The Smaller Congregation—Pathways in Challenging Times

There are many ways we might define "smaller congregations." Frequently-used measures include (1) average number of weekend worshipers; (2) number of regularly participating adults; (3) number of members listed on the rolls; and (4) number of dues-paying households (the usual measure for synagogues).

In the Protestant world, the number of members listed on the rolls was once the most common measure of size, and is still a benchmark for denominational assessments. While this may be a meaningful number within an individual congregation or denomination, it is less helpful when comparing to others, since the definition of "member" and the care with which members are counted can vary dramatically from place to place. Read more