The 200 curse!!!

[unitedpraise10]

Sis Falla39 seems to be very family oriented.

[mfblume]

Rising above 200 takes more than a one-man show, and much organization and administration. That is why.

[unitedpraise10]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Rising above 200 takes more than a one-man show, and much organization and administration. That is why.

Sad, but true. !

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by unitedpraise10

Sis Falla39 seems to be very family oriented.

GOD instituted the Family, before the Church. If if were not for families,
there would be no church or need for one!
I take it you are a fairly young man!

Blessings,
Falla39

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by unitedpraise10

Why would anybody be happy with a church that isn't growing?? I'm talking about the churches that have been the same size for the past 30 to 40 years. There's something going wrong if this is the case. There are many churches like this today.

Personally I think the churches that are "growing" are really just absorbing members from other churches.

Churches that are perceived as not growing beyond that magic number are often churches that win new souls but the truth is people backslide, move or decide to change churches

[unitedpraise10]

Originally Posted by Falla39

GOD instituted the Family, before the Church. If if were not for families,
there would be no church or need for one!
I take it you are a fairly young man!

Blessings,
Falla39

I need to you show me scripture for this statement.

....and furthermore, I take it that you're an older saint that thinks they know everything! Don't pull the age card on my sister....

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Personally I think the churches that are "growing" are really just absorbing members from other churches.

Churches that are perceived as not growing beyond that magic number are often churches that win new souls but the truth is people backslide, move or decide to change churches

Prax - maybe true in your experience, but not in mine. In 1996 we moved, due to job transfer, to a less than 5 year old church which was running about 60. When we left in 2005, again due to job transfer, the church was running about 300, with three daughter works. Two of the daughter works are now independent of the mother church. Most of the increase was new souls.
Our church we moved to in 2005 was running about 75, we are now running about 150. Almost all new souls. And we lost about 15 of the original 75, because they moved to other churches.
However, I do believe that both of these churches will not grow much beyone 200-300, without the pastors changing their "management" styles.
They are both great men with great integrity and a passion for souls, but they have a hard time with "letting go" and involving others in ministry.
I spent a year on temporary assignment with my company, in 2002-2003, and saw what someone who is not only a great pastor, but a great manager/delegator can do with a church.
The difference is tremendous, which is why that church now runs 1200, with two daughter works.

[StillStanding]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Rising above 200 takes more than a one-man show, and much organization and administration. That is why.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!

200 is about as large as a leader can control by delegating responsibilities without also delegating control. Pastors that have had previous business and management training or experience can break that barrier.

[notofworks]

Originally Posted by unitedpraise10

Sad, but true. !

Why is that sad? It simply creates the opportunity for more people to be involved in leadership. That's always a good thing.

[OneAccord]

I know of alot of churches that would consider 200 a great blessing.