Are Big Churches Bad?

                I’ve recently read a number of articles and blogs by Christian writers reacting against megachurches. Too many large churches, the argument goes, are more concerned about putting on a show and attracting large crowds than they are with authentic discipleship. Authentic discipleship only takes place, they say, in the context of small, intimate relationships. And those kinds of relationships are not possible in large churches. There is certainly something to be said about these writers’ concern.

                “Go big or go home!” is something I’ve heard from staff of some large churches I’ve known. Many times it did seem that the main goal at these churches, maybe even the only goal, was attracting as many people as possible. It was not always as clear to me, however, what they wanted to attract people to. Were they attracting them to real relationship with the living God? Or were they satisfied with just seeing thousands come through the door? Sometimes it did seem as though the latter is what these churches were really after. Though it was never stated this way, the real goal seemed to be bigness for bigness sake.

It is this bigness for bigness sake that these writers are criticizing. Some of the reaction, though, goes too far the other way. Smallness for smallness sake is not what we should after either.

Is Big Bad?

                I read a blog post this morning titled “8 Lies Christians Believe.” The first lie on the list was “Bigger is Better.” About this “lie” the author wrote, “No, in fact small is good. Small is the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven.” She went on to say that Jesus wants us to be like children, small children in fact (Matt. 18:3). And she used that as an argument against bigness in all things. She ended her post by saying that she had spent her whole life trying to be an adult. Now she was trying to learn to be a child.

                That sounds really spiritual, sort of. But there are problems with that kind of thinking as well.

                The Bible nowhere says that there is spiritual value in remaining like children. It fact, it says just the opposite. A goal of the Christian life ought to be to grow up. Paul wrote, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor. 14:20). The writer of Hebrews said that believers need to “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1. See also 1 Cor. 2:6, Eph. 4:13, Phil 3:15, Col. 4:12, and Heb. 5:14). But that wasn't really the point of the post.

                The point was that the author ascribed a moral value to size and she believes that big is not only not better, it is wrong. Only small, at least in church matters, is good.

                Does the Bible ever say, or even hint, that big is bad? Think about it for a minute. Jesus ministered to people one-on-one and in small groups, that is true. But he also ministered to gatherings of several thousands (See Matthew 14:13-31, 15:32-39). I’m not sure how many people Peter preached to at Pentecost, but three thousand people received Christ that day. In the parable of the talents Jesus said that the person who proves faithful over a few things would be rewarded with responsibility over many things (Matt 25:21). And, at the end of all the ministry over all time there will be a “great multitude” with some from every tribe and nation in the world (Rev.7:9).

                God’s goal is to build something big, really big, a great multitude.

It’s Not About Size

                My point is simply this. I don’t think we can make a case that big is either good or bad or for that matter that small is either good or bad. I don’t think that there is a moral value assigned by the Bible to size. What matters is what we’re doing with the people we have, whether that’s a large gathering of many thousands or a small group of even two or three.

                Are we seeking to have real relationship with God? Are we seeking to grow deep in his knowledge and wisdom? Are we seeking to honor, worship and serve him? That’s what matters most.

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