I recently read a post that combined the names of the top five largest churches in America into one church name. The author was making the point that a few churches carry the most influence on younger, developing churches.
Let’s just use numbers as a way to measure impact for a second. A 2005 study in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion found that there were about 335,000 churches in America. Another study found roughly 40 churches in America have an attendance over 10,000 each week.
The congregants for these 40 largest churches represent about 700,000 of the roughly 56 million people who attend some type of church in the US throughout the year. So, here is the breakdown: the 40 largest churches in America,
- reach 0.00125% of Americans who attend church annually.
- represent 0.00012% of churches in America.
That said, a few observations:
- No church has the corner on the kingdom of God. The 40 largest churches in America (combined) are reaching only a small fraction of our world.
- If you try to copy a small part of the body and replicate it, you will miss the opportunity to become the part of the body God intended for you to be. When we look at these churches, we’re looking at 0.00012% of the body of Christ, in America, at this moment in time. So really, we’re looking at a more infinitesimal part that that. Trying to replicate these churches without vision in place is futile.
- Stop the church worship. Each year a list is released of these 40 largest churches - how crazy is that? Christian’s ranking Christians. As Ed Young pointed out on his blog, many of these churches are guess-timating, estimating, or padding their numbers anyway. It’s not about the numbers - it never has been.
- We can learn immensely from these large churches. (Photocopying and learning are different things.) Most of these large churches have systems and processes in place that get the administration and business end out of the way of ministry. They know how to make decisions, lead people, stay fresh, take care of themselves, expand their ministry and tons more. Not to learn from the wisdom and experience these churches have to offer would be foolish.
- Stop playing hate. I have been a pat of Fellowship Church for three months shy of a decade now. I have also attended Bible College, Seminary and visited many other churches throughout the country. There is a tremendous amount of tension toward large churches. Why? Because the ear wants the hand to be an ear.
It’s that simple. Large churches play a single part of the body during a single time in history. They area not inherently bad simply because of size. On the flip side, a small church isn’t inherently ineffective because of it’s size.
Each church, each pastor, each leader, is called to play one part. I don’t hold you accountable for your part, and neither do you hold me accountable for mine. It is the freedom of grace. We are saved to be free, to lead like we feel we have been called, and to minister to a lost and dyeing culture.
Learn from those who have gone before you, pray your heart out for vision and build the Kingdom in your city.
(for more information on the stats, click here)
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