Do you recognize any (or all) of these core issues in your ministry?
When our team works with a church on strategic planning, the church pinpoints several “core issues” they believe are the most important things holding them back from being the church God has called them to be. After identifying those areas, they can make plans that will actually move them towards sustained health.
As we continue to serve churches across the country, we’re noticing these core issues are shifting. It’s been almost 5 years since we published this article, so we wanted to update you on the trends we see in the core issues that consistently arising recently.
Here are the top five—
1) Strategies to Reach the Mission Field
Many churches have identified a mission field, but they’re not actually designing their ministry strategies around it. Churches need to consider whether their current strategies—including their communication strategies—are truly reaching the people they say they want to reach.
Key questions to consider: Is the environment at your church conducive to welcoming new people? Are your people equipped and mobilized to be the key to reaching your mission field?
2) Lacking a Leadership Bench
Churches are consistently facing a shortage of qualified leaders to step into key roles. The challenge isn’t just hiring externally—it’s developing leaders internally and being proactive rather than reactive.
The solution starts with intentionality. Invest in your top performers. Identify potential leaders in a calm state, not in a panic when a position opens up. Cast vision with these emerging leaders over coffee. Almost every church is short a few leaders, but the best churches are developing their bench before they desperately need it.
3) First Engagement Steps
Churches are struggling to create clear, compelling first engagement steps that help newcomers take their next step toward connection and spiritual growth. It’s not enough for people to simply show up on Sunday—churches need an intentional pathway to move people from first-time guests to engaged participants.
Many churches have systems in place, but they’re often outdated or ineffective. What worked in 2005 doesn’t work now. Churches need to evaluate their engagement processes and be willing to make changes based on what’s actually working, not what they hope is working.
4) Financial Strategy and Health
Budget constraints and financial health continue to be major concerns for churches. Churches are finding it difficult to pay competitive wages, fund necessary staffing, and maintain the 45-55% staffing budget benchmark. Many are also struggling to develop integrated funding strategies that go beyond simply asking for money.
Sustainable financial health requires a comprehensive generosity strategy that helps people grow in their giving as they grow in their faith. We recommend MortarStone and Horizons for help with generosity strategies.
5) Physical Capacity Issues
Growing churches are running into physical space limitations—whether it’s inadequate children’s ministry space, insufficient parking, or maxed-out auditoriums.
While adding services is one of the best strategies for healthy growth, there comes a point where facility expansion becomes necessary.
Churches facing capacity issues need to think strategically about how to approach building projects, renovations, or campus expansions in ways that support continued health and growth rather than simply solving an immediate space problem.
Leave a Reply