How Big Should a Church Get?
Michael Brown
in Church Planting, Ecclessiology
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7 Comments
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1 Reference
On most Sunday mornings, those who worship at Christ URC are faced with two challenges: finding a place to park and finding a good place to sit! Members and visitors alike can be seen most Lord's Days squeezing their cars into a seemingly shrinking parking lot, and then getting cozy in a building that is filled to capacity. Of course, as the saying goes, this is a good problem to have. What a joy it is to see disciples being made through the means of grace! I rejoice every Sunday when I enter the pulpit and see all the pews and chairs occupied by saints hungry to receive God's good gifts in Word and Sacrament.
Of course, this raises the question, "What are we going to do about the parking and seating?" It is true that outgrowing a building is a good problem to have, but let's be honest, it's still a little bit of a problem. Our building just wasn't designed to hold 200 people on Sunday. Thankfully, our Council is working on some solutions (both temporary and permanent), and our congregation has been very patient.
But here is another question that is interesting to consider: How big should a church get? Without hesitation, most Reformed people would probably say, "Not too big." And for good reason. Many of us, in the process of becoming Reformed in our theology, fled evangelical megachurches in which the gospel was not preached faithfully, doctrine was not robustly taught and confessed, worship was more about entertainment than the means of grace, and one could slip in and out of the crowd without any accountability. The megachurch model just doesn't lend itself to Reformed Christianity. It is not that it is wrong for a church to be huge per se, it's just hard to maintain the marks of a true church and be huge at the same time. (How does a body of elders faithfully exercise church discipline for a congregation numbering in the thousands?) The fact is that huge churches are usually fraught with huge theological problems. They are typically more consumer-oriented than Gospel-oriented, purpose-driven rather than promise-driven.
But it is not just Reformed Christians who see the problems of the megachurch. Many people today - Christians and non-Christians alike - see the shallowness in the super-sized approach to planting churches. Even the rise of the so-called Emergent Church is largely a reaction to these oversized ecclesiastical Wal-Marts.
OK, fine. We don't want to be huge. But how big should we get? Scripture does not give us a number. It does, however, give us a principle. After the apostles were commissioned to go into the world and make disciples (Matt 28.18-20), they put that commission into action by planting churches that were centered on the means of grace (Acts 2.42). Thus the answer to this question seems rather obvious: once a confessional Reformed church possesses the size, maturity, and financial viability to plant another confessional Reformed church in the county, it should.
The making of disciples happens primarily through the means of grace (Word and Sacrament) in the context of the local manifestation of Christ's church. All we must do is be faithful in that task. If God is pleased to draw people to himself through the preaching of his holy gospel - people who earnestly desire biblical church membership - we must respond by welcoming them as fellow disciples, pilgrims, and members of Christ's body. The Holy Spirit is the One building his church. He decides what type of increase he will give (1 Cor 3.5-9). We must simply be faithful to preach the gospel, administer the sacraments, exercise church discipline, and uphold and serve one another in love, mercy, hospitality and prayer (Rom 12; Eph 4). Once a congregation has reached the size, maturity, and financial viability to plant another church in the county, it should.
In the URCNA, we do this in a very grass-roots, organic way: one church plants another. There are no denominational church-planting committees, no bureaucratic boards, just the simple, biblical oversight of a neighboring Consistory and the concurring advice of Classis (see the URCNA Church Order, Article 22). For example, Escondido URC birthed Oceanside URC and Christ URC. They did so on each occasion by calling a minister to do the work of a church planter, under the oversight of Escondido's Consistory. God willing, more URC congregations will be birthed in San Diego in years to come. As we in America's Finest City know, there is a terrible shortage of confessional Reformed churches in our county. Our desire and prayer should be that more would be planted.
In the meantime, as our congregation grows according to God's sovereign and hidden purposes, may we rejoice in whatever increase he is pleased to give. Yes, we're a little snug in our building. But what a blessing to see our facility full of people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and races, united together in the gospel! May we thank God for his faithfulness to renew his covenant with us week after week, and to grow his church as he sees fit, remaining with us till the end of the age.
