Until my current church, I’ve always been a little church kind of guy. My experiences with big churches had been they were all about power, status and internal politics. Jesus would be squeezed out in favor of giving the rich man the best seat in the sanctuary while the poor man was given the back of the balcony. I’m not saying all big churches are like that…it was just my personal experience with them. The pastor’s small group had all the rich people in it, etc.
Since I’ve joined CrossPoint, I’ve seen that big churches can be about Jesus and it’s made me rethink things. I’m not sure I could go either way right now.
My small church, as much as we have a limited budget, make a pretty big wave in the world. We have done so much that we have had movement leaders from around the world come and speak at our church of 200 people. We have a church in Cambodia named after us because of the impact we have had there. I think it depends on the motivation of the church, rather than the size.
I think it depends on the impact…if a small church can make a bigger impact on the world for Christ than the larger church, then I pick small…if the larger church makes a bigger impact for Christ…then I pick the larger church. It shouldn’t be about a preference but an examination of effectiveness.
My small church, as much as we have a limited budget, make a pretty big wave in the world. We have done so much that we have had movement leaders from around the world come and speak at our church of 200 people. We have a church in Cambodia named after us because of the impact we have had there. I think it depends on the motivation of the church, rather than the size.
Would that depend on what God entrusts the church with? Looking at the parable of the talents, if the church turns their two into a four, or five into ten, that is considered a “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” kind of church. I think that pleases the Father!
It’s not the size of the church that matters, it’s the size of the small groups. Churches live or die by the community they foster & the relationships they encourage.
Yes there is NOTHING like corporate worship with 10,000 people, but at the same time there is NOTHING like honest authentic life sharing with 5 to 10 others in a small group.
As a worship leader, yes I’d love to lead corporate worship on a large scale, but in our church of 400ish, we can stop mid-worship and have open reflective prayer/praise called out from the congregation – I struggle to see that being done with 10,000
So to answer … “small church” – your small group within a larger church body can and is church. Me meeting with a couple of mates over beers in the pub sharing life – that’s church. So yes, I say, small church, within a big church
Small, I get to know people better. I get to be more honest and real and see that others are just as human as me and not perfect. I used to hold pastors up in an unreal light…until I got to meet some at my small church. I have since learned that they’re just people and they have just as many mess-ups as me.
At this point, little church. Its where I serve, and it’s exciting to see God move in something from the ground up. we’re a church plant, so we don’t expect to stay small, forever, tho.
Both, as long as the church is BIG on mission. A little church can be a great community as long as (using Tony’s word) it seeks to have BIG “influence” in the community it serves in.
Both! we’re so confused right now, we go to Northpoint 9:00 service, then rush to our small baptist church for the 11:00 service. We’re involved in both churches so we fear the burn out is coming.
Love the big church because you have every resource right in front of you. Huge community, small groups, missions, and awesome worship. Love the small church for the family environment, love for each other, dependancy on God for church needs. we feel we need to choose soon. but it is hard.
I would have to say BIG church. But, I think I’m talking about something else. Isn’t that what we call it when the kids from little church [a children's worship service] graduate to going to big church?
I serve on staff in an average size [400+] church. I love my church. God’s more concerned about The Church being The Church…I think…regardless the attendance.
You know the phrase:
I’d rather grow a million miles deep than wide.
I agree with that…if you got “the stones” to really go deeper and actually dig in. Other than that, it’s just a really great phrase no matter how big or small the congregation.
I am a believer in the organic church or simple church movement. AKA house churches. They are smaller in size but huge in scope and impact. I see the evangelical church moving in this direction. People are tired of church as usual. Recently wrote a post on this subject on Modern Reject.
great insight. do i have to choose one or the other? There IS a 3rd option (and probably and 11th too)
Given the choice, I’d go big. But the best big church’s are the ones that figure out how to feel small (amazing small groups, high leader/attendance ratio…)
I didn’t think about house churches! My church was reduced to several house churches meeting throughout our community for a time because of problems with our building and permits. It was definitely very different. I don’t know if I would want to constantly go to a house church, but I think every once in a while, they are interesting experiences.
I was BIG on SMALL churches until moving to where I am now in Edmond. How could anything that BIG be genuine and not just a show?
I was challenged by a message that said that if you attend a small church, you better hope that church doesn’t reach people for Christ. Why? Because it is going to grow, and once it reaches a size you are uncomfortable with, what are you doing to do?
