{"id":1119,"date":"2015-06-19T05:03:14","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T05:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.resourcezoneinternational.com\/?p=1119"},"modified":"2019-06-26T02:54:44","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T02:54:44","slug":"small-churches-fuel-the-growth-of-larger-churches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.resourcezone.com.au\/?p=1119","title":{"rendered":"Small Churches Fuel the Growth of Larger Churches"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Small<\/a><\/p>\n

There is no doubt that large churches have captured our attention over the last 20 years and have become a force to be reckoned with even in the wider culture. But the attention these churches and their pastors generate is not entirely flattering. In an interview in the \u2018The Age\u2019 newspaper, the then World Council of Churches General Secretary Samuel Kobia describes large churches as “two miles long and one inch deep”. Books like \u2018Dining With the Devil\u2019 by Os Guinness’, \u2018Left Behind in a Megachurch World\u2019 by church historian Ruth Tucker and \u2018O Shepherd, Where Art Thou?\u2019 by seminary professor Calvin Miller have criticised what they see as the commercialisation, materialism or shallow theology perpetuated by large churches.<\/p>\n

In almost schizophrenic fashion, Christians have been quick to either uncritically embrace the numeric success of large churches as a sign of spiritual renewal … or cynically attribute it to cultural compromise. But the truth may be somewhat less obvious, as ongoing research would suggest.<\/p>\n

Different Types of Growth<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A church may grow by one or a combination of these three different ways.<\/p>\n

1. Biological Growth takes place when Christians (who are connected to a church) have children. The best scenario is that this child at some stage makes a personal commitment to Christ and doesn\u2019t just become an attendee.<\/p>\n

2. Conversion Growth takes place when a person who has little or no connection with a church makes a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and becomes a part of a Christian community.<\/p>\n

3. Transfer Growth occurs when one church grows at the expense of another church. If a person moves from one church to another for reasons of spiritual growth this may be acceptable, but if this is not the case, it is important to recognise that \u2018swapping\u2019 is of no value to the Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Feeder Receptor Theory<\/strong><\/h5>\n

One of the criticisms leveled at large churches is that they grow by transfer or are Receptors of the people they draw from the smaller Feeder churches.<\/p>\n

Church growth expert Carl George says, “When a church grows past about 400 in attendance, it often becomes a ‘Receptor’ church. That is, whether it likes it or not, it becomes a magnet for transfer growth because it usually sports the biggest youth group around or the most ‘happening’ singles group around. As a result, the larger a church grows, the more intentional it has to be about reaching lost and unchurched people; otherwise the transfer-growth factor can be between 75 and 90 percent of its growth.”<\/p>\n

This is highlighted by Christian Schwarz, from the international organisation \u2018Natural Church Development\u2019 when he states clearly, “The percentage growth rate of churches decreased with increasing size while the number of conversions remains relatively constant.” He reports the average percentage growth and numerical increases for different size churches over a 5-year period:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Church Size<\/strong><\/td>\nPercentage Growth <\/strong><\/td>\nNumerical Growth <\/strong><\/td>\nConversions<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1-99<\/td>\n63%<\/td>\n+ 32<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100-199<\/td>\n23%<\/td>\n+ 32<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
200-299<\/td>\n17%<\/td>\n+ 39<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
300-400<\/td>\n7%<\/td>\n+ 25<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Large Churches
\n(average attendance 2,856)<\/td>\n		4%<\/td>\n+112<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Based on the ratio of conversions to members, Schwarz concludes that small churches are 16 times more effective evangelistically than large churches.<\/p>\n

Are people being stolen from less dominant and successful churches? Yes, some are. But:<\/p>\n