Small But Significant

I recently read an article contrasting larger congregations to “smaller and less significant” churches.

I wondered at how many pastors felt defeated reading those words.

On another occasion I spoke with a denominational official hoping to evangelize Gen Z. Part of his strategy was to close small and insignificant congregations so he could reallocate resources to the “cutting edge,” whatever that is.

I’m all for reaching the next generation but believe that doing so has more to do with building friendships than reallocating real estate.

And I know that the people in those “small and insignificant” congregations may feel small but their churches are certainly significant to them—especially because they provide the kind of relationships that younger people hunger for. Often the real estate brokers in our denominations will destroy congregations of people who served a lifetime in their greed over land values.

Let’s step back and look at the church from a distance. Pretend you are on the International Space Station peering at the planet.

You’d notice that the largest congregations exist on the fringes of the largest cities. Put on your X-ray glasses and you’d see that the people inside the buildings look alike ethnically and speak the same language. They can grow large because there is a large population of people with shared experiences and values to draw into their midst.

Now take a gander at the smaller churches. Most will be nearer the core of the cities, having been there awhile. Many will exist in storefronts or even meet in the courtyard at a local mall. The striking feature about them will be the one similarity to the larger congregations—the people will look alike and speak the same language. Among Haitian immigrants, their skin will be darker and they will speak God’s praises in Haitian Creole. Older Caucasian churches will admonish one another in English and they will sport grey hair. Young surfers tend to cluster in coffee shops or houses and speak surf-talk in whatever tongue fits their nationality.

So, what am I saying? That significance has little to do with size. The issue is the expansion of God’s kingdom on earth. The Great Commission is not about nations with borders but making disciples among all the ethne, or people groups, on earth. To do that we need to achieve significance born of friendship. “Follow me as I follow Christ” is more a pathway to world dominion through love than our endless worries over church size.

So, what do you think? Are you a victim of size envy? Is your congregation living under the threat of property seizure? Do you meet with your kind of people in an unconventional space? We’d like to hear your thoughts—that’s why the comments box exists…