# Church Growth Engine

> Practical strategies for growing healthy churches

This file provides information about Church Growth Engine to help large language models understand and reference this publication's content.

## Posts
- [The 10 Traits That Define a Healthy Church](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-10-traits-that-define-a-healthy-church): A new framework separates church health from church size—plus three ways to check your own congregation this week.
- [Half of Dechurched Evangelicals Say They'd Return Today](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/half-of-dechurched-evangelicals-say-they-d-return-today): New research on the Great Dechurching shows most who left never renounced their faith—they're waiting for an invitation, not a reason to stay away.
- [The 6 Things That Build Faith in Teens](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-6-things-that-build-faith-in-teens): Youth group helps, but new research shows two-thirds of regular attendees are still inconsistent across the six markers of active faith.
- [The Support You're Offering Pastors Might Not Be the Support They Need](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-support-you-re-offering-pastors-might-not-be-the-support-they-need): New Barna research shows the resources churches offer pastors rank lowest in helpfulness, while the hardest moves to make rank highest.
- [The Growth That's Actually Shrinking Your Church](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-growth-that-s-actually-shrinking-your-church): Carey Nieuwhof's latest research reveals a 25-year reversal in who's showing up and why it matters for your reach.
- [Is Your Meaningful Ministry Making You Happy?](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/is-your-meaningful-ministry-making-you-happy): Arthur Brooks explains why isolation is draining your joy—and how pleasure becomes a gift when people are involved.
- [The Church You're Leading Has a History You Don't Know](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-church-you-re-leading-has-a-history-you-don-t-know): Understanding the last 70 years might be the most clarifying thing you do this year.
- [Success looks different out here—and that's not a problem.](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/success-looks-different-out-here-and-that-s-not-a-problem): What faithful growth actually looks like for smaller congregations
- [Spiritual openness is up. Discipleship isn't. ](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/spiritual-openness-is-up-discipleship-isn-t): New Barna data, a depleted pastor problem, and three things to do this week
- [The 21% gap quietly stalling your ministry](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-21-gap-quietly-stalling-your-ministry): What invitation, presence, and relationships have to do with growth
- [AI Won't Fix the Loneliness in Your Pews](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/ai-won-t-fix-the-loneliness-in-your-pews): Leading faithfully when AI is reshaping how people connect
- ["I trust God, except when I don't."](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/i-trust-god-except-when-i-don-t): New research is reframing what healthy faith looks like.
- [Healthy churches aren't built in a sprint.](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/healthy-churches-aren-t-built-in-a-sprint): The slow work is the real work.
- [You can only lead people as far as you've gone yourself](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/you-can-only-lead-people-as-far-as-you-ve-gone-yourself): The quiet interior work behind healthy churches.
- [Gen Z is turning to ChatGPT with their faith questions.](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/gen-z-is-turning-to-chatgpt-with-their-faith-questions): How to make your church a safe place for curiosity
- [80 million Americans are spiritually open. Now what?](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/80-million-americans-are-spiritually-open-now-what): The question is whether your church is ready.
- [The 8 markers that separate healthy churches from busy ones](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-8-markers-that-separate-healthy-churches-from-busy-ones): New research shows what's actually happening in congregations that thrive.
- [The Churches Everyone Counted Out Are Leading People to Jesus](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-churches-everyone-counted-out-are-leading-people-to-jesus): New Lifeway data on rural congregations challenges assumptions about small-town ministry
- [1 in 3 Americans Trusts AI for Spiritual Advice As Much As Their Pastor](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/1-in-3-americans-trusts-ai-for-spiritual-advice-as-much-as-their-pastor): Here's what that means for your church — and what to do about it this week.
- [What Thriving Pastors Do Differently, According to New Research](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/what-thriving-pastors-do-differently-according-to-new-research): The habits that keep good leaders in the game
- [The Women In Your Church Are Telling You Something](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/the-women-in-your-church-are-telling-you-something): Why healthy churches don’t grow by accident
- [Healthy Churches Don’t Grow By Accident](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/healthy-churches-don-t-grow-by-accident): And a case for preaching the passages you’d rather skip
- [Strong Marriages, Few Friends: The Pastoral Paradox](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/strong-marriages-few-friends-the-pastoral-paradox): Why pastors thrive in faith and vocation but struggle where it matters most and what churches can do about it.
- [What If Everyone in Your Church Felt Indispensable?](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/what-if-everyone-in-your-church-felt-indispensable): Singles, families, lay leaders—the research is clear on what makes churches thrive.
- [When You Don’t Want to Preach](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/when-you-don-t-want-to-preach): How to sustain your calling when you're barely sustaining yourself.
- [Stronger Families = Stronger Churches (Plus a Free 28-Day Tool)](https://churchgrowthengine.com/p/stronger-families-stronger-churches-plus-a-free-28-day-tool): When families thrive at home, your congregation flourishes on Sunday