By Jeremy Roberts
Hustle. If you want to see your church grow, you must hustle. This may sound generic to you. “Ok, Jeremy. I need to work hard. Thanks for this stunning advice.”
Yes. Hustle. It’s that simple.
The truth is that if you go after people in a strategic manner, more people are likely to show up and hear you preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, what does hustle look like? Let me give you an example: You meet a couple who visits your church for the first time. They tell you their first and last name. As they walk away, you type their name into your phone so you won’t forget.
Later that day, you’re sitting around your living room, and you bust open Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and you search their name. You find them, and learn about them. Then, you write them a handwritten note and drop a few things in the letter that they like, while making sure you don’t come across as a stalker or something like that.
A week later, contact them again. Do whatever you can to get in front of them. Try to meet with them over coffee or lunch.
Most people visit a church and refuse to fill out connection cards. The few who do fill out the cards are never contacted by anyone from the church. I ask people about this frequently, and am constantly told that they’ve visited other churches and nobody ever reached out to them.
This just comes down to hustle. I really think one of the key ways our church has grown boils down to straight up hustle.
Wake up early. Manage your time with precision and do not waste time. Hustle! Hustle! Hustle!
Jeremy Roberts is the Lead Pastor of Church of the Highlands in Chatanooga, TN, and author of multiple books.
