A new year is a time for reflecting on where you’ve been and setting goals for where you want to go. Increasing attendance in your church is one of those goals that is neverending. Church growth may move up and down on your priority list depending on the season your ministry is in, but bringing new people into the fold will always be on the to-do list.
Whether you lost members last year or saw substantial growth, this is the time to put new practices into place as people are looking for change and excited to kick off new ideas. You’re likely to have better buy-in from your congregation at a time when everyone is experiencing the start of something together and more willing to try new things.
But where do you start?
While you may have a good idea of what your church does successfully and the areas that need improvement, new eyes can be the difference between growth and stagnation this year. Hosting round-table discussions with your new members or long-time visitors may be the fresh perspective you need to launch your ministry into a successful new year.
What is a Round Table?
Simply put, a round table is where multiple people gather to discuss a specific topic, typically at a round table or other location where all are visible and can contribute equally. The goal of a round table is to hear from all parties and to level the playing field to allow for a free exchange of ideas.
Round-table discussions are ideal for encouraging participation and prompting those in attendance to share openly. These kinds of gatherings are the ideal place to hear from your newer church attendees in a way that makes everyone feel welcome and heard without the pressure of one-on-one meetings.
Who Should Come to a Round Table?
Your primary attendees are typically those who have been coming to your church for close to a year. You want people who have been coming long enough to feel comfortable speaking about the things happening in your church but not so long that they’ve forgotten early experiences and interactions with your ministry.
Regular attendance should also be a consideration. Those who come sporadically may not be invested in your ministry or feel they know enough to offer valuable insight. The other big reason to consider attendance records is so you don’t get faulty feedback. Someone who only comes occasionally might’ve missed that you changed your greeter locations or streamlined your check-in process. Their comments may focus on things you’ve already made efforts to improve rather than the areas you truly need to work on and hinder church growth.
Who comes to a round table from your church staff or leadership teams is completely up to you, but you should try to limit those people to a small group. Too many “authority figures” may intimidate those you ask to share openly. They may be reluctant to offer critiques if they are nervous about who’s listening.
Too many leadership members may also shift the conversation from the new members giving feedback and sharing their observations into a strategy discussion around the next steps. Those exchanges will come later, but these round-table gatherings should be reserved just for listening and asking questions.
Keep the groups small, ideally 10-15 participants plus 2-4 leaders. This will give you enough people so no one feels singled out, but also keep the group small enough so everyone feels comfortable speaking.
You can hold as many round tables as needed to ensure you hear from various attendees. If you have multiple campuses, you should hold separate round tables for each location, as many of the things you’ll want to address will vary based on where the participants attend.
Offering a meal or light refreshments will also help ease any tension in the room. There’s something special about breaking bread with fellow believers!
What Should You Talk About?
So, if you aren’t supposed to take their comments and jump straight into the planning stage, what should be discussed during round tables?
Before you walk into a round-table discussion, work with your leadership to come up with questions you’d like to ask. Going in with a set of questions will give you a good starting place and help you keep the conversation moving if it becomes sluggish. Leave yourself room to ask additional questions as you see fit, but make sure you’ve thought ahead so you don’t forget to address anything.
Here are some important topics to cover during your round tables.
First, talk to your attendees about why they chose to attend your church and what made them stay. These answers will likely vary from person to person but consider each perspective carefully, as others in your community may have similar motivations when choosing a church.
Then, ask if any factors turned them off of your church or made them question whether they wanted to stay. Ask if they’ve seen any areas in your church that need improvement (communication, first impressions, children’s check-in, etc.).
After talking specifically about your ministry, ask if they tried any other churches before finding yours, and if they left another church in your area, ask why. The goal with these questions isn’t to find fault with other ministries, although you should let other local churches know if they have genuine issues that need to be addressed. Understanding what other churches did “wrong” may provide valuable insight into how your church successfully reaches the community.
Your goal should be identifying the factors that made your church appealing so you know what you’re doing well and seeing what you can work to improve. In all of your round tables, hearing positive feedback is just as important as negative comments. You need to be encouraged in what your ministry is doing successfully just as much as you need to be pointed in the direction of things that need your attention.
In all of your conversations, make sure you ask open-ended questions and encourage discussion from all of your participants. Pay close attention to what is said so you can ask clarifying or follow-up questions.
If possible, assign one person from your staff as the note-taker so the other leaders present can focus on participating in the discussion and engaging with attendees. Participants are significantly more likely to open up and speak freely if they feel you’re genuinely listening to what they’re saying.
Once you feel all your questions have been answered, open the floor to any ideas your attendees have for improving the areas they’ve mentioned. Make sure you’re focusing on their ideas rather than brainstorming or strategizing. Save those things for your staff meetings later!
What Do You Do Next?
After you’ve held all of your round tables, this is the time to meet with your staff and other leaders to discuss the next steps.
Don’t skip or gloss over the things your round-table participants noted that your ministry was doing well. Just as you need encouragement in the areas where your church is succeeding, your leadership needs to be encouraged, too!
Take all of the notes you’ve compiled and divide them into different areas that need to be addressed. Identify the importance and urgency of each topic. Large issues should be addressed as soon as possible, while small things should be looked into as you have the resources to devote to them; however, there may be some small areas that can be improved quickly and with minimal effort, so don’t discount anything just because it isn’t actively driving people away. The goal is church growth and to increase the effectiveness of your ministry, but this can be accomplished with both small steps and giant leaps.
Work with your leaders to develop a plan for each issue, bringing in others as needed. Ask additional follow-up questions and consider involving some of your round-table participants in the solutions you develop to better your church. Consider how you can use your church management solution and engagement tools to improve processes and push your plans forward in the most effective way possible.
This may be the perfect way to help your new attendees find their place in your ministry and move them from sitting in your chairs to serving with joyful hearts. After all, you’ve asked for their help already; now invite them to help be the change going forward!
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