Comments on: High-, low- or no-tech? http://theupstreamcollective.org/2010/01/07/high-low-or-no-tech/ biblical missiology / the sending church / post-christian contexts Wed, 16 May 2012 16:01:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Megan http://theupstreamcollective.org/2010/01/07/high-low-or-no-tech/comment-page-1/#comment-4100 Megan Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:28:39 +0000 http://theupstreamcollective.org/?p=945#comment-4100 I totally agree. My church definitely sees that problem, and it's not exactly the most nurturing environment for visitors. With a congregation of 3,000, I don't know whether the person sitting beside me is new or has been at the church for 5 years! I think large churches need to take major initiative to seek out people and help them get involved, or else it's super easy to get sucked into that Sunday churchgoer role and never really find a place to serve/have fellowship in the church. A small church, I think, is better able to welcome people and create a single close community with accountability. I totally agree. My church definitely sees that problem, and it’s not exactly the most nurturing environment for visitors. With a congregation of 3,000, I don’t know whether the person sitting beside me is new or has been at the church for 5 years! I think large churches need to take major initiative to seek out people and help them get involved, or else it’s super easy to get sucked into that Sunday churchgoer role and never really find a place to serve/have fellowship in the church. A small church, I think, is better able to welcome people and create a single close community with accountability.

]]> By: Natalie http://theupstreamcollective.org/2010/01/07/high-low-or-no-tech/comment-page-1/#comment-4090 Natalie Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:26:57 +0000 http://theupstreamcollective.org/?p=945#comment-4090 Megan, thanks for sharing from your own experiences! I have to agree--within a larger church, one must take the initiative to plug into a smaller group, otherwise they can simply spectate and miss the point of being a part of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, I think many are "afraid" of taking that step of joining a small group and are simply comfortable "going to church" on a weekly basis. Megan, thanks for sharing from your own experiences! I have to agree–within a larger church, one must take the initiative to plug into a smaller group, otherwise they can simply spectate and miss the point of being a part of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, I think many are “afraid” of taking that step of joining a small group and are simply comfortable “going to church” on a weekly basis.

]]> By: Megan http://theupstreamcollective.org/2010/01/07/high-low-or-no-tech/comment-page-1/#comment-4083 Megan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:58:45 +0000 http://theupstreamcollective.org/?p=945#comment-4083 I come from a church that can definitely be considered high-tech. With a congregation of a few thousand, we have several campuses, a few of which watch our pastor's messages via video. I think that a large congregation is a great thing, because you have so much diversity and so many resources and outlets to be missional and reach the community. The way God has worked through our congregation to bless our city has astounded me ever since I joined the church. But I do agree that, once a church gets to a "sound system size," you lose a great bit of the genuine community that you find in smaller churches. I think at that point, it's easy to get caught up in the lights and sounds and sheer size of the church, viewing it as a performance and completely miss the fellowship aspect of the church-- thereby missing a key element of what God intends for the church! I think that in a large church, small groups are crucial, and we should emphasize them like crazy. I spent the first month at my church aimlessly attending Sunday services and feeling pretty overwhelmed and lonely. But upon my first week of attending a small group, I had found a niche and a community of believers who could share and spend time together and pray together, and from that point on, church was a completely different experience. I was part of both a tight-knit community and a large group of people who shared a love for Christ and for their city. So, all that rambling to say, I think it's not so much about the size of the church or its technology, but about making sure each individual has fellowship and an outlet to serve alongside those in the church! I come from a church that can definitely be considered high-tech. With a congregation of a few thousand, we have several campuses, a few of which watch our pastor’s messages via video. I think that a large congregation is a great thing, because you have so much diversity and so many resources and outlets to be missional and reach the community. The way God has worked through our congregation to bless our city has astounded me ever since I joined the church.

But I do agree that, once a church gets to a “sound system size,” you lose a great bit of the genuine community that you find in smaller churches. I think at that point, it’s easy to get caught up in the lights and sounds and sheer size of the church, viewing it as a performance and completely miss the fellowship aspect of the church– thereby missing a key element of what God intends for the church! I think that in a large church, small groups are crucial, and we should emphasize them like crazy. I spent the first month at my church aimlessly attending Sunday services and feeling pretty overwhelmed and lonely. But upon my first week of attending a small group, I had found a niche and a community of believers who could share and spend time together and pray together, and from that point on, church was a completely different experience. I was part of both a tight-knit community and a large group of people who shared a love for Christ and for their city.

So, all that rambling to say, I think it’s not so much about the size of the church or its technology, but about making sure each individual has fellowship and an outlet to serve alongside those in the church!

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