MGB
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Response: How Big?
Reader Comments (7)
Recently, I had a chance to worship with our brothers and sisters at the URC in Escondido. Since, this was my first visit to another Reformed Church, I really didn't know what to expect. To my surprise, I walk though the doors to see, what looked like a 1000+ congregation quietly, siting, in their pews. I remember the mere sight of the congregation actually made me take a step back. After the Xp, centered, worship service (that I did expect), I was graciously, greeted by a very, winsome (young at heart), Dutch couple, Pete and Rena de Jong. I was also, welcomed by Pastor, Stephen and a handful of others from the congregation. I truly enjoyed my visit.
So, to you question, "How big should a Church get?" At first, I would guess that it would depend on the Pastors pulpit, the Elders leadership, the Deacons mercy, and the Congregations hospitality. But, now after being here w/ Christ URC (for some time), and 'becoming more Reformed in my theology,' my answer would have to be, I don't know. The answer to that question depends on God's providence. Although, I do have to say, whatever God does have in store for Christ URC, I am naively exited.
I apologize, I posted the last comment with out scrolling down and reading the rest of the article. I didn't realize it was a rhetorical question until after my comment was posted. I like your answer better. Maybe I shouldn't make any comments at 6 in the morning. (LOL)
Alex,
My question was not entirely rhetorical. I appreciate your comments. The point I want to make in my post is that when a church is able to plant another church, it should. We shouldn't want to get big merely for big's sake.
Escondido URC has, in my opinion, been faithful with what they've been given. They have planted not one but two additional URCs in San Diego. They have done the kingdom a tremendous service.
Perhaps we (Christ URC) will be able to do the same thing someday.
Amen.
Once a congregation has reached the size, maturity, and financial viability to plant another church in the county, it should.
Agreed. That is precisely the Orthodox Christian answer to your question.
A church is too big when this begins to happen (although this can happen to a small church as well):
"On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out day or night to save the lost. Because so many lives were saved by that station, it became famous. Consequently, many people wanted to be associated with the station to give their time, talent, and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, a formal training session was offered. As the membership in the life-saving station grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and that the equipment was so outdated. They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building.
Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members. They met regularly and when they did, it was apparent how they loved one another. They greeted each other, hugged each other, and shared with one another the events that had been going on in their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions; so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off of the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick, and half-drowned people. Some of them had black skin, and some had yellow skin. Some could speak English well, and some could hardly speak it at all. Some were first-class cabin passengers of the ship, and some were the deck hands. The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The plush carpets got dirty. Some of the exquisite furniture got scratched. So the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the house where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting there was rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those various kinds of people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. And do you know what? That is what they did.
As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, for committee meetings, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few went out to the drowning people. The drowning people were no longer welcomed in that new life-saving station. So another life-saving station was founded further down the coast. History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of adequate meeting places with ample parking and plush carpeting. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown."
My family and I attend an evangelical CM&A church in south Calgary. There are a total of 4 services with what I estimate 1300-1500 people. There is a Saturday evening service, two Sunday morning and a satellite building where the message is broadcast electronically. They are very much wanting to build a new building and recently came across a parcel of land that they needed to act very quickly on. So, a congregational meeting was held last Sunday evening and after many questions, the motion to buy was defeated with 77% in favor. Later in the week, we were notified that after the meeting had ended, 3 'yes' votes were found in the 'no' pile which added to the 77% gave a 80.18% in favor number. So based on that the board has decided to go ahead and purchase the land which eventually will be home of the new 65,000 sq. foot building - total cost I would estimate in the 25million range. My question is to ask what the opinions are of the readers and would you consider this inappropriate or perhaps not God's timing to take more time to pray and explore other options? You can probably guess my opinion, but I'm honestly looking for wisdom for why I should be satisfied that this was God's timing.