home churches --- is it what God prefers?

Either God got weaker, or we today did, as most of us happy if Churches grew membership 20-30 a year, much less 3-5 thousand yearly!

 

I believe that many have read Acts as a prescription, and actually work to halt the growth of their church -- and more so, dislike or distrust (as if they are "cheating" congregations that grow rapidly.

I have had many a conversation with small church pastors about why their church remains small, and typically the answer revolves around the idea that one man can only minister to just so many people. That is where the description of Acts is taken as prescription -- small churches were not the rule of the day, and rampant growth along with a credible "pastoral staff" (were not the apostles all present as elders and did not Paul tell us of appointing elders in the churches he started. and were there not elders at Antioch when Paul was sent out?) made the church able to support ministry to thousands or tens of thousands. That we would just find that vision once again today!