Minimum optimal size for a congregation

[Szdfan]

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?

This sounds a bit like a good problem -- having to split because you've gotten to big.

One of rule of thumb I heard when I was a pastor, was that a congregation needs at least about 50 members or so in order to support paid clergy. But that was a over a decade ago.

I think that your point, Mike, that downsizing the list of jobs is a good one. What are the essential functions of a church? What are the elective ones? Does a church really need all those committees? What essential things are these new, smaller churches attempting to accomplish? Can you accomplish those essential things with a smaller group?

I wonder how much of that objection to smaller church sizes comes out of anxiety that a church is supposed to look a certain way and do certain things. Might this objection be a way to keep change from happening and a sense of loss?

[JohnL]

Well I seem to recall that Jesus said that where two or three or gathered in his name, he’s there with them.
My personal preference is 5-7 fervent families. That makes for a nice little group of children too.

[temporal1]

i’m hoping R7ehr and GaryK will show up.
george and Wade and others have started new plants.
there’s a lot of experience on forum.

now years ago, about when BlueNoseAl was around, someone posted about some Amish in Ontario heading for Nova Scotia??
i’ve wondered how they’re doing.

also, in the course of these discussions, my impression was there is a loose consensus about optimum fellowship sizes??
was that more wrt Amish?

always interesting.
it would be hard to move from a group you liked.
but moving as a split-off group would make it easier, and it could be invigorating.

[ohio jones]

i’m hoping R7ehr and GaryK will show up.

300px-Bonjour_Bear.jpg (4.24 KiB) Viewed 1392 times

[JayP]

I think several of you are talk8ng around a few key points but not fully stating them. Ideal and minimum size really vary as well based on the SPECIFIC make up of the people as well as what the broader community is like.

For example, a church plant far from any similar type churches need a higher minimum than one in a place where there can be social and religious support form other sources. And do not forget how things change. The ideal congregation of toady, with a bunch of similar aged people, say middle aged with famailies works today, then down the road if most young people go somewhere else it’s a cluster of old folks.

The relationships of the people matter. I would be way more an ease if their is family lineage diversity if the congregation is small than the ones where half the families are inter related.

[JohnH]

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.

That's a very interesting concept.

[Thomas_muntzer]

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?

What an interesting post! I think the ideal minimum depends on several factors. One of them is whether there are sister churches nearby. It's one thing to be part of a church with only three families, but a 20-minute drive away there's another church where you can socialize and meet friends (important for children and teenagers)

[temporal1]

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.

Is this factoring for those remaining in the “home” fellowship?
i realize this must vary.
i had the impression, it might have been wrt Amish, the result would be two smaller/smallish locations, intentionally so?

if i recall, appleman and undershepherd, maybe others, were having quite a few NMBs joining, and they were happy about that.
i don’t recall them talking about starting plants? they described growth and vibrancy. (not in a mega-church way.)

[JohnH]

I've always thought it would make sense for Mennonites to buy up derelict church buildings and have church sizes of 25 - 50 people and just gather with the people closest to that building, and then have larger gatherings every month or so when they want big get togethers.

[JimFoxvog]

Our church is thinking of dividing due to an overcrowded building, so there are discussions on what to do about it.

The church I grew up in just had two Sunday morning services, 9:30 and 11:00, to deal with that situation.