Poised for the Promised Land
As Ron Simkins reminded us in his teaching “God Chose You”:
We are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. Ephesians 2:10
This word is for us each individually and collectively. We are God’s family, God’s handiwork, God’s temple, God’s precious possession.
Since I (Melissa) started coming to New Covenant Fellowship this spring, I’ve become aware of two conflicting thoughts permeating the fellowship: a passion/calling for doing the work of inclusion and justice and a fear of the future existence of the church. I believe this fear is at odds with God’s good plans for our community.
For long-time NCF attenders (and this is true in many churches across America, especially after the pandemic), there is a memory of when the church had more in-person attenders. This memory can lead us to fear of the future of the church and our ability to do the good things God has for us to do. What I’ve learned of church growth is: most churches are actually small churches, and the research supports this reality.
Here are some stats about Average Church Size and Attendance Patterns in America:
-The average church venue seats 200 people.
-59% of churches in America are considered “small -churches” averaging 60 worshipers per week. (That’s 9 Million church attenders, across 177,000 small churches (as defined by 0-99 attenders).
-35% of churches in America are considered “medium-small churches” (with 100-499 attenders). These 105,000 medium-small churches minister to 25 million church attenders).
-The average pastor-to-worshiper ratio in America is one for every 90 attendees, and this is pretty consistent for all church sizes.
-When church attenders are polled, 47% say they attend weekly. However, data shows only 20% actually attend weekly. (people think they go to church more often than they do).
Takeaways from this data:
–We have a great venue!
–Our church size is in the majority! With small and small-medium size churches being responsible for ministering to the majority of church attenders and impacting our communities. At NCF, we have an average of 40 attenders in person and 200 online, so we fall right in the middle of these 2 church sizes.
–We are staffed to minister effectively! Having an appropriate number of pastors helps NCF to care for the ongoing needs of ministering to our in-person and online church attenders and for continued growth.
–Our attendance trends are normal! We need to understand regular attendance may look like attending less than 20% of the time and appreciate those that are able to attend more frequently.
I believe we are positioned well in size and structure for the tasks God has laid on our hearts: Inclusion and Justice.
When the Israelites were rescued out of Egypt, God promised them a place for them to dwell in fruitfulness. 12 leaders of the people get sent to check out this “Promised Land” (See Numbers 13 &14). When they returned from spying out the land, all 12 Leaders reported seeing the good in the promised land–a land full of milk and honey!
However, 10 of the 12 leaders doubted as they saw the barriers to overcome as insurmountable and their doubts and fears impacted the way they saw themselves “we are just grasshoppers” and how others would see them–as small, insignificant and powerless.
They gave their report: “We entered the land to which you sent us. It’s actually full of milk and honey, and this is its fruit. There are, however, powerful people who live in the land. The cities have huge fortifications…We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we…We saw ourselves as grasshoppers, and that’s how we appeared to them.” (Numbers 13:27-28,31,33 CEB)
AND YET…
2 of the 12 spies had faith to focus on God’s faithfulness in light of these barriers. They chose to trust God’s power and their identity as God’s cherished people.
Now Caleb calmed the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of it, because we are more than able to do it…Joshua…and Caleb…tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite community, “The land we crossed through to explore is an exceptionally good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, he’ll bring us into this land and give it to us. It’s a land that’s full of milk and honey.” (Numbers 13:30, 14:6-8 CEB)
Will we trust what God says about our identity? Will we believe and do the good things God has planned for us to do? Will we live with a focus not on the “giants” in the land, but on the goodness before us and boldly lead others into this promised land? -Melissa Logsdon, Interim Associate Pastor
Further reading: Gideon and a Small Army (Judges 7:2-7)
Spies to the Promised Land (Numbers 13 & 14)
References:
- Lifeway Research
- Hartford Institute for Religious Research
- Barna Group
- Pew Research Center
- Gallup Inc.
- Foxbusiness