A large church is scriptural. The first church began with 3,000 members (Acts 2:41)! It grew every day until the number of men grew to about 5,000 (Acts 4:4). These people met in homes, but they also met together in the temple courts (Acts 2:46). The Prayer Palace began with a group of 300 people who met for the first time in 1978 in a school auditorium. Since then, the church has continued to grow. We believe that when the Lord’s hand is on His church, it will grow (Acts 11:21). That growth will vary according to the size of the community and the receptivity of the people, but the church was meant to be an expanding body.

A large church can provide rich fellowship. The first church continued in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship (Acts 2:42). They came to know and appreciate one another. In a large church, that fellowship is provided through many small group opportunities, including women’s circles, sports events, youth programs, seniors outings and married couples events.

A large church provides an excellent opportunity for evangelism. It is much easier to invite others to come to church with you if the church is large. There are many special services and quality programs that provide opportunities for Christians to invite friends and family members. Also, the unchurched are often more likely to attend since they do not feel threatened in a large group. Soon they begin to feel comfortable and the truths of the gospel sink in.

A large church provides many opportunities for service. Some people assume they are not needed in a larger body. That’s far from the truth. The large church has more opportunities to serve than in a small church because there are more positions to fill. Whatever God has gifted you to do; there will be an opportunity for your talents to be used in building the body of Christ.

A large church is inspirational. Most of us enjoy going to athletic contests when there is a “packed house”. There’s something about a large number of people that creates excitement and generates energy. Jesus said He wanted His house to be full (Luke 14:23). It’s inspirational to sing and share with thousands of Christians. It’s thrilling to hear a large choir or to enjoy an excellent theatrical production.

A large church has a positive influence. There is strength in numbers. One church of several thousand has an opportunity to witness to and influence in missions and world outreach. Our size enables us to provide meaningful support ministries to those who need special attention.

A large church prepares us for heaven! In Revelation 7:9 (NIV), the Apostle John described his vision of heaven, “…I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne…wearing white robes…”