4 Church Trends You Need To Know In 2024
The landscape of church dynamics is evolving faster than ever; driven by the changing preferences and lifestyles of its members. In 2024, four distinctive trends seem to be reshaping the way churches operate. Emphasizing a shift towards relational engagement, smaller communities, concise yet impactful content, and raw authenticity. If you are not doing these, it’s time to start. If you realize you’re already doing some or all of these, it’s time to lean in and double down. Let’s delve into these trends that are redefining the spiritual journey for many in 2024.
Choosing Relational Over Informational
Guess what’s cooler than a lit worship band and more impactful than 40-minute whiteboard lectures? Real-life convos with real people experiencing relatable stuff while pursuing a real relationship with Jesus. In 2024, church is all about those deep, meaningful connections. In an age where your members can listen to the greatest communicators in the world anywhere, anytime, real value is found in genuine relationships. Your community is seeking more than just sermons and teachings; they crave genuine connections and meaningful interactions. Shift your culture so that your people are not only listeners but active participants in a community where the emphasis is on shared experiences, mutual support, and a collective journey of faith. Moving from an informational approach to a relational one is going to transform churches into warm, welcoming spaces where individuals feel seen, heard, and truly valued.
One practical way to implement that strategy is in your “Growth Tracks” or “Membership Class”. Rather than investing the bulk of the in-person experience around sharing information that could easily be emailed, try designing the gathering around new folks connecting with other new people. You can always send them a copy of your core beliefs and expectations. Investing in relations over information will pay off this year.
Get Smaller To Grow Bigger
Hold up – are we downsizing or leveling up? In 2024, we’re doing both. Rather than focusing solely on increasing the size of congregations, many churches are prioritizing the creation of smaller, more intimate communities within the larger framework. Welcome to the era of church micro-communities – like small groups, but less formal. Designed to connect, not to instruct. These micro-communities foster a sense of belonging and accountability, providing a space where individuals can forge deeper connections and engage in more meaningful spiritual conversations. This approach allows for more personalized pastoral care, enabling the church to meet the unique needs of its diverse members.
Your church is already composed of a number of people who have things in common like hobbies and life stages. The question is whether you are helping those people find each other. Let’s use our example from the point above. Your Growth Track has a micro-community of “newish people getting involved”. Find ways to connect them with each other outside of the Sunday morning experience. People are looking for big church excellence with small church community. You can do both well by cultivating micro-communities. Trust us, they won’t be micro for long. Micro-communities equal mega impact! Both numerically and spiritually.
Shorter Content for Longer Views:
As of April 2023, the average time you have to grab and keep the attention of a potential content viewer was 8 seconds. 8 seconds to stop them from swiping, but how long to keep them watching? In 2024, we’re keeping it short, sweet, and meme-worthy. Sermon clips should be kept to around 20 seconds of key spiritual wisdom that leaves them thinking. Mic drops only. Then you can point them to where they can find the longer content. Carousels are catching fire in 2024. Keep each slide short and lead into the next slide. Don’t forget a call to action on the last slide.
Shorter doesn’t mean less profound, it means laser-focused. Bite-sized content to reach a broader audience. Keeping things shorter will keep them longer and ensure they keep watching in the future.
Be Yourself
It’s easy to get caught up in showing off your church’s highlight reel. Editing your most polished and produced moments has been a must in the past, However, in 2024, raw authenticity is what people are looking for. Get rid of the fancy filters and eliminate the perfect poses. When we’re true to ourselves on social media, we build stronger connections and shine a light for others to see the realness of our faith. Being a Christian is not easy or sexy. Don’t be afraid to share your struggles as well as your achievements. People are starving to see other people trying to pursue Jesus, but also relate to the hard realities of what you might have to face along the way. People want to follow the journey of a real person, not a perfect persona.
The future of churches lies in fostering genuine connections, building smaller communities within the larger whole, adapting to the changing dynamics of communication, and being genuine. Simply put, choose relationships over info, get smaller to grow bigger, deliver shorter content for longer views, and share all of you, not just the shiny parts. By embracing these trends, churches are not just keeping pace with the times but are creating spaces where individuals can authentically experience and express their faith.
