Why Member Engagement Matters
No matter the size, age, or location of your church, this remains true: a connected church is a thriving church.
When members feel valued, included, and actively involved, your church community grows stronger and the impact of your mission expands further. However, engagement isn’t simply about attendance, it’s about building meaningful relationships, encouraging spiritual growth, and creating opportunities for people to serve and connect. The more involved people are, the stronger the relationships will be and the more growth your community will experience. Ultimately, this creates a ripple effect that reaches far beyond a Sunday morning.
In this blog post, we will share best practices for encouraging church members to get and stay involved so you can continue to further your mission and impact the Kingdom!
Use Church Management Software (ChMS) to Stay Organized
Organization is key when it comes to keeping church members involved. One of the best tools available to help churches stay on top of engagement is Church Management Software (ChMS). With the right ChMS, your church can streamline many aspects of its operations, making it easier to involve members at every level.
With a ChMS, you can:
- Track attendance and follow up with members.
- Easily schedule events and volunteer opportunities.
- Send reminders and updates through email or text.
- Seamlessly manage volunteers, children, and staff even across multiple campuses.
- Access church attendance, directories, giving reports, and more to make insightful and informed decisions.
Pro-Tip: Not all church management software is the same. Ministry Brands Amplify was created for churches by people serving with and in the church. Try a free demo here.
Make Worship Interactive
Next, a great way to help members get and stay involved is to make worship interactive. This prevents your service from becoming something simply to “attend”. Instead, adding interactive elements helps members stay engaged and involved.
Digital tools like apps or online platforms allow members to follow along with sermon notes, engage in live Q&A sessions, or even contribute to the worship service in real time. For example, your church could encourage members to submit questions during the sermon which could be answered live by the pastor.
However, digital tools aren’t the only ways to make a service interactive. You could also encourage people to participate through responsive readings and music, or ask members to share their testimony on stage as part of the service. Remember, the more involved members are, the more likely they are to engage and grow.
Build Small Groups & Events
Few things keep members more involved than small groups. These groups help foster deep relationships and provide accountability. They may be small group Bible studies, study groups, service projects, or groups of people in similar life stages (e.g., Moms of preschoolers, widows/widowers, college students, etc.).
Events are also a great way to encourage involvement. From retreats and workshops to service projects and community outreach, these activities help deepen relationships and encourage further engagement.
Church Management Software can play a key role in organizing these small groups and events. Not only can it simplify the process of sign-ups, event creation, and communication, but it can be used to send invitations, track responses, and even automate reminders.
Keep Communication Simple & Clear
Next, clear, consistent communication is crucial for maintaining engagement.
With today’s busy schedules and information overload, churches need to make sure members are receiving important updates without being overwhelmed. ChMS can simplify this by sending messages through multiple channels—email, text messages, or social media—based on the member’s preference. Plus, automation tools within ChMS can ensure that reminders and important updates are sent out in advance, keeping people informed without scrambling to make last-minute announcements.
Whether it’s a reminder about an upcoming service or an update on a volunteer opportunity, having communication systems in place makes it easier to keep everyone on the same page.
Encourage Giving & Volunteering
Lastly, involvement happens when members invest both their time and resources.
When it comes to giving, be clear and transparent about needs, spending habits, and the impact of your members’ generosity. It’s also a good idea to offer multiple ways to give to make it as easy as possible. To check if your online giving software is measuring up, take a look at this article.
Volunteering is a great way for members to become more involved. Consider offering online sign-ups for serving opportunities. This way, people can easily select roles that suit their skills and interests.
It’s important to recognize and thank members regularly for their contributions in both giving and volunteering. Recognition fosters a sense of belonging and encourages people to continue serving.
Next Steps
Increasing member engagement doesn’t require a major overhaul of your church's structure; sometimes, small changes make a significant impact. By implementing these strategies and tools, churches can foster a culture of engagement that leads to lasting spiritual growth and community impact.
For churches looking to take their engagement efforts to the next level, tools like Amplify People can help streamline church management, making it easier to keep members involved and connected. Try your free demo here.
