On Out of Ur, the Leadership journal blog, the latest post is about two nonChristians who have been attending churches in Toronto. The post is called: "Razzmatazz or Ragamuffins? Two non-Christians paid to visit churches are impressed with charity not facilities."
They were turned off by the megachurches they visited but were moved by the devotion to Jesus by a small church that served the homeless. I posted the following comment.
This post is exactly right to point out that churches without flash and pizzazz can still definitely show people who Jesus is. Small churches do not have the resources to put on a fancy Sunday morning show. They should be who they are – equipping their people to serve and showing the community Jesus by serving them. Many, who are not attracted to the slick production, will be attracted by them.
But I do question the implication that the majority of young people and unchristian people are not attracted to quality Sunday morning programming. I do not think we can make that conclusion based on the opinions of these 2 college students.
My experience is that more young adults and nonchristians are attracted to megachurches and cool emerging churches than poor social justice churches. But I would be thrilled to be wrong.
The sample size of two is inconclusive. Are there statistics about how many people are coming to Christ in megachurches vs. small-churches that are more oriented toward social justice? There are many sociologists people out there doing research on this kind of thing: Gallup, Barna, Christian Smith, Christian Schwarz (Natural Church Development), Lilly Endowment, Baylor survey, denominational stats, and the Alban Institute.
There is still a place I think for quality Sunday morning programming (welcoming, music, and preaching) for the purpose of drawing in new people and equipping the Christians. And yet it is easy to spend all of a church's resources on the Sunday morning show.
May the Spirit of God give us eyes to see what he is doing through the variety of church forms.
Further thoughts:
I want to affirm small churches and churches that care for the poor. I also want large churches to appreciate these small churches. Posts like this one on Out of Ur serve to do that. That is good.
But it also bothers me when churches don't at least try to have quality Sunday morning programming. (The end results will vary depending on the size of the church. A church of 500 can do more than a church of 30 in terms of quality programming).
This probably bothers me because this is one of my strengths – organizing people into a team to improve Sunday morning programming. (See my post "How to plan and lead worship.") I just don't want churches to get complacent thinking that the quality of the Sunday morning programming is irrelevant to their outreach to young adults and nonChristians. I think the seeker folks (like Granger Community Church and Willowcreek Community Church) are right to urge churches to welcome people well, clearly explain the elements of the service to them, and try to relate the eternal truths of Scripture to the world of today.
7 replies on “Small church vs. large church”
I have to start by saying that none of the large mega churches I have visited have done it for me. They seem social and the service seems to be more about the show than the message. Oh sure the pastors are generally great speakers and they seem to have the right message. but somehow the message gets lost behind the show. Obviously that is not the case for everyone but it is for me.
Alive, smaller churches seem to have more outreach per person than the mega churches. There are many smaller churches that are not so alive and to some extent that is why they are small. I’m not sure that the poor quality of service is as much a result of small size as it is from a lack of the Holy Spirit. A number of fading smaller churches I have visited seem to be lead by pastors who have “retired” without leaving the pulpit. There is not much even a spirit filled lay leader can do if the pastor is all about minimizing the work they have to do.
A spirit filled service with a spirit filled pastor and lay community is going to be as effective for most people, except perhaps some younger people who really just want a show, than a full blown multi-media extravaganza.
Hi Andy,
I’ve been reading for a while…so thanks. This topic is really closely related to my own story.
I grew up in megachurch in the Chicago suburbs. As a teen, I was definitely attracted to the quality programming of the Sunday Services and youth group.
By the time I entered college I was becoming disenchanted by the “flash and pizazz” of the “Sunday morning show.” Several of my friends and I began attending an Episcopal church in Marion. There were many reasons I was attracted to this small church, but right at the top of the list was the beauty of the liturgy, the lack of a “show,” and the meal that the church feeds the poor immediately following the service. Even thought the church is small, the size of the congregation had little to do with our choosing this church. So to me, the debate isn’t about the size of the church, but more about its values.
I did attend an “emerging church” for a few years when I was home in Charlotte, NC. But eventually I felt as is they were just repackaging the megachurch programming. The church was much cooler, but definitely preocuppied with the “Sunday morning show.”
I now attend a large Episcopal church in Charlotte. Interestingly, they have quite a large budget, but they don’t spend it on technology or flashy programs, but rather to invest in the surrounding community.
As I read books by emergent thinkers I find that the Episcopal churches I attend are tuned in to the “missional” values that McLaren and others speak and write about.
I write all this just to say that the blog you reference might as well have been telling my story. To me, “Sunday morning shows” have no appeal. I’m more interested in a missional church that seeks the common good and is focused on loving its neighbors. I have found this in the Episcopal church. I suspect that many of my peers will be looking for similar values (above the size of the church) in the churches they attend, even if they are not attracted to the “smells and bells” liturgical services.
Sorry for the lengthy comment. I hope all is well at Duke.
Peace.
Andy,
Thanks for the comments on small and larger churches. With our culture so focused on size as an indicator of quality in terms of attendance, membership, number of programs and budget, it is difficult for people generally to say that a small church is vital or good or high quality.
In my tradition, United Methodist, the small church has generally been seen as either a stepping stone, a punishment or a burden to the system. Many pastors seek desperately to get out of the small church and hence only stay a few years and don’t have a chance to make a real impact and build something of quality.
Thanks for making me think about what true quality is. Have a great time at Duke – I spent 3 wonderful years there!!!
Wonderful review, I never read a article like this with good stuff on Small Church vs Large Churches I appreciate the author for sharing this good script.
I like how this isn’t overly bias toward large churches like almost every online “comparison” shows.
Most of the pastors with the privilege to post their thoughts online come from these huge churches where they receive there paychecks so It’s pretty easy to see which side oft he fence they are on.
The fact of the matter is biblically(which is all that really matters) there is alot more support for the small church then the megamall church. Jesus said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. What does this say about the rich church who is held to a higher standard?
I know it’s very american for us all to believe it’s ok for a church to be a self indulgent mansion but the fact of the matter is if Jesus walked in giant church with 1% donated to the needy and 50% donated to multiple 80″ plasma screens he would be turning over tables again.
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad this post has been helpful.
Hi! I know this is an old post, but I have some first hand experience (sort of!). I am trying to find the right Lutheran Church for me in my area. I have gone to two different churches. The one church is very small, maybe 100 people. They only need 1 service. The other church is quite large, maybe about 300 people- though not a mega-church. I could hardly find a parking spot. I happened to go the day that 25 kids were confirmed! Comparing the two, I’m not sure which is best. The small church doesn’t have too many children for my unborn child to meet. The large church doens’t have that family feel and feels sort of overwhelming. Both are good churches. I have a lot of thinking to do!