Today marks two weeks since the release of my latest book, Ignite: How to Spark Immediate Growth in Your Church. I always say that leaders are readers – and thanks to leaders like you, Ignite has already begun to impact communities around the world. So, thanks for your passion and commitment to expanding God’s kingdom!

I am kicking off a six-week blog series today, called “Igniting Growth In Your Church.” If you haven’t gotten your copy of Ignite yet, this Thursday series will give you a sneak peek into its pages and uncover some key concepts for sparking your church’s growth. If you are one of the many who have already started studying Ignite, this series will provide you with some bite-sized reminders and reinforcement.

My hope is that these posts will leave you all with something to think about as you go through your day… and drive you even deeper in your study of how to spark immediate growth in your church.

Today’s Topic: Why Should I Do A Big Day?

First of all, let me define what exactly a big day is. A big day is an all-out push toward a single Sunday for the purpose of breaking the next growth barrier and setting an attendance record, in order to reach as many people as possible for Jesus.

Why should you worry about pushing past your next growth barrier? Why do a big day? Here are four reasons to consider:

1. Do a big day to reach new people – The biggest reason to do a big day is to cooperate with God in reaching the most people possible for the kingdom while we still can. We have a responsibility to do as much as we can to bring people to Christ and grow them up into spiritual maturity. Isn’t that why we do what we do?

Reaching our communities is not going to happen without intentional effort on our part. We can’t just stick to the status quo and assume that the people in our churches are going to be filled with a passion to reach others for Jesus. We have to make a concerted decision to put time and energy into connecting with the world beyond our doors. That’s where the vision for a big day begins – with a heart for the community and a heart to reach new people before God’s final big day.

2. Do a big day to make the devil mad – Okay, this shouldn’t be your primary reason for doing a big day, but every once in a while it’s good to do something that will irk Satan. If he’s not bothered by what you are doing, you must not be doing much against his cause. Or as a pastor/mentor of mine once advised me, ‘If you haven’t met the devil head on lately, maybe its because you are moving in the same direction!’

3. Do a big day to grow the Christians in your church – There’s nothing like doing a big day to ignite some passion in your people and mobilize them for service. When you share your vision for reaching a new level through a big day, you will find people more than willing to give extra time and energy to the cause. They will be eager to reach out to their friends, family and co-workers. You will spur them on to greater spiritual growth by giving them the opportunity to take part in something bigger than themselves.

4. Do a big day to build momentum in your church – I run into a lot of churches who say, “We feel like our momentum is beginning to wane.” If you can relate, that’s all the more reason to do a big day. Big days build momentum by uniting your people in a common goal, attracting buzz from the community, and propelling you to the next level of growth.

For more information on planning and executing a big day, make sure to pick up your copy of Ignite: How To Spark Immediate Growth In Your Church. You may also want to check out my audio resource, The Big Day. Just click here.

Now that you’ve discovered some of the strongest “whys” for doing a big day, you definitely won’t want to miss next Thursday’s installment of “Igniting Growth In Your Church.” We’ll be looking at the “whens” – the four most effective times of year to do your big day. In the meantime, take some time to envision the effects that a well-planned big day could have on your church…

– Nelson

P.S. I’m have upcoming Ignite Seminars in New York City, Charlotte and Raleigh – follow this link for more info

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.