It made me realize that my love of a small church was about my comfort and was purely self-focused on what church could do for me. Give me a church that is growing, pouring into its community and encourages us to live for Christ amongst our smaller groups for the day-to-day.
pastorswife (small'p' small'w')25 August 2010 at 4:46 pm#
Kevin kind of touched on my perspective. When my husband graduated from seminary and began interviewing, we spoke with a couple of churches which were in locations that should have offered opportunity for growth, but the panic on the committee’s faces when he suggested the church reaching a size where the sanctuary was filled for two services told far more than any of their words.
Having been most recently at a small (to us) church, I found their “family” philosophy (meaning, we’ve known each other all our lives, vacation together, marry our kids off to each other, etc) to be extremely cliquish and exclusive–and my DH was on staff! As we shook hands with people on our last Sunday, more than one person admitted “We never really did make you part of ‘the family.’”
He was hired because they wanted “change” and growth, but anything that strayed from the way things had always been done was either not supported, or outright killed off. (For example, when doing an ‘outreach’ concert on the very visible park-like corner of the church property, a suggestion was made to take fliers to a weekly farmers market a few blocks away. The chief replied that wasn’t necessary, “They’re welcome to come here if they want, but we don’t need to go out recruiting.”) Too few people had too much power and a corrupt core seems to carry on unchecked.
We’ve found that a church of 800-1000 is about right for us. Not so huge that people can come regularly and feel completely anonymous or invisible, but large enough to have a more diverse population. Larger churches seem more open to taking on new ministries and offer more opportunities to serve. It’s easier to avoid gossip and general small-mindedness because there’s always someone else to befriend if you find yourself in a toxic loop.
No church, of any size, is perfect. And it’s true that sometimes the issues that are glaringly obvious in a small church are still there but better disguised in a large church. I guess I’m just more comfortable in a place where the worst of it is diluted because there’s more to it.
Kevin took the thoughts right out of my brain. It’s all about reaching people for the Lord. We should never restrict our evangelism to keep our churches small and “comfortable”. Christianity is supposed to be outward-focused in that respect. Yes, small groups are CRITICAL for personal growth, especially in larger churches but we cannot keep from spreading the word of God because we want our church to remain in a comfortable attendance range for us! I find that God wants us pulled OUT of our comfort zones more than he wants us in them!
I can do small church but they need BIG vision! My current church is now about 1000-1200! I can’t believe all the coolness there is in watching a church grow. Very blessed.
If I was not a youth pastor, I’d say small church… like in my living room small. I’m getting burned out on church as a place to have to go to three times a week… plus Saturday morning once a month, and a Saturday evening here and there… and some Friday nights… and worship team practices… and choir rehearsals… and, you get the picture.
BUT, since I’m a youth pastor: Average church hoping to be BIG, BIG, BIG!!! (Gotta make a living you know)
As His body, we are ultimately big yet God works in such a personal and intimate way.
I have seen both sides of this coin too:
A small and legalistic church that added to the Gospel.
A big and corporate church that is pretty much going through the motions.
So for me, whether big or small…just give me REAL. A church that is real about their faith, real about their struggles, and real-ly wants to get to know Jesus better.
I realize though that the church really is outside of 4 human-built walls and won’t fully be realized this side of Heaven.
Little church. I have been a part of both extremely large churches and teeny tiny ones. I prefer a little church because I think church is mostly about community… growing together in the Lord… sharpening each other… and learning from each other. Large churches may offer a lot of fun things to do and ways to serve but it is generally very difficult to have community and build relationships.
It is extremely easy for people to come and go in a big church without being noticed. Big churches sound intimidating but it is probably much more comfortable because no one will notice you don’t “belong” there.
As for myself, I have attended large churches and smaller churches. I don’t think the size of the church matters as much as the vision and reliance on the Spirit.
I tend to gravitate to big churches more. Probably for the same reason Tony Steward mentioned… influence. I work for a big church, but we still operate like a small church a lot of the time. Which goes to the point Michael mentioned way up top… that leaders like it big but the people like it small. We are having growing pains I suppose. We’re on the cusp of being a “mega church”. In fact that is how we are categorized by ACS (our database software company). But we still do things the “old way” a lot of the time because we are afraid of angering a few members.
