Q: What’s the size of U.S. churches? (From Thomas S. Rainer)
A: First, big is not necessarily better. A church with more people in attendance is not necessarily more faithful than a smaller church. Second, some churches are in very sparsely populated areas. There may not be 350 people in a five-mile radius (though every community still has people who need to be reached).
We are a nation and continent of smaller churches. And though we have far more small churches than large churches, there is a big migration of people from smaller to larger churches. In other words, many of the smaller churches are getting smaller, and many of the larger churches are getting larger.
Here is a simple depiction of the number of churches at three different levels:
- 50% of all churches in America average less than 100 in worship attendance. [The median church in the U.S. has 75 regular participants in worship on Sunday mornings, according to the National Congregations Study.]
- 40% of all churches in America average between 100 and 350 in attendance.
- 10% of all churches in America average more than 350 in attendance.
Keep in mind that the upper 10% tend to include more of the growing churches, while the lower 90% tend to include more of the declining churches.
(Do numbers really matter? Spurgeon says yes and so do I. Read by clicking here.)
Attendance at Community Church of the Hills since I became pastor August 30, 2015 thru present:
2015
8/30/15: 65 The vote for my pastorate.
9/06/15: 55?.
9/13/15: 65
9/20/15: 71
9/27/15: 48
10/4/15: 76
10/11/15: 48.
10/18/15: 62.
10/25/15: 55
11/01.15: 68
11/08.15: 58
11/15: 48?
11/22/15: 41
11/29/15: 50+?
12/06/15: 63
12/13/15: 50
Christmas Eve: 42;
12/27: 56;
2016
01/03/16: 79;
01/17/16: 55?
01/24/16: 68;
01/31/16: 58
02/07.16: 54
02.14.16: 58
02/21/16: 64.
02/28/16: 60?
03/06/16: 62;
03/13/16: 54;
03/20/16: 54;
03/27/16: 82;
04/03/16: 52;
04/10/16: 47;
04/17/16: 63;
04/24/16: 69;
05/08/16: 73;
05/15/16: 60;
05/22/16: 62;
05/29/16: 74;
06/05/16: 58;
06/12/16: 51;
06/19/16: 56;
06/26/16: 50;
07/03/16: 42;
07/10/16: 62;
07/17/16: 56;
07/24/16: 42;
07/31/16: 58;
08.07.16: 68;
08.14.16: 63;
08.21.16: 57?
08.28.16: 50;
09/04/16: 63;
09/11/16: 53;
09/25/16: 58;
10/09/16: 52;
10/23/16: 42;
10/30/16: 45;
11/06/16: 57;
11/13/16: 56;
11/20/16: 57;
11/27/16: 47;
12/04/16: 47;
12/11/16: 57;
12/24/16: 34
12/25/16: 36
2017
01/01/17: 45
01/08/17: 40
01/15/17: 52
01/22/17: 42
01/29/17: 58
02/05/17: 49
02/12/17: 48
02/19/17: 48
02/26/17: 33 (smallest of 2017, right after an influential, beloved, Elder left)
03/05/17: 60 (Largest of 2017)
03/12/17: 40
03/19/17: 46
03/26/17: 47
04/02/17: 35
04/09/17: 50
04/16/17: 70 (Easter Sunday)
04/23/17: 46
04/30/17: 35
05/07/17: 43
05/14/17: 42 (Steve on vacation)
05/21/17: ? (Steve on vacation)
05/28/17: 55
06/04/17: 41
06/11/17: 63 (Largest of 2017, excepting Easter)
06/18/17: 33 (Fathers’ Day, 2nd smallest of 2017)
06/25/17: 45
07/02/17: 40
07/09/17: 41
07/16/17: 43
07/23/17: 40
07/30/17: 47
Rudy