6 Proven Tips For Building Community In The Church [2024]

Building community in the church that is continuously growing in God and in their relationships with each other is difficult. 

As the pastor or ministry leader, you are looked at to lead the people into a thriving relationship with God, but many times it is hard to balance that responsibility with helping your congregation to connect with each other. 

If you’re looking for ways to cultivate to build an electrifying church community then you have come to the right place!

In this article, we are going to cover some proven ways we can grow and cultivate a vibrant and a flourishing church community. 

What Is A Church Community?

Building a church community is more than just making friends for Sunday services. 

Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith states that “The church is a community of believers in one locality who have been drawn together by their common experience of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.”

It’s about building a bond in the body of Christ and walking through life together in one accord. It’s about holding each other accountable while spurring each other on in the faith. 

A church community is essential to our walk with God. It gives us hope to carry on when we know we have a gospel community behind us reminding us of the goodness of God.

Why Building Church Community Is Important

Think of what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:24-25:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”

I love this verse because it really sums up the need of gathering together outside of Sunday morning church services. This passage from Hebrews encourages us to meet together, to spur one another on in love, faith, and good works, and carry one another’s burdens in times of need. 

One thing we don’t see in the early church is only coming together one day a week for church; they lived their lives together in a close community. 

Christians are not called to do life alone. We are called to come together as one body in Christ. There are so many benefits I have personally experienced from not only being a part of a community group in the past but now having the pleasure to lead one. It is mind-blowing seeing how much richer my life has become and how much closer I’ve gotten to my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

When Sunday morning comes around I do not feel like I am in a room full of strangers; it feels like a room full of good friends. This will create a type of vibrant church community that will be evident to first-time guests as they come to gather at your church on Sunday.

*If you like this article and want to know more about church growth, check out our post, 10 Most Powerful Church Growth Strategies.

Building Community In The Church Tip #1: Casting The Vision

First, let’s start with what it means to cast the vision. Casting the vision sets the stage for the rest of the church. Like I said earlier, having the same goal at hand will help facilitate a vibrant church community because we all have the same motivation which is to glorify Jesus.

One thing my pastor says a lot when it comes to casting vision of the church is “the WHY behind the WHAT.” When I think of this I often think of questions like, why do I serve my church? 

The WHY is Jesus and glorifying him through our actions and our daily lives

The WHAT is the small things and big things like setting out chairs for the church, preparing the sermon, grabbing coffee with an unbeliever who is open to hearing the gospel, or simply ushering people to their seat on Sunday morning. All these things are what we are doing for Jesus much like in Matthew 25:25-40:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”

Understanding the WHY behind the WHAT really helps the church grow and cultivate into a vibrant church community with one mission and vision in mind. It is easy to get caught up in the acts of serving each other, but forget why you’re actually doing it. Remembering that I am serving Jesus in setting out coffee cups, directing traffic, opening doors or putting out chairs helps me to do it with joy when serving is not what I initially want to do with my Sunday morning. 

However, the mission of your church and the vision of your church can differ and they aren’t always the same thing from church to church. To drive deeper on the topic of the vision of your church I recommend our article Church Vision Statements.

Building Community In The Church Tip #2: Small Groups

One of the most significant things every church can do is raise up leaders and start community groups. These groups provide your church congregation a place to meet and connect together on a regular basis to grow in relationships with each other and grow in their knowledge and application of the Word. This is one of the biggest community-building techniques that your church can implement. 

Matthew 28:19-20 says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Much like how Jesus spent more time with the disciples than he did with the general public, to train them to make more disciples, we also should spend time together sharpening each other like iron sharpens iron and preparing each other to make disciples. 

Building Community In The Church Tip #3: Serving Alongside Eachother

Another great way to cultivate a vibrant church community is serving together on Sunday. When we serve the church it’s much more than just putting out some chairs for the congregation or setting up a table for communion. Serving on Sunday runs deeper because we are not just serving the people, we are serving Christ himself. When we serve together on the same mission and vision, the church congregation has a much deeper bond because we do it all for Christ. 

