Smaller is Better-A interesting Statistic

[Pastor Keith]

As a pastor of a new church plant, I have become all to familiar with all the church growth literature currently in Christendom, both from an Apostolic perspective and from what others in the larger Christian world have to say about, How to grow a church?

At times this is a very frustrating experience, for# of reasons, of which I won't list here. But I came across a specific book called Natural Church Development; the thesis is that Church Growth will happen naturally as long as people/pastors/saints don't mess with it. The key is building and facilitating 8 specific biotic (taken from nature) potentials into the church.

His research the most comprehensive done in history of the church (facts don't lie) it showed a # of amazing facts, many I won't share here but I thought I would share this one fact that his team discovered contrasting the converting power of smaller church versus the mega church. Read it for yourself.

"But couldn’t it be that the picture is different for really large churches (with more than 1000 at worship services)? While the smallest churches (with an average attendance of 51) typically won 32 new people in the last five years, the mega churches (with an average attendance of 2,856) won 112 new persons during the same time period.

In raw numbers, a single mega church won may more people than a single “mini-church.” If we remember, though, that the mega churches are 56 times the size of the “mini-churches,” then the following calculation expresses the potential of the two categories far more realistically.

If instead of a single church with 2,856 in worship we had 56 churches, each with 51 worshippers, these churches would, statistically, win 1,792 new people within five years – 16 times the number the mega church would win.
Thus we can conclude that the evangelistic effectiveness of mini-churches is statistically 1,600 percent greater than that of mega churches!"

Natural Church Development
A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches
By
Christian A. Schwarz
ChurchSmart Resources

From my perspective....I like a smaller church...I think there is more unity when everyone knows each other.

In a large church it is easy for people to fall through the cracks and never be brought into the fold....


During the two years I was out of my church I went to a couple of church that were much larger...in both I felt like I could be in any function that drew a large crowd...in one of them I was not acknowleged in anyway....I would never want to go to either of them again.

My church always says hello to visitors and they are greeted with hand shakes from many!!!

[Drama Queen]

Originally Posted by Sister Truth Seeker

From my perspective....I like a smaller church...I think there is more unity when everyone knows each other.

In a large church it is easy for people to fall through the cracks and never be brought into the fold....


During the two years I was out of my church I went to a couple of church that were much larger...in both I felt like I could be in any function that drew a large crowd...in one of them I was not acknowleged in anyway....I would never want to go to either of them again.

My church always says hello to visitors and they are greeted with hand shakes from many!!!

I personally like a larger church. But maybe that's because that's what I'm use too.

Even thou the POA is a large church, everyone does know everyone. You may not be best-buds with everyone... but at least you have a few choices on whom you hang with! That's one of the down sides to smaller churches... your limited on your "church" friends.

It's really hard to fall in the cracks at the POA because they are sooo organized and have people in place ready to get you involved and connected. I do realize that at most larger churches this is not always the case.

What can I say... THE POA ROCKS!!!

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by Drama Queen

I personally like a larger church. But maybe that's because that's what I'm use too.

Even thou the POA is a large church, everyone does know everyone. You may not be best-buds with everyone... but at least you have a few choices on whom you hang with! That's one of the down sides to smaller churches... your limited on your "church" friends.

It's really hard to fall in the cracks at the POA because they are sooo organized and have people in place ready to get you involved and connected. I do realize that at most larger churches this is not always the case.

What can I say... THE POA ROCKS!!!

I think the atmosphere & the attitude of the Church will always reflect the leadership it has...

I have never been to POA although I have freinds who have and they have told me that it seemed that Bro. Anthony & Sis. Mickey touched everybody at the service...

[Drama Queen]

Originally Posted by revrandy

I think the atmosphere & the attitude of the Church will always reflect the leadership it has...

I have never been to POA although I have freinds who have and they have told me that it seemed that Bro. Anthony & Sis. Mickey touched everybody at the service...

Your right... and they do! It truly is an unique church.

[MrRight]

Originally Posted by revrandy

I think the atmosphere & the attitude of the Church will always reflect the leadership it has...

I have never been to POA although I have freinds who have and they have told me that it seemed that Bro. Anthony & Sis. Mickey touched everybody at the service...

That mst be what heppens when the pastor really loves the peolpe.



(what aer these red lines for when I type?)

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by MrRight

(what aer these red lines for when I type?)

Pssst that means "they're" watching you.........



















or you've spelled something worng....no....I guess it couldn't be the later.....

[ManOfWord]

Originally Posted by MrRight

That mst be what heppens when the pastor really loves the peolpe.



(what aer these red lines for when I type?)

When you type in the post window, if you mispsell a word, it becomes underlined in red so you know that it is not spelled right. Get that, not spelled RIGHT!

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Drama Queen

I personally like a larger church. But maybe that's because that's what I'm use too.

Even thou the POA is a large church, everyone does know everyone. You may not be best-buds with everyone... but at least you have a few choices on whom you hang with! That's one of the down sides to smaller churches... your limited on your "church" friends.

It's really hard to fall in the cracks at the POA because they are sooo organized and have people in place ready to get you involved and connected. I do realize that at most larger churches this is not always the case.

What can I say... THE POA ROCKS!!!

Christian Schwarz did say that there are large churches that are able to be quality churches, but they according to his research are the exceptions. I agree with you POA is one of those.

By the way the 8 qualities or characteristics that he measured/found in healthy growing churches are:

1.Empowering Leadership — Is our mission to gather helpers for one leader’s ministry or to release the ministry potential that is in the "helpers?"
2.Gift-oriented Ministry — Does the spiritual gifting of each individual fit the ministry task he or she performs?
3.Passionate Spirituality — How much do we inspire passion and enthusiasm for Christ and His cause?
4.Functional Structures — Do our internal structures foster growth and multiplication or hinder it?
5.Inspiring Worship — How much do our worship services help people get inspiration from the Lord?
6.Holistic Small Groups — How much do our small group ministries meet the spiritual, mental, and physical needs of individual believers?
7.Need-Oriented Evangelism — How much do we direct the gospel to the felt needs of the people we are ministering to?
8.Loving Relationships — How much does our church demonstrate love in action and deed?

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by keith4him

Christian Schwarz did say that there are large churches that are able to be quality churches, but they according to his research are the exceptions. I agree with you POA is one of those.

By the way the 8 qualities or characteristics that he measured/found in healthy growing churches are:

1.Empowering Leadership — Is our mission to gather helpers for one leader’s ministry or to release the ministry potential that is in the "helpers?"
2.Gift-oriented Ministry — Does the spiritual gifting of each individual fit the ministry task he or she performs?
3.Passionate Spirituality — How much do we inspire passion and enthusiasm for Christ and His cause?
4.Functional Structures — Do our internal structures foster growth and multiplication or hinder it?
5.Inspiring Worship — How much do our worship services help people get inspiration from the Lord?
6.Holistic Small Groups — How much do our small group ministries meet the spiritual, mental, and physical needs of individual believers?
7.Need-Oriented Evangelism — How much do we direct the gospel to the felt needs of the people we are ministering to?
8.Loving Relationships — How much does our church demonstrate love in action and deed?

Great qualities for smaller churches who will grow with the above in place, as well as bigger churches who practice the same

Blessings, rhoni