One of the greatest blessings that a church can have is to find itself growing but there needs to be some awareness about growth and the problems it brings. The first of these relates to the available space. Let's call it the seventy percent rule - which goes like this:
We all look for growth as a sign that we are being effective in making disciples and preaching the Gospel and yet whilst we pray, plan and get out there and 'do the stuff', we often overlook the place we are seeking to bring the new sheep into. One of the first considerations is that of space (there are others and we will discuss them over the coming days).
A few years back we found ourselves with loads more seats than people and the spaces cried out to us to be filled. So we open our doors and took the Church outside the building and invited the world into it. We engaged with people and slowly, one by one, people came into relationship; first with us and then with God. Slowly but surely we found the seats begin to be filled and we were excited that we were running out of space.
More recently we have had days when all the seats were filled and new faces appeared on a Sunday never to be seen again. "Was it the preaching?" we asked ourselves. "Was it the peace?" I prayed and considered what it might have been that saw people not want to be part of our, even if I say so myself, extremely welcoming and friendly little asylum?
Recently I met a couple who had been to a service and then vanished and so I asked them what had caused them not to come again. The answer was twofold. The first difficulty they had was lay in the feeling that the place was so crowded; the second was that the peace was a little overwhelming!
Within the missioner/church growth circles there is an empirical rule that tells us that once a congregation reaches seventy percent of its available space it ceases to grow. It doesn't matter how good the preaching is (phew!), how brilliant the music is, what refreshments you serve or how lovely the existing members are - once you've reached seventy percent of your available space you are about to plateau (or even decline as some feel a little claustrophobic and leave). So here's a simple test:
1. Count the number of seats you generally have available in your worship space.
2. Now multiply that number by 0.7 (we have 40 seats 40*.7 = 28) this is you 'comfort factor' (CF)
3. Take a look at the service register and see what your average attendance was over the past few weeks (removing any anomalies). Our average for the first three weeks of January was 37 adults and 9 children)
4. Ask the question, "Is the average attendance greater than the comfort factor (ours was 28). If the answer to this is 'Yes' then you have to provide more seats and if you have a problem here because of the space isn't available then you need to move the venue or build!
Now this is a real problem for some for a number of reasons, namely:
i. Putting our more chairs will make it look like we have less people!
- This is true. One of the biggest problems when considering growth is the fact that some want to feel cramped because this says that the fellowship is successful.
- Not putting out more chairs will keep those members you have cosy and crammed in, but will not grow and we are about growing the kingdom not supporting our own wants!
- If you are in the happy position of renting a space (says he remembering the happy days of using schools, gymnasia and community centres - and lugging all the kit in and out!) then the answer is simple - a change of venue is indicated. Perhaps a larger room within the current venue or a 'We are growing so much we have to move' move.
- If you own the building and cannot use a bigger space within it then, if it is possible, re-ordering (if you can do it without cramping sight-lines and squeezing the people in like sardines) is the first step.
- Having done this, the next step is to see how you can physically alter the building to provide more useable space. This might mean removing walls or extending and if this is not possible, then
- It's time to build a new building (or perhaps find a church with space who would be willing to engage in a shared-accommodation project with you.
iii. We need to build but don't have the money.
- Yeah, us too. Watch this space (or give us advice on how to raise the funds - we've managed £40k internally)
One of the temptations that some succumb to when the comfort factor is reached (or exceeded) is to explore the 'second-service' option. The problem with this is that you can destroy the dynamic that causes the growth (they might just like each other) and can bring about one large congregation service and one smaller congregation service. The larger flourishes and the smaller feels second-class (or elite) and differences grow. The family feeling is lost.
Some churches opt for early and later services and in my experience this often shakes down into the older folk and the younger/family congregations respectively. Multiple services means different congregations and this is a great way forward if you have BCP (Book of Common Prayer) early on and Common Worship (CW) or something a little spiky at the later but if you go down this route be aware that you are about to house two churches in the same building and making them one might be another challenge to be considered but we will look at the multiple service route shortly.