By UK standards, fairly big (probably small to average in US, but that’s just a guess). It’s not big enough while there are so many unsaved people in our community.
is healthy an option? I don’t care if it’s big or small as long as it’s healthy. If it’s huge because humble leaders submit to the authority of God and He grew the numbers, awesome. If it’s small because humble leaders submit the authority of God and He didn’t bring the masses, awesome. Sadly a lot of big churches in my experience grow because of cool factor & although I believe it is still God who directs people & determines where they go it would be hard for me to align myself with the vision of a church that’s huge & cool & that’s about it. it’s easy to be jaded by the lights & vibe at those types of churches & substitute/confuse the move of the Spirit for the hype.
that being said. I really do love both. I interned at a mega church 2 years ago & now I’m on staff at a small/mediumish church & both were fantastic experiences.
why? the big church is always trying to get small after it gets big. why? because relationships are built in the small. whether small group or small church.
build leaders to launch other small churches that will plant other small churches.
This is a difficult question especially because it is easy to think “small forever” = bad while “small for now” = okay.
I would love Charles Lee to weigh in on this to bring some balance as Tony Steward works at a great church (which is also the second largest in the USA).
Personally, I think that a healthy, growing church is best. But then the question becomes, “Should all churches become mega churches?”
Small & solid. I like living in small towns. Our church is growing and there are so many new people that I don’t even know who they are. I can’t imagine what it’s like in a big church.
It is interesting to see a lot of you equating size and impact. Its true I don’t see to many small churches making a huge impact, but I also see a lot of big churches not making much of an impact.
Also, impact is not always a positive thing. A church can make a negative impact, big or small. Just look at Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Small church, big impact, bad impact.
+1 to Jake. Except that there are many small churches making an impact. They just don’t make the news ’cause our culture says that bigger is always better.
So what is the question? Is big church or small church better? Do I go to a big church building or a small church building? Am I part of a big church or small?
Without really knowing the question, I’ll say I’m a fan of both big churches and small churches, really any church that is furthering the work of Christ.
Great question Los…..
Have been in both large and small. Large churches (that I have been apart of) have had more resources readily available to make an impact…although small churches (that I have been a part of) seem to have more people that are willing to work to make the difference in the community and beyond. That being said we now attend what I consider a large church with weekend attendance of 2,000+…and growing.
The difference is 1) the Pastors leadership – reliant on the bible and 2) small groups that allow you to connect in a smaller setting and really get to become apart of each others lives.
After all we are all part of the big church!
A bunch of little “churches” (small groups) inside a big church. You have the community and care of a small church with the impact and resources of a big church. Love it!
I really love my itty-bitty church. I’ve gone there my entire life and love love LOVE the community there!
I’ve visited other, bigger churches, but I feel like there isn’t as much of a sense of a big community. More little community… cliques.
I’m sure there are big churches that have amazing communities, but I’ve never experienced that.
My church runs 100-150, and it’s just right for me. I feel connected to people there, not lost in the crowd. But I live in a small town too. I guess that’s just the way I like it.
head count and square footage don’t mean jack if it’s just about accommodating as many church goers on Sunday as ya can with little impact for the King.
Gimmee a small building (or field or home or parking lot) with a small group of folks sold out for God any time…
I grew up in a small church, and as a kid I liked knowing everyone and having everyone know me. But as I grew older, it felt confining, like everyone had an image of me, and I couldn’t change from that. Now that I’m an adult and living on my own (in a different city, by the way), I attend a church of a couple thousand and I love it. Yes, it means I have to work a little harder to create friendships and feel known, but I feel like there’s more space to just be who you are. Sometimes when I’m having a hard time, feeling down or having a particular struggle, it’s a blessing to be able to blend into the crowd and just cry and hash it out with God. I’m less self-conscious in a big crowd.
Big, but with awesome non-permanent community groups. I am amazed by how much smaller a big church feels when you persue community, but don’t hide in that group forever.
people like things that are successful (successful usually means big), but at the same time people like to feel like a community/family which can only come from little church “feel”
“smaller” church, no more than 250 people, and if it gets larger than that, then do a church plant in another area.
A few reasons.
- more community and a closer knit group of people who can minister with more connection and better.
- more people can lead something, and thee is more room for more artists and people to use their gifts in the community.
But don’t forget to stay connected with the other church plants and people, and work together on a larger scale to help change and impact more and more of the world.
