Episode Details
Back to EpisodesYou Can’t Afford to Be a "Small" Church Anymore—Here’s the Math
Episode 78
Published 8 months, 1 week ago
Description
Is the small church model dead? In this explosive episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor Rob Myallis (ELCA) for a brutally honest conversation about the economic realities choking the life out of mid-sized churches. With rising costs, unsustainable pastoral expectations, and shifting cultural engagement, Rob unpacks why churches averaging 80–120 in attendance may not survive without radical change.
We tackle everything:
- $30,000 health insurance costs
- Why 150 people is the relational ceiling
- The burnout crisis among solo pastors
- Why people treat church like a rec center, not a sanctuary
- And the hard truth: your old church model probably isn’t working
If you’ve ever asked, “Why are so many churches declining?” or “What future does my congregation really have?”—this one’s for you.
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