BGCT: Smaller Texas churches can grow_111003

Posted: 11/07/03

BGCT: Smaller Texas churches can grow

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Four of ten churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas have fewer than 100 resident members, according to convention statistics.

About 65 percent of Hispanic churches average less than 100 members, and 93 percent of reporting Hispanic missions serve fewer than 100 members.

Nationally, 60 percent of Protestant churches serve 100 or fewer adults in a typical weekend and just less than 2 percent have 1,000 or more adults.

Yet smaller churches face different challenges than larger churches and need unique attention, according to Frank Palos, associate coordinator of the BGCT Church Health and Growth Section.

Many times, members of smaller congregations stay so busy supporting the church that they may not have as much time to focus on spiritual matters, Palos explained.

He compared small church members to a football team where every player has to play offense, defense and special teams. The players work continuously without having time to reflect.

“Smaller churches can be effective if they will just focus and not try to do what the bigger churches do, and spread themselves out so thinly,” he said. “You've heard the phrase 'jack of all trades, but master of none.' In a smaller congregation, because of the smaller numbers, people sometimes confuse work for God for worship of God.”

Bob Ray, director of bivocational and small church development with the BGCT, said his experience in Texas shows members of smaller congregations are more committed to the church and their faith than members of larger churches. If they aren't committed, the church closes.

“In a smaller-membership church, you can't hide,” he said. “They're such a small group they have to be committed or the church doesn't function.”

While Palos understands the stereotypical picture of a small church is a wooden building in the country, he said the typical small church in Texas is changing. Small churches currently reach a wide variety of people in vastly different locales, ranging from the inner city to the suburbs to rural regions.

It is good for God's kingdom that small churches attract a different group of people than large churches, Ray added. Smaller churches serve a niche audience that would not be served by larger congregations.

“They are not going to go to First Baptist Church of a county seat,” he said. “They perceive they are not going to be as comfortable.”

Despite greater attention placed on large churches, small churches will continue to exist and reach people, Palos predicted. They have an equally important role as large churches and must do it to reach the world for Christ.

“I think the role is the same–to share the good news,” he said. “The opportunity to share the gospel may not be the same, but the role is the same.”

Ray reminds that numeric growth for the sake of numbers is not the mission of the church. Growth should come from church members acting more like Christ on a daily basis.

Palos believes the key to small-church growth is meeting needs. If a church is purposely meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the community, it will grow spiritually and numerically, he insisted.