IN THIS ISSUE:
1. REASON FOR THIS NEWSLETTER
2. CHURCH GROWTH
3. LEADERSHIP
4. CHURCH INTERNET WEB SITE
5. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
6. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE

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1. REASON FOR THIS NEWSLETTER
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In the last issue of this Newsletter, the "Rule of 40" was introduced. The rule is "in general, whenever human beings gather in a voluntary association that emphasized relationships with one another, there is a natural tendency to limit the size to fewer than 40 persons." One of the first to develop this concept was Carl Dudley in "Making the Small Church Effective" (pp 32 - 35). In the September, 1983, issue of "The Christian Ministry," Lyle Shaller wrote "Why Forty is a Fellowship Barrier." Shaller presented four numerical barriers when people assemble. Almost all groups stabilize at 1) less than seven, 2) eight to 17, 3) 35 to 40, and over 40. Each of these four groups take a different leadership technique and has different leadership demands. Other factors also come into play, i.e., size of the classroom, chairs, and table arrangement dictates the upper limits of a group in spite of what leadership does.

The less than seven group is ideal for a prayer group or a Bible study face-to-face intimate situation. Most researcher on small group dynamics report that when a group grows beyond seven members, the benefits of the small group begin to erode. John Ellas in "Church Growth Through Groups" (p 61) states "it is a small enough gathering of people to allow for primary group relationships (heart-to-heart). This goes beyond surface interaction and social fellowship to a spiritual fellowship." Also, committees to get things done normally number five to seven.

The eight to 17 group can be described as an "overgrown" small group. These groups can function if members are well acquainted with each other and a period of socializing is used to build and maintain relationships. With less than 17, most people can "keep track of" in our head and recall names without hesitation. This group is a good size for question and answer sessions, and monitored discussion where most have an opportunity to present their views. These techniques do not work well in larger groups.

In your congregation, what are the sizes of individual classes? Is size dictated by facilities or by group dynamics?

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2. CHURCH GROWTH
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A large number of books have been written on the subject of "small groups." George Barna's research has shown that in 1987 23% of the churches had small groups and that by 1998 the percentage was 85%. Barna concluded "they [the congregations] are better poised structurally to effectively respond to ministry needs and opportunities than they were in the past."

John Ellas in "Church Growth Through Groups" (pp 144 - 148) states "small groups provide an avenue to meet the single, greatest felt need in America – community. Mobility and the modern lifestyle have dissolved the extended family and fractured the nuclear family. Study after study reveals the resulting hurt and void in the lives of mobile Americans. People are RECOGNIZING A NEED FOR EXPERIENCING FAMILY, BELONGING, ACCEPTANCE, AND COMMUNITY. [emphasis mine] Small groups are proving to be the best ministry tool to regain these divine blessings."

In a survey (Ellis, p 146) where small groups were performing relatively well between 70% and 80% felt that the group was helping them strengthen their faith in God, increase Bible knowledge, and develop love for others and desire for Christian service. In poorly performing groups the results were still better than large groups.

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3. LEADERSHIP
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During the first six months, relationships are be developed in a small group. By 12 to 18 months, the group resists newcomers. At least once a year congregations should reassign members to small groups, so new relationships can be built and the group will be open to accepting new members.

James A. Jones in "Managing Church Conflict" (p. 13) states that even "when a group is designed for adding new participants, it must be aware of its resistance." James gives five reasons for the tension that developed. 1) Adding even one new member changes the makeup of the group, and therefore is disruptive to some degree. 2) One new member forces the group to change. 3) Change is painful, and therefore the group resists. 4) In order for a group to accept a new member, it must regress and again go through the developmental stages. 5) Regression is painful and requires work, and thus the group resists.

Two excellent articles from "Church Growth" magazine are "What Is the Future for Small Groups" by John W. Ellas [ http://webminister.com/growth01/plan0096.htm] and "Developing Evangelistic Small Groups in a Rural, Traditional Church" by Kevin R. Ward [http://webminister.com/growth01/plan0106.htm]. Visit http://4churchgrowth.com and with mailing address or phone number, ask for a free copy of the "Church Growth" magazine.

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4. CHURCH INTERNET WEB SITE
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From time to time, the web page developer wants software for a particular purpose and the software designers' web sites are too busy for downloading their latest updates. A number of software web sites exist for distributing new and old software.

Recently, a friend of mine spent $50 for a software program on a CD that was available free as freeware for downloading on another web site. One should look for the largest number of downloads to find out what is popular among the computer geeks (word travels fast among major developers as to what works) . Some software is free, while some is shareware with limited time usage or pay a small fee. Some is commercial for sale.

Two favorite names are Tucows and Cnet: Tucows is based on a bad pun – by wanting to stay "ahead of the herd". However, when looking for software, Tucows is a good place to start. They test and rate software by the "number of cows". The more cows the better the rating. Visit http://archive.bitcon.no/tucows/ and http://www.tucows.com/ .

The other site is Cnet which cornered the market on names, i.e., software.com, download.com, freeware.com, shareware.com and many more. Visit http://cnet.com/ and http://download.cnet.com/ for all kinds of software.

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5. BOOK RECOMMENDATION
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John W. Ellas' "Church Growth Through Groups: Strategies for Varying Levels of Christian Community" (1990) defines the congregation's need for a stated mission and that worship is that mission. Churches of different sizes approach their responsibilities and mission differently. Various barriers exist for each size congregation. As churches grow larger and seemingly more impersonal, small groups reestablish a closeness in studying and worshiping God.

Ellas discusses the small and middle-sized churches and the barriers to growth. In the final section, Ellas pulls the material together as to how the different types of small groups function and the impact of size on groups.

"Church Growth Through Groups" can be bought from The Center for Church Growth for $10.95 (paperback) plus shipping and handling at http://4churchgrowth.com/chur2000.htm .

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6. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
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Now, the webminister is looking for another five or six churches that would like their web site indexed in http://mark1615.com . This would allow the congregation to have itsown search engine. Just e-mail me.

Visit http://webminister.com and its links.

I need your comments, so e-mail me at webminister@webminister.com.

Let me know if you want to "unsubscribe."

In His Service,