In Defense of the Small Church.
I love the church. I love the church no matter her size. Sometimes the Small Church takes a hit. I was reading the latest July/August Outreach magazine ....It had a Resource Guide for Small Church America. (Well worth the price of this issue)
The Stats and info were a wake up Call.
Here is a sample:
About 63 Million people of 20.4 percent of the population attend church each Sunday - American Sociological Review
The Average Church attracts fewer than 90 adults on a typical weekend. 60% of protestant churches have 100 or fewer adults on a typical weekend. Just 2% of churches attract more than 1 000 adults on a typical weekend - Barna.
90% of congregations have 350 or fewer people. -National Congregations study
The Medium U.S. Congregation has just 75 regular participants and an annual budget of $90000. National Congregational Study.
Churches of 200 or less are Four times more likely to plant a Daughter Church than churches of 1000 or more. The Pattern continues - the smaller the size of the church the more fertile they are in planting churches. - Lifeway.
The Church to population ratio in the United States peaked at one church for every 430 people In World War 1, But Today there is only one church for every 6, 194 people. In Canada the ratio is 1: 115, 040. - North American Mission Board (outreach magazine - July/Aug. 2014. pg.71)
Looks like we have a lot of work to do ...big church, small church ... The Kingdom of God is bigger than any one church and the challenge is to reach the lost. Are you with me?
The Stats and info were a wake up Call.
Here is a sample:
About 63 Million people of 20.4 percent of the population attend church each Sunday - American Sociological Review
The Average Church attracts fewer than 90 adults on a typical weekend. 60% of protestant churches have 100 or fewer adults on a typical weekend. Just 2% of churches attract more than 1 000 adults on a typical weekend - Barna.
90% of congregations have 350 or fewer people. -National Congregations study
The Medium U.S. Congregation has just 75 regular participants and an annual budget of $90000. National Congregational Study.
Churches of 200 or less are Four times more likely to plant a Daughter Church than churches of 1000 or more. The Pattern continues - the smaller the size of the church the more fertile they are in planting churches. - Lifeway.
The Church to population ratio in the United States peaked at one church for every 430 people In World War 1, But Today there is only one church for every 6, 194 people. In Canada the ratio is 1: 115, 040. - North American Mission Board (outreach magazine - July/Aug. 2014. pg.71)
Looks like we have a lot of work to do ...big church, small church ... The Kingdom of God is bigger than any one church and the challenge is to reach the lost. Are you with me?
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