from Thom Rainer
The following is from a seven-year study by Thom Rainer and a research team at Southern
Seminary. The study combines both old and new research, and includes surverys of more
than 4,000 churches and interviews with more than 1,000 individuals.
The nine habits:
1. The Habit of intentionality
√ For a church to be successful it must intentionally try to reach the unchurched.
√ 83% of all churches surveyed did not have an intentional plan for reaching the
lost. However, among effective evangelistic churches more than 75% of the
unchurched said that someone from the church shared the plan of salvation with
them—and in most cases it was not a staff member.
The research also showed:
√ People often picked a church for such reasons as restroom and nursery
cleanliness.
√ Some even drove away from a church because it did not have adequate
signage, and they therefore could not find the sanctuary entrance.
√ Friendly greeters at a church’s entrance have an enormously positive effect.
2. Habit of Cultural Awareness
√ Churches that want to reach out to the unchurched must be highly intentional.
They must understand the culture but do not compromise with the culture.
√ It is vitally important to understand the most unchurched generation—those born
between 1977 and 1994—called the “bridger generation.” Only 4% of this group
are Christian. By comparison, 65% of the generation born before 1946 are
Christians.
3. Habit of High Expectations
√ There is a direct correlation between how much is demanded of a new member and
how long the new member stays active in the church. Churches that expect much
receive much. Church that expect little receive little.
√ The average retention rate of new members in all churches (effective and ineffective)
in America is 35%.
√ New member classes are vital to keeping people in the church. If new member
classes are offered, that percentage shoots up to 72%. If the class is required of new
members, the percentage increases even more.
√ Highly effective new members classes were those that said, “We want to put you in a
ministry as you leave this class.”
√ Personal evangelism classes for new members can also be very fruitful as it is a
highly effective way to get new Christians involved in sharing their new faith with
those who are in the world of the unchurched.
4. Habit of Clear Doctrine
√ People want to hear about doctrine on the front end. They will not make a
commitment to a church if they are not told what the church believes form the
start.
√ This can be done in the form of a written document, or through new members
classes, Sunday school lessons and sermons, etc.
5. Habit of Risk Taking
√ You must truly act on faith and do what seems to be risky in the light of the
world’s eyes—or maybe in light of the church’s eyes—that other churches do not.
√ 83% of senior pastors in effective churches could tell of a major task their church
had undertaken.
√ The churches have a willingness to lose members. They do not make decisions
based upon who might leave as a result of the decision. They make decisions on
“who will we reach?”
6. Habit of Dynamic Small Groups
√ 68% of the people in effective churches are involved in a healthy Sunday school.
Because there tends to be an expectation that the people are involved in ministry
through that Sunday school.
√ Healthy Sunday school programs are constantly looking beyond themselves.
√ Unhealthy Sunday school programs are inward focused—they only care about
themselves.
7. Habit of Effective Leadership
√ The pastor and the preaching were the most important factors in the unchurched
returning.
Effective church pastors:
√ Spend five hours a week involved in personal evangelism. Ineffective church
pastors spent less than 10 minutes a week.
√ Are good time managers.
√ Have an average tenure of 10.3 years.
√ Delegate and give away ministry [assignments].
8. Habit of Effective Preaching
√ Effective church pastors spent an average of 20 hours a week on sermons—
including the task itself. Among ineffective churches, pastors spent an average of
four hours.
√ Expository preaching was the most dominant style in the survey.
9. Habit of Prayer
√ Churches that pray together and pray often keep their new members.
√ New members must be called and told they are specifically being prayed for.
√ 83% of the effective churches had corporate prayer ministries that were operational
and emphasized.
