No More Size Transitions

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

Though Size Transitions Theory and Practice became a “standard” way for understanding congregational life and leadership, the size categories themselves don’t hold much water anymore. You may remember them, based on Average Sunday Attendance:

• Family Size Church, 2-50

• Pastoral Size Church, 51-150

• Program Size Church, 151-400

• Resource Size Church, 401+

At the same time, the organizational growth principles embedded in Size Transitions Theory and Practice remain invaluable for church leaders.

So, in recent years we have continued to use the principles to assist churches experiencing growing pains and those trying to jump start their transformation, yet the size categories themselves seem to have aged out. Worship attendance patterns are so wildly different, including online worship or digital disciples, that these particular categories leave us confused and puzzled.

Given these changes, I’m delighted to share that we at Pinnacle are harvesting the best of Size Transition Theory and Practice, while discovering new categories and metaphors for church growth and transformation. Here’s what we noticed that’s leading to innovation:

• Like the plateau or transition zones of Size Transitions, churches are running into barriers that constrain movement. What’s new is that these barriers no longer correlate with Average Sunday Attendance.

• When the barriers are resolved in some way, churches are launched into new seasons of forward movement with greater ease and flow. When unresolved, their movement remains constrained.

These, plus more insights, are giving birth to new language for churches in transition.

Pinch Points

When engaging this area of church life, we feel pinched, constrained by barriers that may be difficult to identify, yet are real. Movement slows or comes to a halt. There may not be capacity to do more than what we are doing. We may have run out of options or possibilities for movement in this area. There may be blockages in the way, preventing forward movement. However they are formed, pinch points are areas of our church life where forward movement is blocked, slowed, stopped, or constrained. Pinch points are not primarily formed by Average Sunday Attendance, but instead by a myriad of factors combining together.

Invisible Barriers

When a single pinch point arises in a church, moving through it can be rather straightforward. Yet, as churches move forward missionally, functioning as the systems they are, multiple pinch points are often activated simultaneously. The power of multiple pinch points combines together, forming barriers that slow movement and drain energy. A single pinch point may create a single barrier to movement, yet when multiple pinch points are exerting their influence, they take on a life of their own, resulting in a barrier which everyone senses and feels, yet may be difficult to identify. This is how invisible barriers are formed.

Crossing Thresholds

We are not destined to be victims of invisible barriers, giving over power and volition to them. Instead, we can do what Christian disciples and churches have done for centuries, cross over into a new land. We have choices to make when we grow aware of invisible barriers, deciding how to relate with them. Invisible barriers to missional movement can become opportunities for progress when recognized and labeled. This proactive mindset and approach may change their name from “invisible barriers” to “thresholds for crossing.” Once a threshold is crossed, churches and their leaders experience relief and release, moving into new seasons of freedom with ease of movement and flow.

Currently, we are walking with several churches who are moving forward missionally, most growing numerically, too. As aforementioned, the old Size Transitions Theory and Practice was somewhat helpful, but didn’t provide sufficient understanding of what was/is happening or practical pathways for leadership action. I’m happy to say that this new language, metaphors, and the process we are using (not shared beyond these churches yet) are resonating, opening the doors to missional progress.

So when you notice movement slowing or grinding to a halt in your church, know you may be bumping into an Invisible Barrier, formed by the power of multiple pinch points. Fortunately, there are ways to break through these barriers, launching new seasons of missional flow. I look forward to when we can share more outcomes of this holy experiment, perhaps inviting those churches who are ready to intentionally cross the thresholds before them.