When we equip the saints, the church’s impact can grow exponentially, even if its numerical or geographical footprint doesn’t grow noticeably.

The congregation where you serve, worship or lead may have a small footprint – as in a small building, no building, or too few people for your large building, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a big impact.

Here are five steps every church can take to increase their impact for the cause of Christ in their communities and their world.

Equip The Saints.

So many churches put an unnecessary cap on their ministry potential because they funnel everything through the pastor. But it’s not the pastor’s calling to do the work of ministry for church members. It’s the pastor’s calling to “equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

Church leaders need to be equippers and mentors more than problem-solvers, managers, or chaplains. In to many churches, the pastor is stretched to the limit because they’re doing everything for the members. If the church did grow numerically under that model, it would be an even greater burden for the pastor.

But when the church uses the equipping model, our impact grows whether-or-not our attendance grows, without adding an additional burden on the paid pastoral staff.

Minister From The Church, Not Just In The Church

When people are equipped and excited about sharing their faith, they’ll do more than promote a church program or event. They’ll actually tell people about Jesus. Including people who may never come to your specific church.

We have to be okay with that. Not only okay with it, but promote and celebrate it.

If we really care about the growth of Christ’s church, not just our local congregation, we will be grateful for anyone who comes to faith, no matter what church they become a member of. After all, what’s a better sign of a truly healthy church growth? There’s so much more ministry that can be done from the church than what we’re able to do in the church.

Leverage Social Media

Unless someone printed this article out for you, you’re reading it on the most powerful tool ever created…literally.

If the pen is mightier than the sword, how much more powerful is the samrt phone, tablet or computer? With these devices we can create unlimited amounts of content and distribute it, at the press of a button or a tap of the screnn, to virtually the entire world.

With that kind of access, any church of any size can have an impact far bigger than our geographical footprint.

Truly, Genuinely Love People

People know where they’re being used when we’re leveraging our relationships with them to pad our pockets or our attendance numbers.

They also know when they’re being loved. Really and truly loved.

There is nothing more attractive than a church that genuinely puts the needs of oters ahead of their own needs.

Loving people is harder than drawing a crowd. But the impact is deeper. And impact is what matters.

Keep Jesus Front-and-Center

Having a bigger impact is not just about finding better ideas, methods or systems. Especially in the church.

When our vision is only about the things we can do better, we can forget about the greatest opportunity we have to truly have massive impact – not just fgor here, but for eternity. Truly being God’s people, doing things God’s way, under God’s blessing and power, for God’s glory.

We must never fall into the trap of thinking that we can do the work of Christ without living and acting in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

A great church starts and ends with being a worshipping church. A praying church. A church that honors scripture, loves people and seeks God’s way and will ahead of our way and will.

When we do that, Christ can and will – because He promised He would – do more through us than we even know how to ask or think.