Small churches that evangelize to unchurched tend to retain most converts, survey finds

A survey conducted by LifeWay Research has found that small evangelical churches that regularly engage in evangelistic activities and share the Gospel with unchurched people tend to retain the most Christian converts.

The study, conducted in partnership with the Billy Graham Center and the Caskey Center for Church Excellence, has identified at least 13 ways small churches can effectively attract and retain new converts.

Among the 13 practices, according to the researchers, are holding classes for new attendees, committing a healthy portion of the church budget to evangelism and missions, serving outside the church to share the gospel with unchurched people and having the pastor set up specific hours to share the gospel.

The phone survey was conducted between March 16 to March 31 among 1,500 pastors of small churches in evangelical and black Protestant denominations. The pastors were asked how many converts each church had in the last 12 months and whether those converts stayed with the church after they came to faith.

The survey findings have indicated that among the small churches with the most retained converts, 93 percent said that their church shares the Gospel with the unchurched at least every six months. Another 92 percent said that they constantly hear about church members who engage in evangelistic conversations and share their faith with non-Christians.

Sixty-eight percent said they offer classes for new attendees at least every six months, while 66 percent said they ask people to commit to Christ after a personal presentation of the Gospel.

The researchers noted that churches with more converts tend to attract and retain more unchurched people. Pastors of churches with the most retained converts were 35 percent more likely to say that half of their congregation used to be unchurched, compared to 18 percent for churches with the fewest retained converts.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said that small churches may be able to reach more people by practicing what they are already doing with a little more consistency. He suggested that the churches could attract new converts by inviting non-Christians to church, sharing the Gospel with them, following up with them, and encouraging them to follow Jesus.

Jeff Farmer, associate professor of church, ministry, and evangelism at New Orleans Seminary and lead researcher on the project, said that churches need to focus on inviting those with no previous church background to attend services. He further noted that a pastor can lead the way in sharing the Gospel with them.

"No one in the church is going to share the gospel more than the pastor. Pastors who make time for sharing their faith with non-Christians and who teach church members to do the same can have a big impact," Farmer explained.