Stories tagged with: church growth

• Fastest-growing, largest churches: Who made the list?

  by Diana Chandler, posted Thursday, September 12, 2019 (2 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Thirty-four Southern Baptist congregations are among the fastest growing and largest evangelical churches in the latest Outreach 100 tally compiled by Outreach Magazine and LifeWay Research.

  "Tracking the fastest growing churches gives us a glimpse into some of the most effective ministry work in America," LifeWay Research Executive Director Scott McConnell told Baptist Press. "These congregations have the privilege of seeing many lives changed while maintaining the ability to adapt quickly and do ministry in a scalable way." Read More

• 22 baptized, overflow room used as church adds campus

  by Sarah Davis/Arkansas Baptist News, posted Tuesday, August 21, 2018 (3 years ago)

  

  Submitted photo

  JONESBORO, Ark. (BP) -- Twenty-two people were baptized, and an overflow room was used during the launch service of a new campus of Central Baptist Church, Jonesboro, Ark., at Greene County Tech High School in Paragould.

  "This was our first Sunday. We were in an auditorium that seats 999 people, and we had 1,055 people there," said Breck Freeman, administrative pastor of Central Baptist Church and former associate missions team leader at the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. "We had an overflow room.... That was one of the most amazing things."

  "We had 15 people scheduled for baptism, but seven people who had already been saved came forward to be baptized," Freeman said of the Aug. 12 launch. Read More

• Pastor sees church thrive amid corn, soybean fields

  by Roger Alford, Kentucky Today, posted Friday, September 08, 2017 (4 years ago)

  

  Photo by Roger Alford/Kentucky Today

  HARDIN, Ky. (BP) -- With corn and soybean fields in every direction, this rural community of 564 people is an unlikely spot for one of Kentucky's largest churches to sprout up.

  Or is it?

  Pastor Ricky Cunningham, who doubles as a farmer, has applied the same commonsense agricultural principles used to produce crops and livestock to grow Hardin Baptist Church to 2,500 total members over the past three decades. Read More

• Attracting unchurched grows small churches, study says

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, June 28, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  Image: iStock/License purchase required

  WHEATON, Ill. (BP) -- Attracting and keeping people considered unchurched is rated as the top predictor of growth through new professions of faith at small churches, according to a new study encompassing 12 Christian denominations including Southern Baptists.

  "These churches are places of invitation, welcome and involvement for the unchurched," the study's authors said. "So, the unchurched stick around in greater numbers. And they come to Christ and get committed to the church in greater numbers." Read More

• 20 So. Bapt. churches on Outreach/LifeWay top 100

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, October 19, 2016 (5 years ago)

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Twenty Southern Baptist congregations are among the 2016 top 100 fastest growing and largest participating churches in the U.S., with NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C., ranking highest in both categories among Southern Baptists. Read More