How big is your church?

One of the most common ways that we understand a local church is by its size, and so we keep all kinds of statistics about our 1,265 United Methodist congregations here in Indiana. We measure membership, worship attendance, total budget, new members received each year, numbers of small groups, plus much more.

All of our pastors know about these measurements as they annually complete their Table I, II and III reports for their church's annual charge conference meeting.

But I wonder, how does one best measure the size of a church? All of those statistics are important, but how do we measure the heart or the vision or the love of a local church?

I have encountered some large churches which seem rather small in terms of having a limited understanding of their ministry. Likewise I have encountered some small membership churches which have an enormous heart for missions and global outreach. Many of our largest congregations also are very generous, but some are self-focused. Some of our smallest congregations are in-grown, but many of them have an outreach which extends far beyond their numbers. How does one measure the size, impact and effect of a church's ministry?

Here are some suggested measurements:

A church is small if its focus is upon survival, the comfort of its own members and just paying the bills.
A church is small if its budget is largely composed of paying for its own building, programs for its own members and inadequate, or one might even say "cheap," amounts of giving for others.
A church is small if it does not welcome everyone in the name of Christ, seeking to share the Good News with all.
A church is small if its worship is boring, if its members are not growing spiritually, and if no one's lives are changed and transformed by its ministry.
A church is small if its lifestyle is characterized by criticism, tearing down its pastor and lay leaders and destroying any good ideas offered by anyone.

On the other hand,

A church is large if it is a place where people's lives are expanded, where love is stretched and where ministry is outward-focused.
A church is large if it provides a safe place for people to disagree in love.
A church is large if people come for worship really expecting to find an encounter with God.
A church is large if its people and its pastor know that they are a part of the global movement and ministry of God's people.
A church is large if its lifestyle is characterized by grace, forgiveness, peace, encouragement and of course love.

So, let me ask, how big is your church?

Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Area of
The United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference in Indiana
and around the world"

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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