Big core group for big church plants

If the long-range plan for the church is to be under two hundred, the critical mass can be as small as twenty-five or thirty adults. However, if the plan is for the church to grow over two hundred that is too small. The critical mass should be between fifty and one hundred adults.
- P. Wagner, cited in A. Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches



4 comments:

Justin said...

It's insightful, no doubt. But terribly pagan, don't you think? Doesn't God do as he pleases...?

Mikey Lynch said...

Sure, Justin. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Yet at the same time, fear of the Lord is not the sum totaly of wisdom. God's world (and his church within the world) may tend to work in particular ways, in general.

Nick said...

I'm inclined to feel the same way as Justin. It feels a bit weird to use science to describe the work of the Holy Spirit.

Regardless, I'd like to know why they've found that to be the case. Also, I wonder whether it makes a difference if they're seeing more conversion rather than transfer growth.

Mikey Lynch said...

Good insight, Nick. The more you are dealing with attractign Christians, the less immediately dependent on miraculous intervention of conversion.