Today is more of a meditative essay than short contemplative thought.
Many years ago I was involved in leadership in a church. The fad of the day was the Church Growth movement. Oh, yes, that continues even now 40+ years later. But I went off to church growth classes and seminars. Our small church probably had about 100 weekly attendance. We learned about building a building along the major highway or freeway. The building should be in the middle of a gigantic parking lot. There should be no traditional religious icons or art. The music should be contemporary. The speaker enthusiastic.
The goal copied from business (and actually borrowed from 19th Century Social Darwinism) focused on growth—growth in numbers of weekly attendees and growth in revenue.
I’m not sure anyone stopped to think about the real goal of a New Testament church. Oh, Bill Hybels at Willow Creek, the prototype of the genre, talked about an Acts 2 church. Trust me, they didn’t achieve that goal. Much good was undoubtedly achieved. But I wondered until I experienced it first hand.
This week the Plough Daily thought drew from an essay by Charles E Cotherman (the link gives you one of an allowed three page views, I believe). He said, in part (the entire essay is worth reading):
The drive for efficiency within local churches became more pervasive over time. In post-war America, it was often led by a revolving group of church growth consultants and expert communicators who built large ministries through the systematic appropriation of business techniques and large media platforms. But as local churches looked to top-selling Christian authors, famous television preachers, and well-known worship leaders, what they witnessed was a new kind of efficiency that rewarded those who had won the competition for market share. No wonder the temptation toward church consolidation and mega churches has been so compelling. Like Walmart, these larger churches have harnessed the power of efficiency to great effect.
Cotherman was concerned with small rural churches that at one point were considered “inefficient” (whatever that means). He noted, “What small rural churches can offer, however, is an opportunity to be truly known within the church and the larger community.”
My point evolves from that thought. What is the goal of the church? Is it really more about relationship? About people living the kind of life in the spirit (like in Acts 2) that other people are attracted? Is the goal number? Efficiency? Or better, isn’t it more about making the Good News come alive within the lives of real people?
How?
Marketing guru Seth Godin wrote today about “Small groups, well organized.” He noted challenges for anyone seeking to make an impact.
- First, we get distracted by the inclination to make the group as big as we can imagine. After all, the change is essential, the idea is a good one. It’s for everyone. Except that’s a trap. Because a group that’s too large cannot be coherent or organized.
- Or perhaps, we blink and settle for a group that’s too small. Change requires tension, and if our group is so small that it’s comfortable at all times, we are probably avoiding making an impact.
- And well organized? That’s the persistent, generous work of creating the conditions for deep connection.
When in doubt, focus on how to organize the folks you already have. Find a way to give them the tools for them to tell the others. Build a resilient loop, one that gets more organized and powerful as you grow. The right-sized group and ceaseless peer-to-peer organization are the foundation of culture change.
I applaud the phrase right-sized. Remember the goal. Is it only numbers? Or is it lives worth living?
I am “thinking out loud.” What do you think? I encourage thought–whether or not you comment.
Faith Venture 