Survival of the Species

No, I'm not quoting Darwin, I'm quoting a recent blog post by David T. Olsen, author of The American Church in Crisis.

Here's a few "facts and insights" from David Olsen for you:

1. 4,000 new churches are started every year in the United States as 3,700 churches close each year, producing a net gain of only 300 churches per year. 
2. To keep up with population growth, an additional 2,900 new churches need to be started each year. That means we need to  start over 7,200 churches every year just to keep tread water. We're not treading water yet.
3. 75% of new churches survive the first 10 years. Unfortunately, the majority of them remains small and has limited impact.
4. The average new church has 55 in attendance after one year, with the median attendance of 36. At four years the average attendance is 82.
5. New churches see strong growth in their first decade, compared to established churches, which decline by 2 percent each year.

Now here's David's big conclusion: "New churches are more effective than established churches at conversion growth." New churches have three to four times the conversion rate per attendee than do established churches.

We've got a lot to learn and a lot to do. What will you do? Call me at 360-609-6700 or email me.