When a community grows to a certain size, you have to get a bigger room. A bigger room means you probably have to put someone up on a screen, which can create celebrity, which distorts the idea that we are all equal in God’s kingdom. There’s already a sense of celebrity with the worship leaders and teachers being on stage. If you put them on a screen, that is magnified. They are no longer a normal person. Now, they are the guy/girl on TV.
Also, the bigger your room gets the bigger the fringes and cracks get, i.e. more people can come and go without getting involved or even come and go unnoticed. I believe when your fringes are bigger you leave room for you community to be a “come and see” church versus a “come and do” church.
If you show up to our Sunday morning gatherings, which are just over 100-150 people per service, you won’t be able to stick around very long before you get prodded to plug-in. We fight the idea of being consumers of church, and push the idea of being the church. Our growth plan is multiple venues with room for ~200 people.
Finally, I think that a lot of unchurched people are just skeptical of large groups of Christians. I’m a Christian and I’m skeptical of large groups of Christians.
i have attended and served at both. and they both were what i needed at the time. for a season i needed a small church, where i could serve, but not over serve and still have the relationships and accountability for what was happening in my life. i also spent some time :healing and hiding: in a tiny church.
but my heart right now is for a big church setting with a strong small group structure.
it all depends on where you are and what GOD is asking you to be a part of. where your needs can be met (teaching, accountability) and you can still serve the body.
You can serve in a ministry without becoming the leader of the ministry. If opportunities are presented, more chances to meet people with shared interests and passions to build relationships that go beyond a hand shake on sunday.
Oh, and we get Brian Wurzell as our worship leader, that is pretty sweet too.
Just last week I had lunch with a HS buddy (he was valedictorian) who is now a surgeon with his family in tow in Gabon, Africa. You have never heard of him…and you probably won’t, but he doesn’t question what God has called him to do. Let’s look at BIG vs. SMALL historically (a short list)
Babylon = Big
Nazareth = Small
Bethlehem = Small
Rome = Big
Fishes & Loaves = Small
Herod’s ego = Big
12 Disciples = Small group
Peter James & John = Smaller group
Angry Mob = Big
NT Church = met mostly in homes
The Vatican = Big
Luther = Small
Or how about…
Jesus’ vision = Huge
God = Huge
The Global Church = Larger than ever
We should do what God has called us to do-big or small, our task is to remain faithful. Think of all those who have gone before that by today’s stat-obsessed standards were ‘unsuccessful’…AW Tozer, D. Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, Jeremiah…the list goes on, yet look at the mark these have made. In God’s economy, math is helpful, but in no way should it become our measuring stick. The measuring stick is to be faithful where God has placed us, whether that’s in a church of 10,000 or 200, or even in the middle of some dusty African field where no one will ever know your name.
little church growing into a big church.
i like to be at the start, at the core, knowing every1 & being in fellowship, but growing together & bringing in more people, introducing them to the reality of Jesus Christ’s love… & branching off into smaller groups again & starting over. make sense?
RAIN IT DOWN
Big church.
But a mentor once told me, “Leaders like it big; people like it small.”
Completely agree with that.
Big.
Why? Influence.
Big compared to average (which I understand is about 200), but with strong small groups so I have the best of both worlds.
Until my current church, I’ve always been a little church kind of guy. My experiences with big churches had been they were all about power, status and internal politics. Jesus would be squeezed out in favor of giving the rich man the best seat in the sanctuary while the poor man was given the back of the balcony. I’m not saying all big churches are like that…it was just my personal experience with them. The pastor’s small group had all the rich people in it, etc.
Since I’ve joined CrossPoint, I’ve seen that big churches can be about Jesus and it’s made me rethink things. I’m not sure I could go either way right now.
My small church, as much as we have a limited budget, make a pretty big wave in the world. We have done so much that we have had movement leaders from around the world come and speak at our church of 200 people. We have a church in Cambodia named after us because of the impact we have had there. I think it depends on the motivation of the church, rather than the size.
Oops I posted this as a reply to the wrong comment…sorry.
I think it depends on the impact…if a small church can make a bigger impact on the world for Christ than the larger church, then I pick small…if the larger church makes a bigger impact for Christ…then I pick the larger church. It shouldn’t be about a preference but an examination of effectiveness.
I meant to post the comment here…
My small church, as much as we have a limited budget, make a pretty big wave in the world. We have done so much that we have had movement leaders from around the world come and speak at our church of 200 people. We have a church in Cambodia named after us because of the impact we have had there. I think it depends on the motivation of the church, rather than the size.
