1. The pastor better be a pastor, someone who loves people, a people person.

2. Grounded in the word

3. Have a great sound system

The last one may sound funny, but it is very, very true. If the congregation can't hear the word, or the vocal intelligibility is poor, the church will not grow. I have a good case in point. A baptist pastor called one day and asked if they could improve the vocal intelligibility of their system because the older members were having a hard time understanding the pastor's preaching. At that point they were running at about 150 people. We upgraded the system to a Left/Center/Right configuration and the worship (piano, organ, choir) sounded better, because of the stereo Left/Right . The vocal intelligibility was improved from the new upgraded center (cluster). All of a sudden, more musicians started to come and want to be involved and the congregation grew because the worship got better. The older folks enjoyed the service because for the first time they were not straining to understand the pastor. Now they are running two services and have approx. 1000 people. They have had to expand their facility and are thinking of adding a 3rd service. Its kind of the domino effect. The pastor now realizes the value of a good sound system.

I found some pastors that think its a nuisance to even have to buy a sound system. I once had a pastor ask me if he could get a system for $1,000.00 that would work for his congregation of 75 people in a church building that seats 250. I understand the lack of funds but what about the system working in the building. It is possible to put a system together for 75 people in a small venue like a large living room for about $1,000.00  but that would be maximum capacity. When you try to design a system you want to keep two figures in mind.

1. What is the smallest number of people you have in the congregation

2. What is the seating capacity of the building.

Once you have those figures, you add at least 20% to the second figure and that is what you want to build your system for. Here's why. When you reach 80% of the capacity of the building you are in now, you will look to expand or look for a new facility. When you get to your new facility or expansion, your system will be at the minimum level for that set-up so all you would have to do is add a couple of items or upgrade a couple of items to meet your new need.

I hope this makes sense. If you have any questions, drop me a line or two.