The Big News on Small Churches Ian Hussey – Malyon College ian.hussey@malyon.edu.au www.ian.hussey.org

Most Churches are Small The average size of a congregation in Australia is between 60-70 people (NCLS 2001).

The Grasshopper Myth Karl Vaters (2012) points out: When the people of Israel gazed into the Promised Land they remarked, “All the people we saw were of great size… We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:32-33). Many small churches and pastors struggle with this “grasshopper myth.”

Research Into Church Vitality Based on the Australian NCLS Kaldor et al. (1997) identified that congregational size appeared unrelated to a congregation's vitality.

What About Baptist Churches? Based on the 2011 NCLS, Crossover and Malyon College commissioned the NCLS to undertake more detailed and specific quantitative analysis of the vitality and effectiveness of smaller Australian Baptist churches.

Baptist church size is positively correlated with: Church growth (moderate correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches are more likely to be growing percentage wise. The proportion of “switchers” (people who have switched from another church) in the church (weak correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have more switchers.

Baptist church size is positively correlated with: Young adult retention (weak correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches had a lower age profile, and a higher youth retention. The proportion of attenders who strongly agreed that leaders keep the church focused on connecting with the wider community (weak correlation). Interpretation: Churches where leaders are more strongly focused on the wider community tend to be larger.

Baptist church size is positively correlated with: The proportion of attenders who agreed that leaders are strongly focused on future directions (weak correlation). Interpretation: Churches where leaders are more strongly focused on future directions tend to be larger. The proportion of attenders who agreed that the congregation has good and clear systems for how it operates (weak correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches have better and clearer systems.

But…

Baptist church size is negatively correlated with: The proportion of attenders who agreed that they have found it easy to make friends in the congregation (moderate correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people saying it was easy to make friends. The proportion of attenders who always or mostly seek to make new arrivals welcome (strong correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people saying they welcome new arrivals.

Baptist church size is negatively correlated with: The proportion of attenders who experienced strong and growing belonging (weak correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people saying they have a strong and growing sense of belonging. The proportion of attenders in a leadership role (moderate correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people in a leadership role.

Baptist church size is negatively correlated with: The proportion of attenders who felt that leaders encouraged them to use their gifts and skills to a great or some extent (moderate correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people saying they felt their gifts and skills were being used. The proportion of attenders who strongly agreed that they have a strong sense of belonging to the denomination (weak correlation). Interpretation: Larger churches tend to have less people saying they have a strong and growing belonging to the denomination.

Church size did not correlate significantly with: The proportion of newcomers (people who had joined the church in the last five years and had not previously been attending church) in the church The proportion of attenders who participated in group activities The proportion of attenders who had invited someone to church in the previous year

Church size did not correlate significantly with: The proportion of attenders who regularly gave 5% or more of their net income to the church The proportion of attenders who agreed that the congregation is always ready to try something new

Conclusions Larger churches are more likely to be growing numerically but they do so primarily through gaining “switchers” from other churches and by retaining their young adults.

Conclusions People in smaller congregations: Find it easier to make friends in the congregation Are more likely to seek to make new arrivals welcome Experience a stronger sense of belonging Are more likely to be in a leadership role Feel that leaders encourage them to use their gifts and skills to a greater extent

Discussion: Why do you think these things are true for smaller churches? People in smaller congregations: Find it easier to make friends in the congregation Are more likely to seek to make new arrivals welcome Experience a stronger sense of belonging Are more likely to be in a leadership role Feel that leaders encourage them to use their gifts and skills to a greater extent

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches Intimacy In a larger church it is possible for two people who have attended the same church for many years to never know each other “Worship in small churches is a family reunion and more” (Ray, 1992) What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches Authenticity Small churches usually struggle for excellence, but they have an abundance of authenticity exactly for this reason It may not be perfect but it is the “real thing.” What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches All-Age Worship The inability to provide age-specific ministry to children and youth is not something to be lamented but something to be celebrated. The small church is a witness to the power of the gospel to produce age-diverse communities What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches Physical Location Larger churches tend to be located or move away from the centers of cities because of the cost of land In contrast, many smaller churches are located in inner-urban locations. Although numerically small, their location provides them with a unique opportunity. What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches Vulnerability “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity.” (Brown, 2012) It helps us understand the vulnerability of Jesus and our dependence on God and one another. What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Strategic Advantages of Small Churches Simplicity Larger churches can be mind-bogglingly complex Sometimes the lack of resources means that the only “ministry” a small church can run is the Sunday morning worship service This creates time for one-on-one discipleship What can we do to take advantage of this strategic advantage?

Conclusion Small churches make a mistake if they try to imitate what larger church do, especially in worship services. They do better if they celebrate their uniqueness and build upon those strengths.

More info Hussey, Ian. 2016. "The Big News on Small Churches: Re-evaluating the Contribution of Small Churches to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission." Great Commission Research Journal no. 7 (7):172-183. http://journals.biola.edu/gcr/volumes/7/issues/2/articles/172.

References Brown, Brené. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. London: Penguin, 2012. Kaldor, Peter, John Bellamy, Ruth Powell, Bronwyn Hughes, and Keith Castle. Shaping Our Future: Characteristics of Vital Congregations. Adelaide: Openbook, 1997. Pepper, M., S. Sterland, and R. Powell. Relationships between Church Size and Church Vitality for Baptist Churches (NCLS Commissioned Report). Sydney: NCLS Research, Australian Catholic University, 2015 Ray, David R. The Big Small Church Book. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1992. Vaters, Karl. The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches and the Small Thinking That Divides Us. Fountain Valley: New Small Church, 2012.