Recruiting for Your Microchurch Made Easy

Everyone wants to have a vibrant and growing microchurch, but people are not going to magically appear at your microchurch.  The absolute, overwhelming majority of people attend a microchurch not because of some formal process of assimilation set up by the church… it is because someone from that microchurch invited them!  So here are a few tips to help make recruiting for your microchurch easy:

1. Exploit Sundays. That’s right, exploit the macrochurch gathering for your microchurch’s benefit.  There are a few ways to do this:

– Altar Ministry: One of the easiest ways to get new members in your microchurch is praying with people at the altar. You create an immediate spiritual bond with that person and they are usually eager to dive right in, especially with the person that prayed with them in his/her time of need/salvation!  New believers also bring a lot of excitement and discipleship opportunities to your microchurch that may not otherwise be there!

– Before and After Service: New people are always at our services… always.  Come a few minutes early or hang around afterwards and introduce yourself to some of the new faces.  I can’t tell you how many times I have had core members of my microchurch come from this practice.  Sure you will meet a lot of new people that might not come, but there are also those who will come simply because you were the first person to ask!

According to Richard Price, “Experienced group leaders… realize that you usually have to personally invite 25 people for 15 to say they will attend.  Of those 15, usually only 8 to 10 will actually show up, and of those only 5 to 7 will be regular attenders after a month or so.”  So don’t be discouraged if everyone doesn’t join… keep at it and create a culture of recruiting in your microchurch!

– Post Up at the MC Wall or the Welcome Desk: At all our campuses, we have microchurch info at the MC wall or at the welcome desk.  If you want, hang out near the wall or welcome desks and encourage people to come check your microchurch; it’s fair game!

2. Turn Your Members Into Recruiters.  Do NOT put the burden of recruitment all on your shoulders!  Get your microchurch members involved.  Cast vision and set the expectation that everyone should be inviting and recruiting just as much as you.   Tell them to invite friends, family, co-workers, fellow students, etc.  And have them join in in exploiting Sundays for your MC’s benefit!

3. Think outside the box.  Some of the most successful recruiting measures have been the most creative.  This may mean creating fliers for your microchurch and handing them out on Sunday or at work/school.  It could be that you invite people you meet on Sunday to lunch after service and have microchurch members there.  Do whatever it take and whatever else you can think of!

Here’s the bottom line: if you want it, you will find a way to make it happen.  So go ahead yourself out there and start making the ask!!