2021 List of Emerging Churches
With help from Outreach 100′s list of fastest-growing churches, which brings attention to the largest, fastest-growing, and highest-reproducing churches in the United States, Donorwerx is happy to present this list of Emerging Churches for 2021. These churches vary in size, but each one is charging head-first into the year with plans for growth and sustainability that can inspire every church to do more in their community.
What Are Your Church’s Goals for 2021?
As we look at some of the most impressive churches in the nation, consider the goals that you want your church to reach this coming year. As you go through this list, review these church’s websites, have a look at their branded donation forms, their lively social media presences, and everything that they are doing right when it comes to enabling new attendees and engaging old congregants.
The key reason why these churches are successful is that they continue to try new things. With research and a bit of trial-and-error, these churches have built sustainable strategies that work for them. Thanks to their efforts, they continue to grow and thrive year-over-year and your church can do the same. It simply requires you to sit down and take the time to consider what’s to come.
As a church leader, ask yourself:
- Where do you need to be to sustain your church as it is?
- Where do you want to be to grow your church to new heights?
- What is your plan to get there, month-by-month?
By setting big goals and breaking them up into smaller milestones, your church can achieve the same impressive growth rates and sustaining attendance that these churches have seen year after year. Whether you’re running a young church or a decades-old ministry, it’s always important to stay on top of changing trends and behaviors in your community. No matter what, keep your focus on addressing your community’s needs first-hand, just like these churches have.
With all of this in mind, let’s review three of the most impressive emerging churches for 2021.
Fastest-Growing Small Church: Generation Church
Founded in 2012, Generation Church is located in Portland, Tennessee and ranked #17 overall on the list of fastest-growing churches in the USA. It’s also the fastest-growing small church on the list, with an overall attendance of about 1,055 congregants. That represents a growth of 70% (435 new attendees) for this past year.
As Generation Church powers into 2021, they have plans for even more growth. The church leaders’ say: “At Generation Church, we have several core principles that drive every decision we make. These principles are not just phrases we remember, or values we strive for; it’s literally how we roll.”
Fastest-Growing Large Church: Lake Pointe Church
With nearly 14,500 congregants attending, Lake Pointe Church tops the list of fastest-growing churches in spot #8. They’re also the fastest-growing large church on the list, seeing a 17% growth in attendance throughout 2020, leading to them welcoming over 2,100 new attendees last year.
This Southern Baptist church is located in Rockwall, Texas and has made the lists of Outreach 100 every year since 2015 thanks to the church’s continued devotion to growing their congregation and making an impact in their local community.
Exponentially-Reproducing Church: Brentwood Baptist
Brentwood, Tennessee is home to the list’s most exponentially reproducing church — that is, the church with a high rate of attendance and one of the highest rates of generational attendance and word-of-mouth referrals in the United States. Brentwood Baptist Church proudly welcomes over 6,800 attendees to their grounds each Sunday.
Founded back in 1969, this church proves that sustainable growth is possible, even as the world has continued evolving in ways that have impacted many church-goers’ interactions with the church. With a steady growth rate of 6% last year, Brentwood Baptist has focused on sustaining their current congregants through high levels of engagement while encouraging people to invite friends, bring family, and make church a part of their lifestyles.
Prepare Your Church for Growth
As we continue into 2021, it’s important that your church continues to look to these emerging churches, along with other successful churches in your area and across the nation, so that you can gain inspiration for moving forward. As a church, setting goals and keeping your eye on sustainable growth targets is key to continuing and growing your impact in your community.
One fundamental aspect of growth at your church is having the right tools as a foundation. If last year taught us anything, it’s that a steady stream of donations and a solid emergency fund are critical to uninterrupted action. So, whether your church is interested in exploring the online donation software that’s out there or considering coaching and consulting to empower growth, Donorwerx can help.
At Donorwerx, we help church leaders just like you learn how to talk about tithing with your congregation while providing the software, hardware, and skills you need to create a long-lasting strategy to support your church’s growth, even through hard times. Interested in learning more about what Donorwerx can do for your church? Schedule a free 30-minute call and we’ll work together to come up with personalized strategies for your ministry.
