SLED for local church bodies

As I was writing the previous post I kept mixing in ways that SLED applies to church bodies. So, I split it out:

Size:
Does the size of the church matter? Does God love larger church bodies more than smaller ones? Sure, a larger church has more resources, can maybe “do” more for the kingdom…, but is the number of programs and meetings intrinsically important? What if the numerical growth has come at the expense of individual spiritual growth? What if the busyness, the pride, the self-sufficiency, the many voices calling for attention take away from knowing God, spending time with Him and hearing His voice? The job of the Church is to baptize and disciple. Numbers are important to God because people are important, and He wants all to be saved. Healthy local church bodies should grow numerically, but making sure that the people in the church actually are saved and growing in Him comes first, and all sizes of churches can be trapped in religion/ineffectiveness/etc.

Level of Development:
Does it matter how developed a Church body is? Continuing the parallel of a church body being like a living human being, no, I don’t think so. What matters is whether the body is: a)Christian (i.e. following Christ and seeking God, and therefore alive) and; b)growing (at least in seasons).

Environment:
Does it matter where a church is? Is a church in America more Christian than one in Africa, like Americans seem to believe? Nope. Not to say that it cuts the other way, but how many churches in America have had someone raised from the dead? I have heard of this happening in Korea, Russia, and numerous times in Africa. I think, though, that has to do more with the both the previous and the following points, rather than this one.

Degree of Dependency:
Does it matter how dependent a church body—and for that matter, a Christian--is? You know what, I think it does. Not in the way of whether the church needs outside financial or ministerial support, but in the way of how dependent on God is the church body. As I hinted at above, many churches are inferior—or at least are in jeopardy—because of their strength. They become self-sufficient and proud, and that pulls them away from the true source of their strength, even from life itself. I wonder how much damage has been done out of the arrogance that comes from size/resources/wealth/education/etc. Just like individual, adult Christians, local church bodies must learn and re-learn to come as a little child… for when they are weak they are strong.