The Vanishing Middle: Why Churches Are Becoming Either Small or Very Large

American churches appear to be moving toward opposite ends of the attendance spectrum. Small churches remain numerous, while very large churches continue to attract people, resources, and visibility. Caught between them is the midsized church, which I define as averaging 150 to 499 people in weekly worship. These congregations often carry the staffing, facility, and ministry expectations of larger churches without possessing their financial strength or organizational scale. At the same time, they may lack the intimacy and simplicity that make smaller churches appealing. The result is a growing identity and sustainability crisis for the churches in the middle today. Midsized Churches Face a Great Identity Crisis Many midsized churches live in an uncomfortable space between two organizational worlds. They are too large for the pastor to know everyone personally, for communication to remain informal, or for a handful of volunteers to coordinate most ministries. Yet they are too small A