One Size Doesn't Fit All: Bringing Out the Best in Any Size Church

Rating:
Summary: Deceptively Titled
Review: Based on the title and the blurb, I was expecting a book that would offer some suggestions for the best strategies to minister effectively in churches of different size. Instead, this insipid waste of paper keeps circling back to one theme: Bigger Is Better. According to McIntosh, you must add staff now, and start new ministries now, because you must grow toward becoming a large church. Sure, some folks might not like it and they'll leave, but who needs them anyway - you're bringing in new folks!

All of McIntosh's suggestions are driven by pragmatism. There is never any consideration of eccelesiology (the theology of what the Church is and should do). He seems to view the pastor as a corporate CEO, whose job is to set the vision for the organisation and then convince his session/diaconate/vestry/trustees/whatever-they-use-in-your-denomination to go along with it. McIntosh's pastor is certainly never a servant leader.

If you want a good book on organisational psychology, management philosophy, etc., this isn't it. You'll find plenty of much better books in the business section with material that you can adapt to fit a church setting. If you are looking for a thoughtful analysis of what the church should be in the world and how the distinctives of different size churches facilitate accomplishing Christ's mission for His Church, this book definitely isn't it. I feel like sending the author a bill for the time I wasted reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Deceptively Titled
Review: Based on the title and the blurb, I was expecting a book that would offer some suggestions for the best strategies to minister effectively in churches of different size. Instead, this insipid waste of paper keeps circling back to one theme: Bigger Is Better. According to McIntosh, you must add staff now, and start new ministries now, because you must grow toward becoming a large church. Sure, some folks might not like it and they'll leave, but who needs them anyway - you're bringing in new folks!

All of McIntosh's suggestions are driven by pragmatism. There is never any consideration of eccelesiology (the theology of what the Church is and should do). He seems to view the pastor as a corporate CEO, whose job is to set the vision for the organisation and then convince his session/diaconate/vestry/trustees/whatever-they-use-in-your-denomination to go along with it. McIntosh's pastor is certainly never a servant leader.

If you want a good book on organisational psychology, management philosophy, etc., this isn't it. You'll find plenty of much better books in the business section with material that you can adapt to fit a church setting. If you are looking for a thoughtful analysis of what the church should be in the world and how the distinctives of different size churches facilitate accomplishing Christ's mission for His Church, this book definitely isn't it. I feel like sending the author a bill for the time I wasted reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: Found the book to be statistical and fact based but lacking completely in spiritual base. Personally I am tired of church politics, plans, and games and am more interested in a church interested in having Christ as the center. I think a church would grow on that basis. People want God, not programs, and as for pastor they want a friend and leader but not a dictator/ruler.

Rating:
Summary: Practical, a good book for its scope
Review: In response to the other reviewers, I do concede that this book has its weak points. It is not as expansive as other organizational/management books out there (i.e. "secular leadership" books) and yet does not have the spiritual core of some other Christian leadership books (i.e. Purpose Driven Church).

But as a youth pastor of a church, I find the book to be practically applicable where I am. Our church right now is 500+ congregants, and yet, much of the growth has been recent growth (with a recent new building too). Many of the church's older members, as well as the others in leadership, are still very fond of a "small church" model, and they find it hard to transition into a medium/large church model. Some of the issues that McIntosh raises are very valid- in part because most seminary training does NOT cover the practicalities of church ministry (can I get an AMEN from pastors out there?)

Seminaries will not teach you "how to run a board meeting" or "how to communicate vistion" or other nuts & bolts. Oftentimes, a pastor has great theological training... but then falls flat because of church politics, interpersonal dynamics, or organizational pitfalls. This book addresses the organizational side of things, not comprehensively, but practically.

I believe, when considered in terms of the scope of the author's intent (or, what I believe his intent to be), it communicates what it set out to communicate: that churches are different- part organism (i.e. alive) and part organization (i.e. structure). The book is short, succinct, and written like a "conversation" between two pastors, compared to some other books that read like statistical research papers. This is a resource that I can recommend to my church board, tell them to read it, and they can, without feeling intimidated.

I didn't read into it as saying "all churches must push to be large churches." I think a church by its nature MUST grow- the early church in Acts did. And as a church grows, its leaders must be able to chart the course ahead. This fits my church, struggling with a small-church mindset + large church attendance.

Not all churches are the same... hence one size doesn't fit all. This book may not fit your church and your context, but that's ok. I think that's the point. If you are a leader in a small church, that's great... this resource might remind you of the blessings you have in being a small church. If you are part of a medium sized church, then this will remind you of where you've been as well as where you are going. And if you're in the small percentile of large-church, then this gives some "organizational tips for pastors"... easy to understand, practical, and short. It does not overwhelm the already-full schedule of a pastor

Rating:
Summary: Practical help for leaders in growing or "stuck" churches
Review: McIntosh divides churches into three sizes--small (15 to 200 worshipers), medium (201-400), and large (401+)--then describes how what makes each size congregation tick is different. Obviously, any such generalizations are oversimplifications, but they are nonetheless useful.

