This post is a bonus, just for NewSmallChurch.com readers. Two posts in one!
- Click here to read my new Pivot blog post, Your Church Is Big Enough.
- I found another great collection of helpful posts from other bloggers in October. Here are previews of them, with links to each one.
Jesus Never Set Goals. He Did This Instead
You know when someone writes something that you didn’t know you believed until you read it? That’s what Neal Samudre did for me with this post.
“Jesus wasn’t goal-minded; He was mission-minded. And the mission of Jesus was full of healthy habits, not achievable goals.”
5 Surprising Characteristics of Churches That Are Actually Reaching the Next Generation
Carey Nieuwhof visited a few churches who were doing a great job reaching new generations. His findings are very helpful.
“Smaller facilities and stage sets were more than compensated for by preachers, worship leaders and team members who exuded passion for the mission. Passion beats polish.”
You’re Tracking The Wrong Metrics in Rural Ministry…
Measuring success is different in small churches. In this post, Brent Lacy gives a handful of very helpful metrics to help rural churches track their healthfulness.
“Church Growth Movement metrics are very effective to track in a city/suburban/urban context. … I’d like to propose a few metrics that can give you an idea of where your rural church is heading.”
ChuckLawless.com
There are so many good posts I couldn’t pick just one. Chuck Lawless writes authentically (And, it seems, daily! Wow!) about the challenges and joys of pastoring. Not necessarily from a small church perspective, but always keeping us in mind.
If You Don’t Pay Your Volunteers They Won’t Stay Your Volunteers
Don’t let the title scare you. Dave Jacobs is a small church pastors’ coach who knows it’s not about spending money you don’t have, but about letting volunteers know how much they’re appreciated. Here’s point #1:
“Mention their name on Sunday mornings during your sermon to commend them for jobs well done.”
We’ve Seen Megachurch. But How About Micro-Church?
An interesting idea for church in intentionally small settings from Rev. Emily M. D. Scott.
“In a macro-city like New York, one can feel like a tiny cog in a giant machine. … St. Lydia’s comes in batches … We plan to grow by batch number instead of by batch size.”
And don’t forget today’s new post at Pivot…
Your Church Is Big Enough
“If you pastor a small church, you don’t need to wait until your church is big to start doing great ministry.”
Got Anything Else?
If you find blog posts, books or podcasts you like, let me know. I may include them in next month’s Stuff I Like post.
So what do you think? What did you like and/or disagree with in these posts?
We want to hear from you. Yes, you!
Enter your comment right below this post and get in on the conversation.
