4 Bad Assumptions About Church Size

Nevertheless, we don’t have to pretend that these are our only two options. While it is true that many larger churches fail to create the systems necessary to foster intentional discipleship at scale, it is far from the truth that megachurches necessarily can’t or don’t disciple their people. 

In fact, many megachurches use their not inconsiderable resources to place a concerted focus on doing just that, creating curriculums and programs that benefit not only their own congregation but also thousands of other smaller congregations who do not have the ability to create the high-quality resources provided by larger churches and ministries.

While I was a pastor on staff at a church of roughly 300, we became aware of a discipleship process created by a church more than 50 times our size. A team of scholars, pastors, and theologians had contributed to this process and its associated resources, and the church even helped other churches implement it. 

Through this discipleship process, I saw people in my own church grow in their faith, identify and address the sins and traumas in their lives, and step into a greater sense of mission. So that megachurch not only discipled their people, they helped our smaller church do a better job of discipling ours as well.

3. ‘Numerical Growth Is Necessarily a Sign of God’s Favor.’

At the same time, not all church growth is created equal. While healthy things grow, so do unhealthy things. For example, the weeds in my yard seem to grow much faster than the plants I have intentionally cultivated. More seriously, tumors often grow at a speed that is alarming and dismaying to the people who are plagued by them.

In a number of well-documented cases, certain megachurches have grown in size and influence only to inflict greater damage with church cultures that are unhealthy, toxic, or even abusive. In other words, bigger isn’t necessarily better. 

While the Spirit of God can certainly move through a congregation to transform the lives of an increasing number of people, churches can also be grown through human-powered strategies centered on attracting large numbers of people to a movement that bears little resemblance to the Christianity of the New Testament. 

Ultimately, the sign that God is moving through a congregation is not that more people are attending on Sunday—though that may be one of the results. Instead, the primary way to discern whether God’s Spirit is at work in a church is whether the people who are a part of it are starting to look more like Jesus.

4. ‘Lack of Numerical Growth Is a Sign of Inadequate Missional Verve.’ 

Certainly, not every congregation is called to grow its membership into the thousands or become a household name across the nation. Depending on the limitations of its location and facilities, as well as the giftings of its leaders, a healthy church may never grow beyond a few hundred or even a few dozen. 

However, this ought never to be an excuse for a lack of missional verve among the members of those congregations. And for many smaller churches, they don’t let it be. They serve their communities to provide a missional presence, and they regularly see the lives of individuals transformed by the gospel.

It’s just that the way they are called to advance the mission on a larger scale may look different from the megachurch down the street. By partnering with missions organizations and sending out church planters, smaller churches can make an incredible impact beyond the walls of their modest facilities.