In my work as a church consultant, I have used quotes and insights from this book to help churches understand what changes are needed to allow them to go to the next step of growth (for example, transitioning from decision-making by committees to decision-making by staff as part of the transition from medium to large) as well as to understand aspects of why the church has quit growing (for example, a medium-size church is clinging to ways of operating that are appropriate for a small church).

McIntosh makes this three-way comparison in 11 areas, including structure, leadership, primary role of the pastor, decision-making, etc. One of the simplest comparisons is that the small congregation needs their pastor to be a Lover, the medium congregation needs an Administrator, and the large congregation needs a Leader. This helps to explain, for example, how a Lover pastor who can grow a congregation from 50 to 200 may not be able to take the church further if he or she is not a strong administrator and continues to relate to members primarily one on one.

My one qualification about this material is that it seems to me that a number of the changes that McIntosh has described as taking place in the medium-to-large transition would serve the church better if they take place before the church reaches 400. (Perhaps the author is describing what is more than what should be.) For example, it seems to me a church that transitions from being committee-led in decision-making to being staff-led earlier than 400 is more likely to experience effective visionary leadership.

I use this material to help churches see why they are stuck, how their church culture will have to change to remove growth barriers, and to show some churches that certain changes in their culture/structure are overdue. This sometimes sheds light on why a church is feeling frustrated with structures and processes that used to work well when they were smaller.

If your church is up against any of these issues, this book is well worth your time.

Rating:
Summary: Practical help for leaders in growing or "stuck" churches
Review: McIntosh divides churches into three sizes--small (15 to 200 worshipers), medium (201-400), and large (401+)--then describes how what makes each size congregation tick is different. Obviously, any such generalizations are oversimplifications, but they are nonetheless useful.

In my work as a church consultant, I have used quotes and insights from this book to help churches understand what changes are needed to allow them to go to the next step of growth (for example, transitioning from decision-making by committees to decision-making by staff as part of the transition from medium to large) as well as to understand aspects of why the church has quit growing (for example, a medium-size church is clinging to ways of operating that are appropriate for a small church).

McIntosh makes this three-way comparison in 11 areas, including structure, leadership, primary role of the pastor, decision-making, etc. One of the simplest comparisons is that the small congregation needs their pastor to be a Lover, the medium congregation needs an Administrator, and the large congregation needs a Leader. This helps to explain, for example, how a Lover pastor who can grow a congregation from 50 to 200 may not be able to take the church further if he or she is not a strong administrator and continues to relate to members primarily one on one.

My one qualification about this material is that it seems to me that a number of the changes that McIntosh has described as taking place in the medium-to-large transition would serve the church better if they take place before the church reaches 400. (Perhaps the author is describing what is more than what should be.) For example, it seems to me a church that transitions from being committee-led in decision-making to being staff-led earlier than 400 is more likely to experience effective visionary leadership.

I use this material to help churches see why they are stuck, how their church culture will have to change to remove growth barriers, and to show some churches that certain changes in their culture/structure are overdue. This sometimes sheds light on why a church is feeling frustrated with structures and processes that used to work well when they were smaller.

If your church is up against any of these issues, this book is well worth your time.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview
Review: The writing was lucid and what would otherwise have been a pretty bare and boring subject was made very readable. However the fictional account of 2 pastors (one new one, and a veteran pastor called 'Bob') grated on me after the first few pages. It comes over as somewhat self congratulatory in much the same way the scripted TV advertizements singing praises of a particular product do.

McIntosh has tackled a tough topic and injected guidelines and a few thoroughly useful rules of thumb that have definitely improved my approach to "doing church". I just wish that he'd gone for a more savoury dish rather than the rich syrupy sugar glaze that this one has.

Rating:
Summary: On average, a very useful book
Review: The writing was lucid and what would otherwise have been a pretty bare and boring subject was made very readable. However the fictional account of 2 pastors (one new one, and a veteran pastor called 'Bob') grated on me after the first few pages. It comes over as somewhat self congratulatory in much the same way the scripted TV advertizements singing praises of a particular product do.

McIntosh has tackled a tough topic and injected guidelines and a few thoroughly useful rules of thumb that have definitely improved my approach to "doing church". I just wish that he'd gone for a more savoury dish rather than the rich syrupy sugar glaze that this one has.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview
Review: This book is about the issues of church size and its effects on parish dynamics. The discussions of budget, finances, and church management are very useful as one considers stewardship issues and diagnosing the parish. It is written in the style of an experienced pastor giving advice to a new pastor, but the material is useful to laity, also.