Being part of a smaller church…reasons for, or possibly, against

i was thinking this afternoon about what it’s like to be part of a smaller church family.  with a couple of hundred people, north point is nearly twice as large as the median church size in america.  in spite of being large, compared to most, we sit in the shadow of lots of larger churches.  having intersected with churches of all sizes throughout my lifetime (as staff, speaker, consultant, or simply a friend), i am now a bonafide expert.

…of being a part of a church family.

here’s my afternoon dollop of wisdom.  there are reasons people gravitate to smaller churches.  and those same reasons become the motivation for different people to leave those same smaller churches.  check these out:

when you don’t make it to the weekly church gathering, you are really missed. most everybody knows who you are…warts and all. your sins get magnified and it’s really hard to hide. you’ll know that your money is really needed…and you’ll probably feel guilty for not giving more. you can park close to the church building. you could seriously think the preacher was preaching a sermon about you…because he knows you personally. if you don’t do it, it may not get done at all. fewer choices on the program buffet line. children come into the worship service. regular people have the opportunity to influence how things are done. you get to mow the church lawn. you always sit within thirty feet of the stage when the band plays. people will tell you, face-to-face…nose-to-nose…friend-to-friend, that you need to do your share of the serving.

it’s funny how the same reason could be good for one, but not for another.  what do you think?

can you think of any more reasons?

#church #family #pastor