees. Every church should maintain an email list for visitors who haven't yet become regular members. This list should receive distinct, regular communications inviting them and highlighting relevant local opportunities for involvement. Often, people don't get involved simply by visiting once; they may be interested in a ministry gathering outside of Sunday service hours and attend that before deciding to become a member.
Here are four reasons why your church should be doing more with emails:
The Tale Of The Social Media Algorithm
For millennia, fishermen have spun yarns of monstrous catches and heroic feats. While our modern medium differs greatly, the essence remains: these tales, much like those of old, resonate most deeply and spread most widely when shared among kindred spirits.
Social media platforms emerged over twenty years ago when entrepreneurs recognized the internet's potential for fostering social connections beyond data storage. This led to the creation of platforms like Facebook and Myspace, with many more following suit. Today, we have a diverse array of social media channels such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, each serving different purposes for sharing our brave stories of heroic feats, or just some little things we found interesting.