How do you measure impact for Christ?
Would that depend on what God entrusts the church with? Looking at the parable of the talents, if the church turns their two into a four, or five into ten, that is considered a “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” kind of church. I think that pleases the Father!
It’s not the size of the church that matters, it’s the size of the small groups. Churches live or die by the community they foster & the relationships they encourage.
Yes there is NOTHING like corporate worship with 10,000 people, but at the same time there is NOTHING like honest authentic life sharing with 5 to 10 others in a small group.
As a worship leader, yes I’d love to lead corporate worship on a large scale, but in our church of 400ish, we can stop mid-worship and have open reflective prayer/praise called out from the congregation – I struggle to see that being done with 10,000
So to answer … “small church” – your small group within a larger church body can and is church. Me meeting with a couple of mates over beers in the pub sharing life – that’s church. So yes, I say, small church, within a big church
like this…its not either or for me. Its just got to be transparently all about Jesus Christ…that can occur in any setting.
Small, I get to know people better. I get to be more honest and real and see that others are just as human as me and not perfect. I used to hold pastors up in an unreal light…until I got to meet some at my small church. I have since learned that they’re just people and they have just as many mess-ups as me.
At this point, little church. Its where I serve, and it’s exciting to see God move in something from the ground up. we’re a church plant, so we don’t expect to stay small, forever, tho.
Both, as long as the church is BIG on mission. A little church can be a great community as long as (using Tony’s word) it seeks to have BIG “influence” in the community it serves in.
What about big church for worship, small groups for prayer & accountability(life) ?
Little church w/ big plans! Why? Because we all know each other, have a real sense of family, and there is accountability. (I have experience w/ both)
Both! we’re so confused right now, we go to Northpoint 9:00 service, then rush to our small baptist church for the 11:00 service. We’re involved in both churches so we fear the burn out is coming.
Love the big church because you have every resource right in front of you. Huge community, small groups, missions, and awesome worship. Love the small church for the family environment, love for each other, dependancy on God for church needs. we feel we need to choose soon. but it is hard.
Small – I’m really missing community.
However, if you have small campuses within a big church – then you have the influence and resources but you get the small church feel.
I would have to say BIG church. But, I think I’m talking about something else. Isn’t that what we call it when the kids from little church [a children's worship service] graduate to going to big church?
I serve on staff in an average size [400+] church. I love my church. God’s more concerned about The Church being The Church…I think…regardless the attendance.
You know the phrase:
I’d rather grow a million miles deep than wide.
I agree with that…if you got “the stones” to really go deeper and actually dig in. Other than that, it’s just a really great phrase no matter how big or small the congregation.
Neither.
I am a believer in the organic church or simple church movement. AKA house churches. They are smaller in size but huge in scope and impact. I see the evangelical church moving in this direction. People are tired of church as usual. Recently wrote a post on this subject on Modern Reject.
Great question. Thanks for asking it.
great insight. do i have to choose one or the other? There IS a 3rd option (and probably and 11th too)
Given the choice, I’d go big. But the best big church’s are the ones that figure out how to feel small (amazing small groups, high leader/attendance ratio…)
I didn’t think about house churches! My church was reduced to several house churches meeting throughout our community for a time because of problems with our building and permits. It was definitely very different. I don’t know if I would want to constantly go to a house church, but I think every once in a while, they are interesting experiences.
I was BIG on SMALL churches until moving to where I am now in Edmond. How could anything that BIG be genuine and not just a show?
I was challenged by a message that said that if you attend a small church, you better hope that church doesn’t reach people for Christ. Why? Because it is going to grow, and once it reaches a size you are uncomfortable with, what are you doing to do?
It made me realize that my love of a small church was about my comfort and was purely self-focused on what church could do for me. Give me a church that is growing, pouring into its community and encourages us to live for Christ amongst our smaller groups for the day-to-day.
Kevin kind of touched on my perspective. When my husband graduated from seminary and began interviewing, we spoke with a couple of churches which were in locations that should have offered opportunity for growth, but the panic on the committee’s faces when he suggested the church reaching a size where the sanctuary was filled for two services told far more than any of their words.
