Of all the subjects I deal with on this blog, church size generates a LOT of reaction and emotion.
This post on why most churches never break the 200 attendance mark struck a deep nerve.
As I outline in my new book, people clearly have strong opinions and emotions about the size of churches that can (and should) be overcome.
But I can also totally relate to the dynamics of leading a smaller church.
When I began in ministry, I spent about three years leading a small congregation (under 100) that grew into a mid-sized church (under 500) and then grew into a larger church.
I remember the emotions that swirl around small and mid-sized churches. I also have lived through the struggles those congregations face.
This post (like the last one) is written for church leaders and teams that want to reach more people. If you don’t want to grow, this post won’t help you much.
It’s critical that as church leaders we understand the tensions we’re facing. In the same way that diagnosing that pain under your kneecap when you’re trying to run a race is helpful, diagnosing what you sense in the congregation can be critical to taking your next step forward.
Overcome these tensions and you’re closer to progress. Avoid them or fail to deal with them and you can stay stuck a long time.
So, here are five problems every small to mid-sized church encounters.
1. The desire to keep the church one big family
This pressure is huge.
Many people believe that the church functions best as one big family.
The reality is, even when our church was 40 people, those 40 people didn’t know each other—really. Some were left out, others weren’t.
Even at 100 or 300, enough people will still believe they know ‘everyone.’ But they don’t.
