Minimum optimal size for a congregation

[mike]

Our church is thinking of dividing due to an overcrowded building, so there are discussions on what to do about it. One idea that comes up is the complaint that dividing would mean the group sizes would be so small that there wouldn't be enough people to fill all the jobs in the church such as Sunday school teachers, committee members, janitors, and such. I'm not sure why downsizing our list of jobs isn't an option, but it brings up the question of what the minimum optimal size is for a congregation.

How many households or members do you think are the bare minimum for a congregation to function properly?

[Heirbyadoption]

Our church is thinking of dividing due to an overcrowded building, so there are discussions on what to do about it. One idea that comes up is the complaint that dividing would mean the group sizes would be so small that there wouldn't be enough people to fill all the jobs in the church such as Sunday school teachers, committee members, janitors, and such. I'm not sure why downsizing our list of jobs isn't an option, but it brings up the question of what the minimum optimal size is for a congregation. How many households or members do you think are the bare minimum for a congregation to function properly?

Jesus said two or three...

Seriously though, how big is your congregation currently (pre-divide)?

[mike]

In our previous church, for a number of years we had about 6-7 households, one of which was a single man, and another of which was an elderly couple. A few others visited sometimes. It worked to a point. Everyone was needed and used, there weren't any benchwarmers, and it was good church life in many ways.

Problems developed as our children grew older and there was a lack of social life for them. They ended up often attending youth activities at the church we are now. Even for us, it felt like at a certain point we ourselves needed broader social support. We came to the point where we felt it would take at least another 2-3 families for our congregation to be sustainable.

I don't think there is a perfect number, but I think a congregation under 10 households will probably struggle to sustain itself.

[mike]

Our church is thinking of dividing due to an overcrowded building, so there are discussions on what to do about it. One idea that comes up is the complaint that dividing would mean the group sizes would be so small that there wouldn't be enough people to fill all the jobs in the church such as Sunday school teachers, committee members, janitors, and such. I'm not sure why downsizing our list of jobs isn't an option, but it brings up the question of what the minimum optimal size is for a congregation. How many households or members do you think are the bare minimum for a congregation to function properly?

Jesus said two or three...

Seriously though, how big is your congregation currently (pre-divide)?

I believe it's around 30 households.

[mike]

Jesus said two or three...

Do you think that Jesus meant to say that he is not present when you are by yourself?

One could make the case that a group of people that fits in a house is a suitable size for a congregation of believers. There are numerous references in the NT to the church gathering in a house. Beyond that, size, separate buildings become necessary, and of course this developed later on.

There could also be a discussion on the opposite question.

[ohio jones]

I don't think there is a perfect number, but I think a congregation under 10 households will probably struggle to sustain itself.

In Judaism it's called a minyan, and 10 are needed to form a congregation, or even for a prayer meeting. Traditionally that means adult (post-Bar Mitzvah, so age 13+) men, but given the Jewish penchant for examining every possible situation for loopholes, there are exceptions and nuances.

[temporal1]

it’s worth a month’s reading nonsense to spot one small gem.

[R7ehr]

Our last three church plants aimed for 9-10 families. This seems to be working. Large enough for social network for most ages, small enough to make decisions, large enough to spread the load, large enough to have a teacher or four if a school is needed. All three of these moved 3+ hours away, are operating their own small grade schools, and all three have built a church/school building. I’m not saying that 10 is the barest of minimum. It really depends on what the goal is. I see some inner city projects starting with only a family or two. But if you’re aiming for a typical rural Mennonite church, 9-10 might be minimum.

[Ken]

"Minimum" and "optimal" are two different things.

I grew up in a small congregation in which 5 or 6 families formed the long-term core and one of them was my cousins. I found that to be stifling as there was really no social group to engage with that wasn't first cousins. The other core families had children who were younger or older but not my age. In retrospect this is probably a big reason why I felt pretty disengaged as a teen. Hanging out with old people or little kids got old. When I spent my summers across the country in a much larger congregation it was like a breath of fresh air.

So I tend to prefer congregations that are large enough to produce meaningful interactions and peer groups for people in every age and walk of life (youth, young single adults, young parents, middle-aged, elderly, etc.). It isn't just about size though. It is also about diversity. A congregation of 200 that is all elderly, or exclusively young families is going to be unbalanced regardless of size.

[Ernie]

Our church is thinking of dividing due to an overcrowded building, so there are discussions on what to do about it. One idea that comes up is the complaint that dividing would mean the group sizes would be so small that there wouldn't be enough people to fill all the jobs in the church such as Sunday school teachers, committee members, janitors, and such. I'm not sure why downsizing our list of jobs isn't an option, but it brings up the question of what the minimum optimal size is for a congregation.

How many households or members do you think are the bare minimum for a congregation to function properly?

Two to three families is fine if they are mature and have local non-ethnic people in attendance to add to the mix. But for the last five years or so, I have been recommending that if micro-church planting is attempted in a new area, to go ahead and start 2-4 sister congregations in the vicinity to meet the relationship needs and support that are often lacking in micro church plants.