While hospitality is important in a church of any size, it is absolutely critical in a small congregation. People who join small congregations are very likely to enjoy friendships and relationships with people across a wide range of ages. People who are very concerned about building friendships with people of their own age and similar life situations are more likely to seek out a larger congregation. But there are many people who greatly value intergenerational friendships and who are attracted to the presence of close relationships with people of differing ages that can often be found in a small church. People who join small congregations sometimes come from ethnic backgrounds, which are strongly represented within the congregation.
Some small churches have members who are of a predominant ethnic background.
That may be German or Swiss or Irish or Hispanic or Korean or African American or yet another background. People of that same ethnic identity are understandably the most likely to want to join those congregations. When a congregation is of one predominant ethnic background, it takes special effort to reach out effectively to people who do not share that identity. The average age of persons joining small churches across North America tends to be somewhat higher than the average age of those joining large congregations. Many small churches are especially concerned about reaching more young adults, and there is nothing wrong with that goal.