If the people in a large, attractional church can make the transition from being spectators and consumers to living on mission, God can absolutely use that church in power, according to Matt Carter in his book Released: The Power of Everyday Christians on Mission. However, first it is necessary to overcome the “traditional” expectation that limits the extent to which ordinary people get involved in significant Christian ministry.
Large churches have some significant advantages. They can cast a wider net to bring in people that would otherwise never hear the gospel. They can provide a greater force that can push harder and further to achieve results that smaller churches cannot achieve. The author’s own church in Austin has been able to have a significant impact on the poorest part of the city by deploying hundreds of people from the church to serve in the neighbourhood.
In order to achieve effectiveness, attractional churches have to employ a “catch and release” approach, drawing people in, but more importantly equipping them and sending them out to share the gospel with every tribe, tongue and nation.
This is a short but provocative and persuasive ebook, which I highly recommend. It is available as a free download from: http://www.exponential.org/shop/released