Having been most recently at a small (to us) church, I found their “family” philosophy (meaning, we’ve known each other all our lives, vacation together, marry our kids off to each other, etc) to be extremely cliquish and exclusive–and my DH was on staff! As we shook hands with people on our last Sunday, more than one person admitted “We never really did make you part of ‘the family.’”
He was hired because they wanted “change” and growth, but anything that strayed from the way things had always been done was either not supported, or outright killed off. (For example, when doing an ‘outreach’ concert on the very visible park-like corner of the church property, a suggestion was made to take fliers to a weekly farmers market a few blocks away. The chief replied that wasn’t necessary, “They’re welcome to come here if they want, but we don’t need to go out recruiting.”) Too few people had too much power and a corrupt core seems to carry on unchecked.
We’ve found that a church of 800-1000 is about right for us. Not so huge that people can come regularly and feel completely anonymous or invisible, but large enough to have a more diverse population. Larger churches seem more open to taking on new ministries and offer more opportunities to serve. It’s easier to avoid gossip and general small-mindedness because there’s always someone else to befriend if you find yourself in a toxic loop.
No church, of any size, is perfect. And it’s true that sometimes the issues that are glaringly obvious in a small church are still there but better disguised in a large church. I guess I’m just more comfortable in a place where the worst of it is diluted because there’s more to it.
I betting some of you folks have no idea how true this is, and it can beat you down spiritually when a small church refuses to grow.
Of course I grew up in a big church and saw the ‘show’ and lack of true community.
So back to the question, I say BIG. More resources means more options to reach people.
Kevin took the thoughts right out of my brain. It’s all about reaching people for the Lord. We should never restrict our evangelism to keep our churches small and “comfortable”. Christianity is supposed to be outward-focused in that respect. Yes, small groups are CRITICAL for personal growth, especially in larger churches but we cannot keep from spreading the word of God because we want our church to remain in a comfortable attendance range for us! I find that God wants us pulled OUT of our comfort zones more than he wants us in them!
I can do small church but they need BIG vision! My current church is now about 1000-1200! I can’t believe all the coolness there is in watching a church grow. Very blessed.
How about a BIG NETWORK of small churches?
If I was not a youth pastor, I’d say small church… like in my living room small. I’m getting burned out on church as a place to have to go to three times a week… plus Saturday morning once a month, and a Saturday evening here and there… and some Friday nights… and worship team practices… and choir rehearsals… and, you get the picture.
BUT, since I’m a youth pastor: Average church hoping to be BIG, BIG, BIG!!! (Gotta make a living you know)
I totally get this…and I am not a youth pastor.
I’ll take a HUNGRY church over big or small.
But that’s not the question – Big.
Why? Resources, influence, capacity for impact…
As His body, we are ultimately big yet God works in such a personal and intimate way.
I have seen both sides of this coin too:
A small and legalistic church that added to the Gospel.
A big and corporate church that is pretty much going through the motions.
So for me, whether big or small…just give me REAL. A church that is real about their faith, real about their struggles, and real-ly wants to get to know Jesus better.
I realize though that the church really is outside of 4 human-built walls and won’t fully be realized this side of Heaven.
Little church. I have been a part of both extremely large churches and teeny tiny ones. I prefer a little church because I think church is mostly about community… growing together in the Lord… sharpening each other… and learning from each other. Large churches may offer a lot of fun things to do and ways to serve but it is generally very difficult to have community and build relationships.
I am a Pastor at a 1 year old church plant of around 150-200. By God’s grace we are making a huge difference in our city.
Small churches have the opportunity to make a huge difference if they have a strong mission and people who want to make a difference.
I think small churches need to ditch the small church mentality… not to act like big churches but to be part of meeting big needs.
Which ever i feel most comfortable inviting my unchurched friends to.
It is extremely easy for people to come and go in a big church without being noticed. Big churches sound intimidating but it is probably much more comfortable because no one will notice you don’t “belong” there.
As for myself, I have attended large churches and smaller churches. I don’t think the size of the church matters as much as the vision and reliance on the Spirit.
I tend to gravitate to big churches more. Probably for the same reason Tony Steward mentioned… influence. I work for a big church, but we still operate like a small church a lot of the time. Which goes to the point Michael mentioned way up top… that leaders like it big but the people like it small. We are having growing pains I suppose. We’re on the cusp of being a “mega church”. In fact that is how we are categorized by ACS (our database software company). But we still do things the “old way” a lot of the time because we are afraid of angering a few members.
