Size matters

A few Sundays ago, I spoke about ‘small churches’ trying to emulate ‘big churches’… remarks which have prompted a fair bit of feedback! The Sunday morning congregation at Carrs Lane is modest in size – and yet it seeks to sustain the feel, the dynamics, the structures of a far larger congregation. In part, this is due to the complexities of life overall within the Church Centre, but I continue to feel that we are missing something – and at the same time being overburdened with things – because we fail to maximize the potential which comes from being the size we are. Carrs Lane is the smallest community within which I have ministered, and yet it has by far the most formal and structured life!

I do not advocate change for the sake of change, but I would actively encourage folk to work through the benefits of being the size that we are…and then to celebrate and maximize these features. Surely, it can, it should be easier to get to know folk and develop supportive relationships within a church the size of Carrs Lane; if so, then this impacts directly on the ways in which we develop our social life during the week…not least because the Sunday morning is so scattered. Read my comments elsewhere on proposals put forward as long ago as 1969. We are in the process of revising the rules and regulations of the church; fine… this is a necessary and overdue job, but I do have some concerns about the size of the eldership in relation to the size of the worshipping community, and also about the very formal tone of some meetings. I know that this must be down to me…in part, at least. In my experience, smaller churches can afford to be more relaxed in the ways in which they do things, but this is not a dynamic with which we are familiar here.

I guess the most complex area within which to consider how size affects feel and ethos is worship itself – more specifically, Sunday morning worship. Research and reading and personal conviction tell me that we are seeking to sustain a style of worship which is probably more appropriate for a far larger congregation; we may not be making the most of the opportunities from being the size that we are. A rich inheritance does not free us from the responsibilities of reflection and renewal.

You may find some of the above a little provocative. Good! We can work through the implications of my comments together as the autumn beckons and unfolds.