Recently I led my family to leave the booming conservative mega-church in our area to help out in the launching of a new church plant in St. Paul. We loved Pastor John Piper’s preaching, and we loved the people we had come to know at Bethlehem Baptist Church but we had come up against some problems.
We found it very hard to make meaningful relationships in such a large body. We had to work at connecting with other believers. With our crew of kids (we have five girls, and the oldest is 7 now), picking up and dropping off our kids from nursery kept us busy enough as it was. We found a way through our small group and an adult Sunday School class to get to know folks and feel that we were truly a part of all that was swirling around us.
As for serving, there weren’t as many places to be involved in adult SS teaching or ministry. And even being involved didn’t allow you to get to know all the pastors and elders like I would have liked. There were ways my wife served in kids classes, and in time we could have found more ways to serve. But it sure felt that we weren’t that needed. With so many bodies around, and with so many who seemed more connected and rooted there than we, it would be easy to just coast rather than serve.
In a small church context now, that’s a whole different story. We came hoping to serve and have been blessed to be a part of numerous ministries at Beacon of Hope church. But even apart from the ministries, just being a member in a small congregation (we have 140 on our best days right now) automatically means we know others and are known by them – intimately. We still have to work at connecting, but we have grown to know many people more closely than we had the chance at the larger church. What’s more, is that we really are needed and missed when we are out of town. We have a great every-member ethic where we depend on everyone. I would say upwards of 75% of our regular attenders are involved in some sort of ministry. And we are intentionally getting in one another’s lives and sharing the Christian life together.
Now our church does have aspirations to grow. And we are growing. But I hope we don’t lose the sense of being a small church. There is a great opportunity in being a small, intimate group of fellow Christ-followers. Erik DiVietro, a friend of mine, has recently launched a blog toting the benefits of an “intimate church”. He pastors a small church of no more than 150 folk in New Hampshire. And he makes some good points when he argues that being big doesn’t necessarily mean that a church is better:
We assume that bigger is a better value. This is true of our thinking when it comes to meals and it is true of our thinking about churches as well. But is it true?
It is true that large churches generally do have more resources, but do those resources really translate into any type of \”˜improved\’ Christians? This is not a criticism of large churches, but we do need to make a serious evaluation of the thinking that says bigger is better.
Are large churches really any better at bringing people into encounters with Jesus Christ? Are large churches really any better at teaching people the teachings of Christ and the Apostles?
Since both these things are ministries of the Holy Spirit, we must answer those questions with an emphatic NO. Regardless of the size of a congregation, the Spirit of God does the saving and teaching of believers \”“ through other believers. And since Jesus promised he would be present wherever two or three are gathered, we must conclude that being big does not make a church better.
He goes on to argue that small churches are more suitable to developing deep relationships which provide a perfect context for enduring minsitry. I encourage you to give his article a read, and follow his new blog: Intimate Church.
I think it was John R. Rice who once said that it wasn’t a sin for a church to be small, it was a sin for a church to stay small. I’m glad you are not worshiping at the alter of numbers.
By the way (not to be overmuch personal), would you have any aspirations for planting a church one day yourself?
I do hope God sees fit to find me faithful and entrust me with pastoral ministry. I have really hoped that I wouldn’t plant a church, so many rural and otherwise small churches need men who will invest in them, rather than treat them as a stepping stone. But… God may be pushing me to plant. I have to follow His guidance ultimately.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Bob. I also have found that small churches provide for more intimate body life. Our current church has hit the 300 mark and went to two services, so I’m pondering why a new church plant wasn’t attempted in town.
To that end, I add a corollary to what Andrew shared of JRR. It is not a sin to stay small if the mission of the church is to hive off when the group reaches an optimal size, whatever that is decided to be. But I suppose that only worked for those ancient guys like Paul, Clement, Ignatius, and such. It surely couldn’t work in a 21st-century world. (Ending sarcastic rant and descending from soapbox now.)
I agree, Steve. There should be an intentional splitting which occurs. And to my former church’s great credit, often they would encourage people to leave and join church plants in the area. I was helped on my way and encouraged as I left to help out the smaller church plant.
My aunt and uncle helped with the church plant of Beacon of Hope. You might even know them, Mike and Rebecca Watters. They are in Africa now. But while they were here they attended Bethlehem Baptist and helped with the church plant of Beacon of Hope.