I wrestle with this all the time…
By UK standards, fairly big (probably small to average in US, but that’s just a guess). It’s not big enough while there are so many unsaved people in our community.
is healthy an option? I don’t care if it’s big or small as long as it’s healthy. If it’s huge because humble leaders submit to the authority of God and He grew the numbers, awesome. If it’s small because humble leaders submit the authority of God and He didn’t bring the masses, awesome. Sadly a lot of big churches in my experience grow because of cool factor & although I believe it is still God who directs people & determines where they go it would be hard for me to align myself with the vision of a church that’s huge & cool & that’s about it. it’s easy to be jaded by the lights & vibe at those types of churches & substitute/confuse the move of the Spirit for the hype.
that being said. I really do love both. I interned at a mega church 2 years ago & now I’m on staff at a small/mediumish church & both were fantastic experiences.
small. but one that plants many small churches.
small for small sake is just, well small minded.
why? the big church is always trying to get small after it gets big. why? because relationships are built in the small. whether small group or small church.
build leaders to launch other small churches that will plant other small churches.
small group is church for me. I don’t really do Sunday mornings.
Jesus didn’t die for your small group
But he did die for every person in Charlie’s small group.
I do the same thing. Small group bible study is my church. Yeah. And Jesus died for us.
I can’t say the judgment handed down from you Ryan gives me much incentive to return to Sunday morning performance church.
I’d say MED. NOT MASSIVE, but not DEAD!
:-p
a good blog on this topic as well..
http://calebgordon.com/?p=627
This is a difficult question especially because it is easy to think “small forever” = bad while “small for now” = okay.
I would love Charles Lee to weigh in on this to bring some balance as Tony Steward works at a great church (which is also the second largest in the USA).
Personally, I think that a healthy, growing church is best. But then the question becomes, “Should all churches become mega churches?”
Small & solid. I like living in small towns. Our church is growing and there are so many new people that I don’t even know who they are. I can’t imagine what it’s like in a big church.
Umm…
WE ARE THE CHURCH.
OOOOO… AWESOME THOUGHT!! SCORE!!!!
It is interesting to see a lot of you equating size and impact. Its true I don’t see to many small churches making a huge impact, but I also see a lot of big churches not making much of an impact.
Also, impact is not always a positive thing. A church can make a negative impact, big or small. Just look at Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Small church, big impact, bad impact.
+1 to Jake. Except that there are many small churches making an impact. They just don’t make the news ’cause our culture says that bigger is always better.
So what is the question? Is big church or small church better? Do I go to a big church building or a small church building? Am I part of a big church or small?
Without really knowing the question, I’ll say I’m a fan of both big churches and small churches, really any church that is furthering the work of Christ.
Great question Los…..
Have been in both large and small. Large churches (that I have been apart of) have had more resources readily available to make an impact…although small churches (that I have been a part of) seem to have more people that are willing to work to make the difference in the community and beyond. That being said we now attend what I consider a large church with weekend attendance of 2,000+…and growing.
The difference is 1) the Pastors leadership – reliant on the bible and 2) small groups that allow you to connect in a smaller setting and really get to become apart of each others lives.
After all we are all part of the big church!
Tiny church.
My husband is the pastor.
GOD put us there.
Faith is believing in the unseen.
A bunch of little “churches” (small groups) inside a big church. You have the community and care of a small church with the impact and resources of a big church. Love it!
I really love my itty-bitty church. I’ve gone there my entire life and love love LOVE the community there!
I’ve visited other, bigger churches, but I feel like there isn’t as much of a sense of a big community. More little community… cliques.
I’m sure there are big churches that have amazing communities, but I’ve never experienced that.
My church runs 100-150, and it’s just right for me. I feel connected to people there, not lost in the crowd. But I live in a small town too. I guess that’s just the way I like it.
small “church” building; LARGE church body.
head count and square footage don’t mean jack if it’s just about accommodating as many church goers on Sunday as ya can with little impact for the King.
Gimmee a small building (or field or home or parking lot) with a small group of folks sold out for God any time…
I don’t care the size. All I care is that we are all running the race together. Life is too short for the politics of personal preference.