I hope this might stimulate some of those who come across this blog to consider whate their situation is in regard to comfort factors and available space - feel free to challenge and suggest, provide anecdotes and examples - all grist to the mill and most welcome.
pax
7 comments:
"Traditionally", of course, most Anglican churches have been used to hosting "multiple churches" in the form of congregations at 8 a.m. COmunion, 10.30/11 a.m. main service and 6 p.m. Evensong. Sure there is some overlap but there are people for whom whichever one they go to is the "real" St. Whatever's church.
As you rightly point out, splitting a single service into multiple congregations has many drawbacks. However, if these are handled well, there are some positives too. Not the least of these is the opportunity it gives to expand and develop the leadership team and encourage the gifts and talents of people who may be frustrated at the moment. And the issue of the culture of the two congregations needs careful thought and planning. Will they become different, appealing to different groups of people (BCP vs CW), or can they be consciously kept as similar as possible so that neither feel as though they are being "left out"?
As far as buildings go, is the lack of space only apparent on Sunday mornings, or is it an issue for others who use (or would use) the space during the week? If you are ONLY building for Sunday mornings I would suggest that the two congregation solution would be the better one to explore.
We are in the position where the lack of space on a Sunday is matched by the lack of opportunity to do things because we only have the one room (unless we use the kitchen and the toilet as small meeting spaces that is).
pretty much everywhere I have seen where the service has been split ends up with two very distinct congregations and styles, even when this wasn't the intention. That said it does appear than doing a ten and eleven-thirty where the services are the same does work to some extent. Then again, many of the places where I have seen this happen appears to find itself with two similar services but the later service becomes the 'family' service as it's easier to bring the children along to the later - hey ho!
As for 'Sunday' only concerns - watch this space (as they say).
thanks,
V
I understood that the ceasing to grow point was higher - more like 80%. For those in legacy buildings, as much as we love them, knocking down walls and suchlike is just not an option however much money you have. Multiple services may have to be a consideration, but that scares the living daylights out of me.
I understood it to be at 80% when I first started reading but now find that this has slipped to 2/3 (70%) as a clearer place to begin.
There is indeed the problem with building of any sort with older 'legacy' buildings - something I find odd as everyone who raves about them goes to great lengths to show how each generation has added and amended - until this generation of course ;-)
Multiple services appear great if you are happy to have different worships styles (or even theology) occupying the same bricks and mortar but like you, I too find them more than a bit hairy!
Pax
An interesting and supposedly rare problem to have in the modern C of E - or so they say. I know of at least two churches within five miles of here which have a similar problem.
However, as usual there is no simple answer, you just have to have faith, pray hard and trust God's Holy Spirit to move you in the right direction. (Of course itf it proves to be a wrong move, then "it's the Vicar's fault!"
Short of that, pray for the re-appointment of the Diocesan Arsonist and hope that the insurance money covers the cost of the re-build and expansion!
Our problem is three large churches and two smaller ones, all with medium distinctive congregations.
We also have a floating 8am BCP congregation and about three, family service congregations.
We have a distinctive mid-week congregation, small (12 or 13), who attend only mid-week.
We also have youth congregations who have some separate services and than our School congregation. Many children only come, with the school.
We also have four care homes that we provide services to. Another, 4 diverse congregations.
We have a Benefice service each month, where there is a 5th Sunday, which has a mixed congregation drawn from all of the above.
Than we have our Easter and Christmas congregations and summer holiday congregations.
We've got another 4 churches joining us next month, again, with their own distinctive brands.
I'm not sure how we'll manage it all, but I'm not losing any sleep over it at the moment. I've got a Vicar and no end of PCC's to worry about that sort of thing.
What I worry about is missing my friends in the various congregations, as choice means that I can't attend all of the services, all of the time.
I'm making light of the complexities of our situation. But it's a challenge and juggling act. If we think that we won't all fit into the church, we book the school hall or the village hall(s) or even a barn as needed.
Our issue is that we have comfort space in our three large churches, but the smaller ones can be quite crowded. People even sit in the front pews in those churches.
Trying to hold a specific service at an alternative venue in another village means that many won't travel across the benefice. They consider themselves parishioners of there village church, not the wider benefice.
I wonder why our youthful Vicar, now looks older than me, perhaps it's all the juggling.
UKViewer:
People even sit in the front pews in those churches.
Wow. Things must be REALLY desperate :)
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