We like things big. It’s the American way—big events, big crowds, big numbers. To us, big equals successful. A chief goal is to achieve size. If it’s big, it’s good; if it’s small, it’s not so good (or at least not as good). And with bigness as the goal, the big-end in many ways justifies whatever means. “If it works, it works.”
This is true of broader Western culture, where the goal is to gain the most attention, get the best ratings, and earn the most money. And now in many ways it has become a premise of the church. A priority of size, “success,” and “influence,” especially numerically, has crept into the church. A successful weekend is a numerically big weekend, while a less successful service is smaller. We’re an active and growing church if we’re getting big, but less so if we’re smaller. A healthy church is big in numbers, programs, and events—large in stuff we offer—while a smaller church isn’t. And in terms of evangelism and outreach, a big event is best, we argue, because it gets people to hear the gospel.
Now, some of this is true, but much of it is ahistorical and quite non-biblical. It’s not how Christianity has spread, and it’s not how God has told us he designed the church or us to work. Such a big-centric philosophy often has good roots in wanting to reach people, but is more the atmosphere of America rather than of the Bible.
Rethinking Bigness
The issue with such Western-bigness thinking is not desiring “bigness” itself per se. But rather, we need to rethink and redefine how we reach others and how we achieve lasting impact—or, true “bigness.”
For example, which is truly bigger? 1) A church service where 1500 people come—but because it’s so sensitive to not offending and making sure it’s exciting, it doesn’t go that deep? Nevertheless, 1500 people come every weekend. Or 2) a church group of 250 people that are radically transformed by the gospel and by deep biblical truths—so much that they personally seek out the Lord in their home life and then go into their homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces eager to obey Christ and share his good news?
Which is “bigger”? Though the first is numerically six-times larger, I think we’d agree the second one has more reach, impact, and therefore, true “size.” This is not merely because this is more what God asks of us, it’s also because those 250 will have more impact on the world for Christ’s glory than the 1500. The 1500 have bigger events, more events, and probably more excitement and numerical growth. But the 250 have more change in their lives, their homes, and a much more vibrant (and therefore effective and God-glorifying) witness in the world.
I recognize these are dramatic examples. But might we be falling into the trap of thinking of bigness as the first type instead as the second, namely, the bigness of transformed individuals? Might we Americans be prone to thinking more about numbers than discipleship, full seats rather than enthralled hearts, events rather than effects? The former is the typical American way—big events, big growth in numbers. The latter is the proven historical way—the church impacting individuals and families who then go and multiply through time.
Looking at History
And I say this is the historical way because this (and not the first option above) is how Christianity has spread throughout the world throughout time. Consider how the church throughout history has grown. It has not grown mainly through huge evangelistic “crusades” nor outreach events. Nor mainly through huge churches (although they have existed). The church instead has grown throughout two thousand years through people growing deeper with Christ, seeing him as better than all else and being wiling to live for him, and then spreading that joy in Christ in their already present relationships—especially their immediate families.
Admittedly, this is less “exciting” than the typical Western way of big events and numbers. But it’s certainly more effective in the long term.
Looking at the Bible
But even more importantly, this also is the more biblical way. Where are the apostolic calls for big numerical growth in the Bible? They aren’t in there. A couple times in Acts, the church is reported to increase in number (eg. Acts 6:1; 16:5). But it is never commanded as a goal. And more important, in the many instructional letters to the early churches (aka. the epistles of Paul, Peter, John, James, and the author of Hebrews) the apostles never tell the church to aim for numerical growth, nor to do outreach-type events to seek it—which is quite surprising, isn’t it? This doesn’t mean that in wisdom we don’t do them. For evangelism’s sake, we should! But it does mean that we are mistaken if we think this is the best or main way of reaching the world. If it was, then God would’ve told us in his sufficient word. Yet he never mentions it as an aim to seek after in the New Testament.*
God’s word instead focuses on achieving the Great Commission (which is more nations-focused than individual-focused). And how does this happen? With individuals living holy, loving Christian lives, and then that being the powerful witness to the world in word and deed (see, for example, Philippians 2:13-16). As individuals and families become Christians, they then take this Christianity to all the spheres they live in. One new sphere now becomes the church community, but they also continue to live in all those other spheres. And it’s in this Christian living that the gospel has spread—not mainly through the church organization, but through people, through saints being equipped for the work of the ministry. Saints are edified in the church and effectively live for Christ’s sake outside of the church, leading family members, friends, and coworkers to Christ.
Something for Us to Consider
All in all, then, I believe this is something for us to consider. Might we fall into the American numerical trap, thinking that numbers at church mean more than the Bible says they mean? God will redeem an incalculable number of people from every tribe, nation, and tongue (Revelation 7:9), and the gospel will go forth with effective power. But it’s us who then assume that the primary way this happens is through large churches or events. It’s rather through many people, established in the body of Christ and equipped by the church, who go and spread the gospel in seemingly mundane daily life, over time, filling God’s earth with God’s increasing gospel. (For more on this, see 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Colossians 1:3-6.)
This is how the church reaches the world: through people in the church, together transformed by the gospel of Christ, who then live in the world. May we orchestrate our goals, ministries, and prayers accordingly.
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*Personal evangelism is certainly a goal (“that I may save some,” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23), but if anything, this is a call for personal life-living evangelism, not a church event- or numbers-based one.