Go BIG or go home
I grew up in a small church, and as a kid I liked knowing everyone and having everyone know me. But as I grew older, it felt confining, like everyone had an image of me, and I couldn’t change from that. Now that I’m an adult and living on my own (in a different city, by the way), I attend a church of a couple thousand and I love it. Yes, it means I have to work a little harder to create friendships and feel known, but I feel like there’s more space to just be who you are. Sometimes when I’m having a hard time, feeling down or having a particular struggle, it’s a blessing to be able to blend into the crowd and just cry and hash it out with God. I’m less self-conscious in a big crowd.
I love big churches that find a way to remain small. Small groups become the “local” church!
Big, but with awesome non-permanent community groups. I am amazed by how much smaller a big church feels when you persue community, but don’t hide in that group forever.
Discerning Church
Healthy church…
both.
big church…but feels like a little church
people like things that are successful (successful usually means big), but at the same time people like to feel like a community/family which can only come from little church “feel”
Would the better question be: Big congregation or little congregation?
I have long believed we followers of Christ are all ONE CHURCH.
“smaller” church, no more than 250 people, and if it gets larger than that, then do a church plant in another area.
A few reasons.
- more community and a closer knit group of people who can minister with more connection and better.
- more people can lead something, and thee is more room for more artists and people to use their gifts in the community.
But don’t forget to stay connected with the other church plants and people, and work together on a larger scale to help change and impact more and more of the world.
Yep.
I agree with a lot of what Stephen says.
When a community grows to a certain size, you have to get a bigger room. A bigger room means you probably have to put someone up on a screen, which can create celebrity, which distorts the idea that we are all equal in God’s kingdom. There’s already a sense of celebrity with the worship leaders and teachers being on stage. If you put them on a screen, that is magnified. They are no longer a normal person. Now, they are the guy/girl on TV.
Also, the bigger your room gets the bigger the fringes and cracks get, i.e. more people can come and go without getting involved or even come and go unnoticed. I believe when your fringes are bigger you leave room for you community to be a “come and see” church versus a “come and do” church.
If you show up to our Sunday morning gatherings, which are just over 100-150 people per service, you won’t be able to stick around very long before you get prodded to plug-in. We fight the idea of being consumers of church, and push the idea of being the church. Our growth plan is multiple venues with room for ~200 people.
Finally, I think that a lot of unchurched people are just skeptical of large groups of Christians. I’m a Christian and I’m skeptical of large groups of Christians.
i have attended and served at both. and they both were what i needed at the time. for a season i needed a small church, where i could serve, but not over serve and still have the relationships and accountability for what was happening in my life. i also spent some time :healing and hiding: in a tiny church.
but my heart right now is for a big church setting with a strong small group structure.
it all depends on where you are and what GOD is asking you to be a part of. where your needs can be met (teaching, accountability) and you can still serve the body.
Big.
You can serve in a ministry without becoming the leader of the ministry. If opportunities are presented, more chances to meet people with shared interests and passions to build relationships that go beyond a hand shake on sunday.
Oh, and we get Brian Wurzell as our worship leader, that is pretty sweet too.
My church is a new one–we have 40ish people, but haven’t grown in a year. I don’t like that–I prefer one that’s growing–and healthy.
Just last week I had lunch with a HS buddy (he was valedictorian) who is now a surgeon with his family in tow in Gabon, Africa. You have never heard of him…and you probably won’t, but he doesn’t question what God has called him to do. Let’s look at BIG vs. SMALL historically (a short list)
Babylon = Big
Nazareth = Small
Bethlehem = Small
Rome = Big
Fishes & Loaves = Small
Herod’s ego = Big
12 Disciples = Small group
Peter James & John = Smaller group
Angry Mob = Big
NT Church = met mostly in homes
The Vatican = Big
Luther = Small
Or how about…
Jesus’ vision = Huge
God = Huge
The Global Church = Larger than ever
We should do what God has called us to do-big or small, our task is to remain faithful. Think of all those who have gone before that by today’s stat-obsessed standards were ‘unsuccessful’…AW Tozer, D. Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, Jeremiah…the list goes on, yet look at the mark these have made. In God’s economy, math is helpful, but in no way should it become our measuring stick. The measuring stick is to be faithful where God has placed us, whether that’s in a church of 10,000 or 200, or even in the middle of some dusty African field where no one will ever know your name.
little church growing into a big church.
i like to be at the start, at the core, knowing every1 & being in fellowship, but growing together & bringing in more people, introducing them to the reality of Jesus Christ’s love… & branching off into smaller groups again & starting over. make sense?