Why This Church Keeps Growing Year After Year | Kai Foster

Why do some churches steadily grow while others plateau?

In this insightful interview from the Healthy Church Growth Conference in Boston, Rob Skinner sits down with Kai Foster, who leads the growing church in Reno, Nevada alongside his wife BJ.

Over the past decade, the Reno church has experienced consistent growth — nearly doubling in size. In this conversation, Kai shares several practical and spiritual principles that have helped create a culture of connection, unity, and spiritual depth within the church.

One of the biggest keys?

Intentional fellowship.

Kai explains how creating structured time for meaningful conversations during worship services and midweek meetings has helped disciples build authentic relationships that go beyond surface-level interactions.

He also shares why his church still uses printed sermon outlines and devotionals every week — and why "ink and paper still have power" in a world dominated by screens.

This episode is filled with practical ideas for:

Building stronger church community
Increasing unity and connection
Creating spiritually engaging church environments
Helping people feel known and connected
Encouraging deeper conversations
Supporting long-term church growth

Whether you lead a church, small group, ministry, or simply want stronger Christian community, this conversation is packed with wisdom and encouragement.

Key Takeaways

Church growth often begins with deeper connection
Intentional fellowship creates stronger disciples
Structured conversations build unity
Printed spiritual content increases retention and engagement
Healthy churches create environments where people feel known
Fellowship must go beyond surface-level interactions

Memorable Quotes

"Connectivity is the greatest challenge for suburban Christians."

"Ink and paper still have power."

"You can't obey the second greatest command if you're not connected."

"People are accustomed to deeper conversations."

Topics Covered

Church growth
Christian fellowship
Leadership development
Healthy church culture
Midweek ministry
Discipleship
Spiritual community
Church connection
Faith and retention
Reno church growth