Why church must be small

"Why, on earth, would one leave the capital (and all its ministerial needs) to isolate themselves to a small and remote vicinity?". "Why would one take the "bread" from the mouths of many, to help feed the mouths of the few?". After all, isn't this, strategically unwise (at best) or even sinful, (at worst) to chose one's suboptimal, or even second-best service, as an offering to God?

These are the questions I have been frequently called to answer, ever since I decided to leave the big city, for the sake of a small church in a remote, but strategically located area of my country. I believe these are important questions that we often, too quickly, think as having been sufficiently answered. I believe these are questions to which we must come back again and again, especially if we are to ever attain or maintain, a holistic approach to ministry.

After a most fruitful church business meeting, with many thoughts crossing my mind, I would like to share what follows and invite your comments. Where exactly does "church", primarily happen? Is it in a mass gathering of loosely connected individuals, or in the intimate bonding of few brothers actually carrying out the series of "one-unto-another" commands? Surely, our lives are often more busy and fragmented (especially in the big cities) than they ever should be, but how realistic is the expectation of a full-scale application of what a fully-fledged brotherhood means, in light of Jesus' spending His time progressively, with the multitudes, with a crowd of disciples and with the chosen twelve, out of which He shared His most private moments with His hand-picked three?

Reposting follows:

Backyard Missionary Andrew Hamilton blogged recently on ‘Why church must be small:’

In church life it seems that ‘bigger is always better’ but is it really? Perhaps it depends on what we are trying to do… On this day we will try to convince you that for the church to genuinely accomplish its mission its primary expression must be small.

His whole post is worth reading.

Reposted under permission by Facing the Challenge