We are moving to connect groups as a church out of necessity alone. We are not doing it just to add another program or to do something new, but because we believe it is essential to the health and vitality of our church family.

Over the past couple of years our church has grown to what experts refer to as the “200 Barrier.” This invisible barrier is what happens when the church outgrows its traditional operating structure. When a church reaches approximately 200 regular attendees it can no longer effectively meet the needs of the congregation via the traditional pastor driven, Sunday School structure.

As the church has gotten bigger it has made it easier for people to slip through the cracks, to feel isolated, alone, and like nobody cares. As a result they often leave the church and we miss out on the opportunity to help them grow into the individuals God desires them to be. This does not happen intentionally, they just get lost in the crowd.

At this point the church has a decision to make:
Will it change and adopt a new structure in order to continue to grow?
Or will it choose to keep the current structure and allow the church to withdraw back to a more manageable size?

As Dr. Bill Sullivan writes, “It is not possible for a congregation to obey the Great Commission without facing the issue of church size.”

In the end it is an abandonment of the mission of the church. This is not an option for SFN!

If the church gets bigger without also getting small, people get neglected. We don’t see or meet their needs.

Connect Groups give us a structure to better fulfill our mission to reach the world in Jesus’ name, connect people with God and each other, and help them grow toward spiritual maturity.