We attend a smaller church as well, Redeemer Reformed in Golden Valley. There are about 50 families but really it’s just one big family (or that’s what if feels like). One of the thing that I’ve found about a large vs the small church is the lack of discipleship. In a large church it is very easy to not be held accountable while still being able to consider yourself part of the body of Christ. Having worked in a charismatic mega church where there were 350+ employees, I found such a difference in doctrine standards with absolutely no correction (unless you didn’t pay your tithe). But size is just a preference when looking at a church your requirements should be 1. The Preaching of God’s Word in Calvin Cummings’ book Confessing Christ he says “After visting a church, ask yourself, Do I know more about the Bible? Has the minister faithfully worked to explain what God says in his Word? Through his preaching, have I come to see my sin and God’s glory more clearly? Were the doctrines of God’s grace proclaimed fully? Has my faith been strengthened, my love for Christ and others deepened? If not, you are in the wrong chruch and should leave it (Romans 16:17).
2.The adminstration of the sacraments and 3. The exercise of Church Discipline. I think that if my previous mega church at those 3 I would have never left.
Good points Meinda. You’re right that size isn’t what matters, and accountability can be pursued and attained in large churches. Ultimately faithfulness to God’s Word matters. Yes I know Mike & Rebecca from our time with Beacon. We are praying for them in their current ministry.
Thanks for the kind words about Beacon, Bob. You and your family are certainly a big part of the church. Your service seems tireless and your spirit refreshing. Praying for you this Sunday. Hopefully, God will make clear His intention for you with future ministry. We will be with you every step of the way. I like your thoughts about smaller churches needing a man who is not just passing through, but being a church planter, church plants are very exciting too. Keep plugging away and in time, His will will become clear.
Thanks for the encouragement, Pastor Steve.
Good for you, Bob.
I especially appreciate your first comment above:
I have really hoped that I wouldn’t plant a church, so many rural and otherwise small churches need men who will invest in them, rather than treat them as a stepping stone.
This is why I’m not at all impressed with the so-called “missional,” who seem interested only in urban settings. Does no one care about the little country church in the Dakotas or Montana? God certainly must not, because none of the “missional” are “called” there. And if one must plant a new church, why not choose a setting like Hazen ND, where the best church in town is Arminian-PDL/Prayer of Jabez-SBC, and the best a theologically aware Christian can do is drive to the Evangelical Free Church in the next town over? There’s only one reason: numbers really do matter, and Missional Guy knows he’ll never have them here.
Dave,
My brother, also named Dave, actually pastored in the heart of North Dakota for a few years, before God led him to full time missions. I was so excited by what he was able to do in that rural context, and the life change he saw in folks and the potential of transforming whole communities through faithful ministry.
It is true that there are great needs in urban centers. But we need churches all across our land, and those churches can impact far flung corners of the world, including metropolitan areas, if the people are gripped by sound doctrine and clear Gospel preaching.
I suppose I’m cynical. I’m sure there are exceptions. It’s just that every time I read the word “missional,” someone is planting a church in the middle of a city.
Anyway, if you’re looking for small and rural, I know just the place. The house across the street is for sale, by the way.
Well…. I have to make sure not to just have “my way”, and I’d love the rural quite life…. (at least I think!)
Thanks for this post! Interesting.
I don’t think small churches automatically mean intimacy but the struggle for a large church is to feel small and intimate
Also .. I posted as a Filing on Sharper Iron!
You would be a good Pastor!
Thanks Jim. I agree, small doesn’t have to be intimate. But it helps….
Bob said:
I hope that for you, too, Bob. I think/hope God is preparing your heart toward that end and I’ll rejoice with you to find the Lord’s Providence in that area.
You are really striking a chord with me on this one. This is my sentiment, exactly.
Regarding my JRR quote above, I didn’t mean to quote that approvingly, but rather as a sad contrast to the wise words you quoted above. I find what Steve and Meinda shared above to be very refreshing.
As an aside, I’ve heard that the JWs force Kingdom Halls to split when they reach a certain number. I *believe* they find somewhere around 200-300 to be maximum. Of course, for them, it is all about control, but I wish we would be better minded along those lines.
Thanks again Andrew. I agree, a more intentional focus on dividing churches into smaller groups would be better. I think in America we’re so hung up on the personality of the dynamic leader. More than one person can teach, I believe. And we don’t have to be so focused on one man that thousands flock to him rather than doing mission around them. Just my thoughts….