bman and Jonathan,

I think the "rub" for us is that there is a push within the organic church movement for growth. This push is not altogether different from the push in the mega-church movement for growth. The difference is that former is a push toward going out of the church and taking the Kingdom to others (the missional). The latter is about inviting people into the church and introducing them to the Kingdom (the attractional).

These are obviously different.

If one is always seeking to do outreach by church planting (splitting the group into smaller units as it grows) that's tough on relationship longevity. My experience with the attractional model suggests that over time these churches become Christian-culture-dominated and irrelevant.

So, I know it sounds reasonable to say "both." I feel the tension, though, since our little house church is now over 30 people in size and we are feeling the need to birth a new group. This will mean giving up on some of these relationships in the way we enjoy them now.

Growth pains!