• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ChurchPlants

ChurchPlants

Looking to plant a church? Find free ideas on how to get started, church planting tips, and establish a strong healthy church. Browse now!

  • Teams
  • Growth
  • Leadership
  • Strategy
  • Finances
  • Free Downloads
You are here: Home / Articles / Just How Large Should a Local Church Be?

Just How Large Should a Local Church Be?

December 10, 2014 by Brandon Cox Articles

I love small churches. I love medium-sized churches. And I love large churches and “megachurches” (typically defined as an evangelical congregation with 2,000 or more weekend service attenders). I also agree with a principle shared by Bailey Smith who once said, “There are no large churches. All churches are small, some are just smaller than others when compared to the surrounding lost population.”

I’ve pastored churches of 30 and I’ve served as a staff pastor at a church that averaged about 22,000 attenders at the time. In many ways, the largest of them was also the smallest—the most capable of shaping and nurturing my soul. For whatever reason, church size is a very, very sensitive topic. Within the church, everyone seems to favor whatever size the church they’re part of represents. Some view small churches as ineffective and unwelcoming. Others view large churches as doctrinally weak or merely as corporate structures that prefer making dollars over disciples.

Why all the sensitivity? I think it’s social. We’re all a little protective of our identity, especially when we feel that someone is judging and assessing us as more or less worthy by secondary measures such as church size.

At Grace Hills, I’m continually challenging us to have a growth mindset and to make sure that we are focused on growing multi-dimensionally. As a purpose driven church, we hope to grow …

a. larger through evangelism,

b. warmer through fellowship,

c. deeper through discipleship,

d. broader through ministry, and

e. stronger through worship.

Does a church have to compromise its theology to grow larger? Absolutely not! Have some? Sure. And have some small churches done the very same thing to make a relatively small handful of tithers happier with the status quo? Definitely. It happens, and when it does, it’s not good. What bothers me is the stereotyping of all large and growing churches as somehow diminishing either the quality or depth of their ministries. Research simply suggests a very different picture.

Consider the findings of thorough research conducted by the Leadership Network (who happen to be experts in the field of data and research). Glance at this graphic:

Small-Church-Large-Church-Infographic-700x1954

Graphic courtesy of Leadership Network

Some of the most popular stereotypes of large churches simply don’t hold water. In general, megachurch attenders tend to be more informed about doctrine, more intentional about serving others and more involved in missions. They tithe more, attend more and seem to have more healthy, close relationships. Again, this doesn’t mean that small churches are bad or ineffective. It merely suggests that our anti-growth, anti-large-church mindset may not only be misinformed, but harmful to the cause of the gospel.

Pages: Page 1 Page 2Page Next page
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

About Brandon Cox

Brandon Cox is Lead Pastor of Grace Hills Church, a new church plant in northwest Arkansas. He also serves as Editor and Community Facilitator for Pastors.com and Rick Warren's Pastor's Toolbox and was formerly a Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. In his spare time, he offers consultation to church leaders about communication, branding, and social media. He and his wife, Angie, live with their two awesome kids in Bentonville, Arkansas.

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Primary Sidebar

Church Planting Jobs

Search Here

Christian News Now

Enter your email for tips on how to have a thriving church!

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Get Email Updates
  • Christian News Now

Copyright © 2025 ChurchPlants

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service