How to Get Your First 100 Church Members

Every book I've read about church growth describes how to grow PAST 100 members...

But they never address how to get the first hundred.

And I think that's because they assume you just used plain Gospel to start.
"Now it's time for tactics."

>>> THE GOSPEL IS ALWAYS THE TACTIC.

I don't think you need a funnel,
webinar,
platform,
event,
host,
ad,

to spread the Good News.

I think you just need to share the Good News.

"Well Charlie if that's what you believe, why didn't your church grow?"
Because the Gospel wasn't always my primary focus.

That hurt to type.

Anyways, I think instead of focusing on the perfect event or relying on great leadership skills, the path to the first 100 members is sharing the Gospel with 100 people.

Practically speaking, there are a few ways to make this easier (that I will be implementing):

1. Construct an environment that doesn't allow for distractions.

I'm amazed how dumb I am for not doing this before.

If your only choice is to work on the ONE thing you need to work on...
You will.

For example, if I wanted to get in shape, I'd go to the gym.
Not Popeyes.
Not Youtube.
Not a notebook to plan everything I'll do when I get too strong for the current equipment at the gym I plan to go to someday but haven't actually been there yet rabble rabble blah blah.

So, if you want to invite 100 people, go where you can find people.

The right ones.
The ones in your town.

Go where God sent you.

2. Pray that God gives you opportunities.

"Here am I, send me."
Okay, now you've been sent.

Now, "Pray the Lord of the Harvest that He will send forth laborers into the harvest"
Okay, check. You're physically in the community God sent you to.

Now, pray "that God would open to [you] a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ,... that [you] may make it manifest, as [you] ought to speak" (Col. 4.3-4),

and "that utterance may be given to [you], that [you] may open [your] mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,... that in it [you] may speak boldly, as [you] ought to speak" (Eph. 6.19-20).

So basically...
Ask God to bring you opportunities.

3. Pray that their hearts would be "good ground."

Instead of praying that your event works,
Pray that God lets you lead someone to Him.

I'm not saying events are bad—there's some merit for this in the "COMPEL them to come in" command.

But I feel like the main message of churches has become "Come to our thing so we can have a chance to tell you the Gospel" instead of "I'm going to do whatever it takes to show you Jesus... Including talking to you."

If events are more about community reputation than Gospel ministry, cancel the events.

Instead, major on talking to humans.

It's almost like that's what Jesus and Paul did.
They talked to people.
And God gave fruit.

So pray for fruit.

To summarize:

Go where God sent you.
Pray for opportunities while you're there.
And pray for fruit.

It's almost like that's what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 28.

So lock in.
Go before you get distracted.

Get 100.
Then another 100.

Make Heaven crowded.
Go.