Biblical Anabaptist wrote:Sudsy wrote:We have 2 back to back identical Sunday services but there is some thought to a bigger sanctuary. Personally, I think a huge sanctuary that only is used on a Sunday is quite a waste of money. To accommodate a more personal community brotherhood we have small care groups of under 20 that meet in homes of people who can accommodate them. The same bible study is had by all groups that coincide with the Sunday sermons. We have just started an 8 week series on spiritual warfare. We also use e:mail and facebook and other means to ask questions of the teaching pastor at any time and for fellowship. Daily devotions, weekly sermons and announcements are always available on the Internet. Our MB church is very modern and attracts many teens and young married couples. Many teen and children programs.
I don't have a problem with the size of a church but do have concerns if a church is not growing steadily. Numbers matter to Jesus as He is willing that none should perish and that all come to repentance. I don't need to know everyone that well in the church I attend but I love seeing new faces and hearing their testimonies at baptism time.
I have heard of churches doing this but in my mind that is a "church" within a church. IMO an attendance of around 50 including children makes a group that is large enough to function but small enough to not let anyone "slip through the cracks".
Actually, all of our groups are a church within a church (within The Church). One thing I like about a smaller group, like the 50 you prefer, is that for those who believe the gifts of the Spirit should be active in a local church, it allows for these to be operational if they follow the early church pattern that Paul spoke about.
Imo, we give up a great deal when we don't eagerly desire the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and format our meetings to allow for these gifts to operate. Many of us seldom see the supernatural at work in our meetings and we accept that as what the norm should be or we are so afraid of 'wild fire' (i.e. extreme emotionalism, uncontrolled spiritual activity) that we stay within our reserved forms of worship and fellowship. What could it be like if we really gave the Spirit control as Paul describes that kind of working in the Corinthian church ? I grew up in that kind of environment and experienced some of those gifts in operation. And, of course, in that environment, open to the Spirit, other opposing and deceiving spirits will surface and the gift of discernment is very much needed.
Well, I guess I wondered a bit off topic again. Continue.