Sizing Up a Congregation for New Member Ministry (Booklet)
Arlin Rothauge, Author.  New York, NY: Episcopal Church Center, 1983.

In this short classic, Arlin Rothauge discusses the structure, characteristics, relationships, and needs of four congregational sizes: family (up to 50 active members); pastoral (50-150); program (150-350); and corporation (350-500).

For each size, the author attempts to answer five questions: (1) What is the basic congregational structure? (2) How does the congregation attract newcomers?; (3) How does a newcomer enter the congregation and become a fully-included member?; (4) What are the needs of new members?; and (5) How might a congregation best meet those needs?

More than a sociological analysis, this online booklet offers concrete suggestions for responding to new members in ways that most congregational leaders can implement immediately. For example, leaders of family-size congregations are encouraged to let newcomers know about their church heritage and unique traditions, while leaders of pastoral-size congregations are encouraged to appoint a "hospitality minister" for hosting situations that foster contact with the clergy. Program-size churches are urged to form a corps of well-trained greeters and visitors, while corporation-size churches are urged to clearly present the "benefits and expectations" of the congregation to newcomers.

Sizing Up has served as the foundation for a number of articles and books, including Roy Oswald's "How to Minister Effectively in Family, Pastoral, Program, and Corporate-Sized Churches" (for clergy) and Alice Mann's The In-Between Church (on navigating size transitions).

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