Most pastors and other church leaders have heard this objection at one point or another. It might be a point of contention when the leadership suggests the addition of another worship service. Similarly, it might be the cry when leadership begins looking at the option of creating a new venue or adding a new site.
A pastor in our Church Answers community recently shared his frustration when a similar objection was raised because of the growth of the church. A church member really told him the church needed to stop growing because the longer-term members don’t know most of the new members.
Sigh. I guess we can start a new emphasis and call it “reverse evangelism.” Ask the newcomers to leave so we can maintain the integrity of our holy huddles.
There are so many problems with this attitude and argument. Let’s look at a few of them.
- The maximum most people can know well in a church is around 30 people. That number may double if you add casual acquaintances. Once a church’s worship service gets above 50 to 75 people, you can no longer really know everyone.
- Worship services are not the best venues for community. Church members connect so much better in groups like community groups, life groups, home groups, and Sunday school classes.
- This attitude is the opposite of a Great Commission mentality. The clear focus is inward, not outward. Jesus told us to take up His cross and follow Him. This attitude tells us to lean on our crutch and follow our whims.
- There are often unarticulated and…
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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.