BIG CHURCH AND SMALL GROUPS

Recently someone said, "If I go to church, I want a big church where I can sit in the back and no one knows me.” When she was invited to a small group she said, “No, I don’t do small churches. Sorry. I just like the big, impersonal ones.” Someone has said that the ABCs of the North American church are ATTENDANCE, BUILDINGS, and CASH- a sad indictment of a church that has lost its way. Larry Crabb, author and psychologist, says, “The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, but unless we sense that we belong to each other, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow.”
Gibbs says wisely, “To the extent that worship degenerates into spectatorism, boredom will eventually set in. The seeker-sensitive model requires a continuous flow of creativity in order for the entertainment factor to be sustained. Smaller, resource-strapped churches soon run out of ideas and their performance level is often embarrassingly amateurish and lacking in audience appeal.” Audiences tend to drift to the next show in town.
What saddens my heart is that various “model” churches seem to grow through high performance techniques, shorter sermons, and less worship. I call this “Christianity Light” to attract non-Christians. George Barna wisely says, “The church is fighting a losing battle by trying to become more comfortable and more attractive to the world around them. Church events cannot effectively compete with what the world has to offer. The only thing the Church can provide that no one else has is a life-changing, practical encounter- and on-going- relationship with the living God and with people transformed by similar encounters.” This is the living power of the Gospel.