Tim
Keller, the lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, argues that church
leaders must be aware of the “size culture” of their respective churches. In
other words, there are general trends that affect larger churches more than
smaller churches, and vice versa. For example, larger churches have a greater
difficulty in keeping track of members who begin to fall away from their faith,
while smaller churches tend to give too much power to spiritually immature and
broken people. All people must understand how church sizes affect how decisions
are made, who provides pastoral care, and how logistics work. Our expectations
should change as church sizes change. We should not expect the lead pastor of a
1,000 member congregation to give us the same pastoral care as the pastor of a
100 member church, nor should we expect our opinions to have as big an
influence in the larger church as the smaller one.
Perhaps
the most challenging part of this article is when Keller points out that we all
have a “size culture” that we prefer, and that we often treat other size categories
as inferior. In my own case, I am biased toward smaller churches. I love the relationships
that are formed with people of all ages and the access to the leaders. I also appreciate
the intimacy and reverence that can be shown in sharing the Sacraments which is
difficult to achieve in larger churches. Nevertheless, I must begin to value churches
of all sizes for what they do in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.
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ReplyDeleteThis article reminds me of one that I previously posted on, which emphasized that leadership in larger churches isn’t simply the same as leadership in smaller churches on a larger scale. The dynamics of these environments are significantly different and must be approached differently by pastors and other leaders. I was not surprised by the difficulties present in large and small churches, but I’m not convinced that they are exclusive to one or the other. For example, while larger churches may be more likely to have trouble keeping track of members who fall away, I have also seen this in smaller churches. In a church plant of which I was a part, there was much fluctuation in attendance, and we were so busy on Sunday mornings that it would sometimes take me several weeks to realize someone’s absence. Additionally, there were so many tasks that needed done, and so few people to do them, that it was common for people to be overworked or “under-matured” for their responsibilities. When it comes to pastoral care, larger churches should strive to offer the same (or comparative) quality of care as smaller churches. The lead pastor’s responsibility is to equip and oversee the staff to ensure the highest possible quality of care.
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