Moving from vertical to horizontal growth

Thom Rainer March 3, 2019

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Two of the most dramatic trends in churches over the past decade are declines in attendance frequency and the move to horizontal growth.

I have written and spoken at length about the trend of declining attendance in frequency of “committed” church members. But I have not really unpacked why churches are moving toward horizontal growth.

Definitions are in order. Vertical growth refers to an increasing number in the same place or unit. For example, if a church grows from 150 to 175 in attendance in its 10:30 worship service, it has a vertical growth of 25. The growth takes place in the same service.

Horizontal growth is the term we use to describe numerical growth that takes place by adding units. For example, if the church above decided to start a new worship service at 9 a.m. and total attendance of the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services grew from 175 to 225, we would say the growth of 50 was largely horizontal growth.

Reasons for expansion 

Why is growth more likely today with additional services, classes, groups, venues and campuses? Why do we see the horizontal strategy to be more pervasive today? Here are five key reasons:

1. Horizontal growth is usually better stewardship. From a stewardship perspective, it is typically better to add a second worship service than to build a new worship center. The church can accommodate more people without more capital expenses and debt.

2. Horizontal growth can offer more choices to reach different demographics. As an example, a Tuesday night worship service may reach those people who have to work on Sunday mornings. Churches can often reach a wider demographic with more options.

3. Horizontal growth reaches Gen Xers and Millennials who typically prefer smaller gatherings.  They like the resources of larger churches, but they also prefer the smaller gatherings of smaller churches. A larger church can get smaller through additional services, venues, and sites.

4. Horizontal growth can reach a new community without abandoning the church’s current community.  Such is the advantage of an additional site or campus in another part of the community. One church, for example, is located in the suburbs, but had the heart to reach the urban core in the metropolitan area. It leased an old warehouse in the city and started reaching a large slice of the unchurched urban population.

5. Horizontal growth often has many of the advantages of church planting without planting a new church.  Many of these examples could be accomplished with a church plant. But starting something brand new without the resources of an existing church is challenging. Horizontal growth can sometimes capture the benefit of both worlds.

Watching the trend

Is horizontal growth a prescriptive strategy for churches? I don’t think so. I see it more as a descriptive reality. 

I will be watching this trend closely to see if more people are reached with the gospel. Then I will get really excited about it.

Photo source: istock 

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Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn More »

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