Dunbar's Number

Dunbar’s Number

The community that we live in is definitely a bigger is better type of place.  This seems to apply to our churches as well.  Whenever I talk to someone in the community  about Lightshine (whether they are Christians or not), inevitably the first question I get asked is, “How big is your church?”

It’s okay to ask this question.  I get it.  But maybe the size of the church isn’t the most important thing.  I’ll answer the question so as not to be accused of dodging it.  The answer is two fold.  Answer Part 1 - Size really doesn’t matter.  Answer Part 2 - It is small enough where you can know and be known.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, “Dunbar's number” is the suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. These are relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person.

Dunbar’s magic number lies somewhere between 100-250 people (most go with 150).  That said, is it possible that less is really more; that good old Dunbar, whoever he was, was on to something.

I wonder if intentional small church might be coming back (I certainly hope so)?  Small church that values people over programs; small church in which every person knows and is known.  Bigger  isn’t always better.  Small church has a lot to offer that large churches cannot.

Maybe the question is this: What would Lightshine Church do if it someday grew beyond Dunbar’s magic number?  What would we do if we had more than 250 people?

Simple: we would plant another small, missional, start up church because Dunbar is on to something; maybe less is more!