He suggests that one of the greatest sources of frustration for denominational leaders, pastors and church members is their failure to recognize these qualitative differences. Ministers who have successfully led a small church often fail in a large church because they try to repeat the strategies that were successful in the small church. Schaller lists many points of difference, but there are three significant ones. First, they differ in their central priorities. Small churches tend to resemble extended families and thus emphasize fellowship, relationships, intimacy, belonging and member involvement.
People matter more than performance.
In contrast, anonymity tends to characterize large churches. Attenders of large churches thus seek performance more than relationships. They want quality programs, well-organized activities and professional leadership. Second, the different priorities lead to different role expectations for laypeople. Having limited resources, small churches rely heavily on lay volunteers.