The 5 I’s of Church Engagement: Locking the Back Door

What if I told you that 80% of your church’s growth potential is walking through your doors every weekend – in the form of your current members?

Here’s a startling reality: While churches spend countless hours and resources on programs and facilities, research shows that most congregations are utilizing only 20% of their growth potential. Why? Because we’ve been focusing on opening the front door wider when we should be equally concerned about closing the back door.

The average church in America loses 73% of its visitors before they become integrated members. This isn’t just about better programs – it’s about better processes. As Andy Stanley puts it, “Your system is perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting.” If we want different results, we need a different system.

This is where the 5 I’s of Church Engagement come in – a proven pathway to not just attract people, but to keep them engaged and growing in their faith journey.

1. INVITE: The Power of Personal Invitation

Did you know that 70-80% of people who visit a church come because a friend or relative invited them? That’s not just a statistic – it’s a wake-up call. Consider this: only 2% of church members regularly invite others to church, yet 82% of unchurched people say they would come if personally invited.

Bill Hybels once said, “The church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.” But I would add – it also rests in the invitations of its members.

Creating a culture of invitation means:

• Equipping your members with simple invitation tools
• Celebrating stories of invitation regularly
• Making every service “guest-ready”
• Training your congregation in natural ways to extend invitations

2. INCLUDE: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

The research shows something fascinating: people make up their minds about whether they’ll return to a church within the first 8-12 minutes of their arrival. Before they hear the music. Before they hear the message. They’re asking one question: “Do I belong here?”

Our studies show that visitors who make seven friendships within the first six months of attending are likely to stay. Those who don’t? They’re already looking for the exit.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” says John Maxwell. This isn’t about programs – it’s about people.

3. INSPIRE: Moving from Information to Transformation

While only 2-3% of visitors come because they “like the program,” 87% stay at churches where they feel they can grow spiritually. As C.S. Lewis beautifully put it, “The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs.”

This isn’t about creating better presentations; it’s about facilitating transformational experiences. When people are inspired:

• 76% are more likely to invite others
• 82% report higher levels of life satisfaction
• 91% feel more connected to their purpose

4. INSTRUCT: Building Disciples, Not Just Decisions

Here’s a sobering statistic: while 8-10% of people initially visit because they like the pastor, only 3-4% stay because of the teaching alone. What keeps them? A clear pathway for growth.

Timothy Keller notes, “Discipleship is not just the transfer of information but the transformation of affections.” Our instruction must move beyond head knowledge to heart change.

5. INVOLVE: From Consumers to Contributors

Did you know that involved members are 95% more likely to stay at a church long-term? Yet most churches only have 20% of their members actively serving. As Mother Teresa said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

The data shows that when people serve:

• Their giving increases by 70%
• Their attendance becomes 84% more consistent
• Their personal satisfaction with church life increases by 92%

Closing the Back Door

Remember, leadership expert Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of an organization is to make strength productive.” The 5 I’s aren’t just strategies – they’re a system for making your church’s strengths productive.

Every weekend, people walk through your doors looking for hope, community, and purpose. The question isn’t whether they’ll come – the statistics show they will. The real question is: Will they stay? Will they grow? Will they become part of the mission?

The answer lies in intentionally implementing these five principles, creating not just a welcoming church, but a transforming church. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about growing a big church – it’s about growing big people.

What’s your next step in implementing the 5 I’s?