There is much fruit made when we all have the same goal in mind which is to glorify God and love others as God has loved us. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Serving together is a great way to connect with each other at church. In the last few weeks, I  have been blessed while serving with multiple friends who I don’t get to see as much as I would like and we were able to catch up on each other’s lives, careers, families, etc. 

It also gives purpose within the community. Being able to serve alongside each other gives us a sense of belonging in the church it makes. When the congregation is serving its own people, they feel connected and rooted in the church rather than just other attendees. It gives your congregation some ownership and accountability for being the hands and feet of Jesus rather than someone who only comes to be served. Mark 10:41-45 “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I know what you’re asking yourself right now; how can I get people to serve? That’s a great question because it’s not always easy to keep a steady and healthy flow of church volunteers every Sunday, but lucky for you, we have a whole article about this very topic titled: How To Get People To Volunteer At Church

Building Community In The Church Tip #4: Encourage Hospitality

The church’s hospitality team is the initial encounter a first-time visitor or a long-term partner of the church will experience when they pull into the parking lot and walk through the doors. So, it is important that you have steps in place to make people feel seen and feel welcomed.

A good thing to remember when it comes to hospitality is that it is not a duty. It’s a passion. Hospitality is more about your attitude than any one thing you can do.

Here are 3 strategies you can use:

1. Have door greeters. 

This is a simple thing you can do to make people feel welcome. It may seem like a small thing and in a lot of ways it is, but it really helps people feel welcome and seen as they walk through the door to encounter Christ and hear the gospel.

2. Have a first-time guest table near the entry.

This is a great way to welcome the congregation and to stop and chat for a bit before the service starts. It’s also good for first-time guests as you get to introduce yourself and welcome them.

This time is a good time to ask for their information and fill out a connect card. My church gives a small gift bag to anyone who fills out a connect card; inside there is a church mug and some information about our church and how to connect in community groups. Another perk of doing this is that everyone knows this person is here for the first time and can be intentional about introducing themselves and welcoming the guests to the church.

3.  Have a coffee bar or snack station.

I know this seems a little cliche, but anything you do to make a new guest more comfortable is a way to remove distractions from them and helps them hear the message of the gospel during service. Also, having something for first-time guests to grab before heading to find their seats is another great time for people to meet each other. 

Building Community In The Church Tip #5: Church Events

Another good way to Cultivate a vibrant church is to put on events that are outside of the normal Sunday morning service. In this section, I’m going to cover 4 different event ideas that you can plan for this year.

Hosting church events are a perfect way to have your congregation socialize more. Events like these are a great tool for your church congregation to invite people outside of the church also. We all know people who are hesitant to come to church. A church picnic or party is a great way for new people to come and meet Christians and be invited to a Sunday morning service to hear the gospel. 

A few church event ideas are:

1. Easter Egg Hunt

2. Christmas Party

3. Trunk Or Treat

4. Church Cookout

These events alone are not enough to bring and keep people around. Check out this article about creating church events that promote real growth. Why Your Church Events Don’t Create Growth & What To Do About It [2023]

Building Community In The Church Tip #6: Meet Deeply Felt Needs

At the end of the day, people visiting your church may enjoy a family-friendly event, your coffee bar, but by themselves – these won’t convince anyone to become a consistent participant in your church. 

People stay where their needs are met consistently. 

A marriage conference (event) is nice, but when I start coming to your church, do you offer a consistent marriage & communication class?

Friendly door greeters make a first visit more comfortable, but does your church purposefully help members to engage in deep and meaningful relationships? 

A family carnival (event) might attract lots of young families, but when they come to church the week after, do you have a day car, parenting classes, or homeschool groups, available to consistently meet their needs?

When you meet your audience’s needs, they will come to you. 

When they meet their needs constantly, they will stay with you long term. 

In this article, we learned 6 simple yet powerful ways to build a godly community that builds each other up and spurs each other on.

What church community tip did you like most? 

Let us know in the comments.