Which is Better, Large or Small?

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

Recently it has been my privilege to worship in a church of around 150+ on a Sunday morning, and enjoy the fellowship, preaching, and the singing of praise songs to the music of an amazingly gifted group of musicians who give their time and talents freely. It is easy to enjoy these benefits of a ‘larger’ church in the same denomination.

You see, my own home church has an attendance of around 35. Similarly, the Word is preached, fellowship shared, and songs of the Kingdom are sung, led by a much smaller group of musicians who are equally dedicated to providing the music to worship. I suppose the biggest differences between the larger and smaller churches are the volume of music and open style of songs used. The smaller congregation is used to older hymns and songs, and the larger one uses more modern (less than 20 years old) contemporary songs, but both are used to worship the same God. One encourages a demonstrative participation, and the other experiences their joy in a quieter way.

Another major difference between the two church services, is the use of the open altar for voluntary prayer or seeking during the service. This is a dedicated, sanctified place to come and pray and leave your burdens and requests with the Lord. (I have asked myself if this is partly the reason for the larger church being more relevant and better attended, especially by youth).

There is a trap set for me, and I tend to fall into it easily. Having spent time with family, and shared the experience of the larger church for a time, I find it hard to return to the older form of worship when I return home. But then I am reminded of the verse in Matthew 18:20, and the fact that in God’s eyes, numbers, volume, and style are not important. The key is the last phrase, “there am I with them.” Thank you Lord for your promise which applies equally to small and large services where You are lifted up.