Most Canadian churches understand the importance of their front door—Sunday worship, where visitors may arrive, observe quietly, and decide whether they feel safe enough to return. Most also experience the reality of the back door—people leaving through aging congregations, relocation, disillusionment with institutions, or gradual disengagement.

What far fewer churches in Canada intentionally cultivate are their side doors.

What Is a “Side Door”?

A side door is not a new worship style or a marketing tactic. Church growth researcher Charles Arn defines a side door as:

A church-sponsored program, group, or activity in which a non-member can become comfortably involved on a regular basis—long enough to develop meaningful and valued relationships with people in the church.

In a Canadian context—where trust is built slowly and belief is often private—side doors allow belonging to come before belief, and relationships to come before religious commitment.

Why Front Doors Alone No Longer Work in Canada

Canada is a post-Christendom culture. Most people in our communities are not hostile toward Christianity—but they are cautious, skeptical, and often indifferent. Inviting someone to church on Sunday is no longer a “neutral” invitation; for many, it feels like crossing a cultural boundary.

As a result:

• Fewer people are willing to “visit” a church service
• Sunday worship alone cannot compensate for ongoing losses
• Even warm, welcoming churches struggle to grow numerically

Research consistently shows that growing churches offer multiple entry paths, while plateaued and declining churches rely almost exclusively on Sunday attendance as the primary point of connection.

Canadian churches that grow ask a different question:

Where do people already feel comfortable showing up?

What Side Doors Look Like in Canadian Communities

Side doors in Canada often emerge from shared experiences, not shared beliefs. Examples might include:

• Grief support groups in aging communities
• Parent and caregiver support in suburban and rural contexts
• Recovery and mental health groups responding to isolation and anxiety
• Community meals, hobby groups, or skills workshops
• Newcomer, immigrant, and refugee support ministries
• Justice-oriented initiatives tied to housing, food security, or reconciliation

These ministries work not because they are flashy, but because they meet real needs in a relational way.

As Arn notes, almost no activity is too secular to become a bridge into church life.

Why Side Doors Matter for Church Revitalization in Canada

Side doors are particularly critical in Canadian revitalization work because they address four persistent challenges.

1. Declining Volunteer Capacity

Many Canadian churches rely on a shrinking core of faithful servants. Side doors multiply meaningful roles, allowing people to serve out of passion rather than guilt.

2. Cultural Distance from Church

Side doors provide low-pressure entry points where people can build trust without feeling targeted or evaluated.

3. Community Disconnection

In a fragmented, individualistic culture, side doors create spaces for genuine community—often filling a relational gap that churches underestimate.

4. Burnout Among Pastors and Leaders

When ministry is shared and passion-driven, pastoral leaders shift from doing everything to coaching and releasing others.

Passion-Based Ministry: A Crucial Shift for Canadian Churches

Canadian churches that thrive make a key transition:

• From filling slots → calling people into purpose
• From centralized control → permission-giving leadership
• From institutional preservation → missional imagination

People are far more willing to serve when ministry aligns with what they already care deeply about—mental health, justice, family, creativity, recovery, or community wellbeing.

How to Build Side Doors in a Canadian Church

Arn’s process translates well into the Canadian context when applied thoughtfully.

Step 1: Become a “Dream Incubator”

Create safe, simple ways for people to share ministry ideas—especially ideas that don’t look “churchy.”

Step 2: Listen for Passion

In Canadian churches, passion often surfaces quietly. Leaders must pay attention during:

• Pastoral conversations
• Newcomer integration
• Small groups and informal gatherings
• “I wish our church could…” comments

Step 3: Build Small Teams, Not Committees

Start with prayer, then planning. Side doors grow relationally, not bureaucratically.

Step 4: Learn from Others

Canadian churches benefit greatly from adapting models rather than importing American programs wholesale. Context matters.

Step 5: Define a Specific Target Audience

Avoid vague language. Clarity builds trust.

Step 6: Name the Purpose Clearly

Ask:

• Who is this really for?
• What need does it address in this community?
• How does the church show up humbly and helpfully?

Step 7: Keep the Plan Simple and Sustainable

Effective ministries address:

• Practical needs (health, finances, housing, employment)

• Relational needs (belonging, stability, connection)

• Spiritual curiosity (questions, meaning, hope)

Step 8: Lead with Relevance

Don’t over-polish. Start small. Learn as you go.

Step 9: Commit to Time

Canadian trust grows slowly.
Minimum: 6 weeks
Ideal: 8–12 weeks

Step 10: Coach, Don’t Control

Side doors should not increase pastoral workload. Appoint ministry coaches who support leaders and maintain alignment with the church’s mission.

A Word for Church Leaders

Church revitalization rarely begins with bigger services or better branding. It begins when churches re-enter the everyday lives of their communities.

Side doors allow people to encounter the church as:

• Present rather than persuasive
• Relational rather than programmatic
• Helpful rather than hidden

In a Canadian context, side doors are not optional.
They are often the primary mission field.