“There are no Small Churches.” I’ve heard that sentiment expressed on many occasions from well-meaning people after I tell them I pastor a Small Church. I get where they’re coming from because I used to be one of them. I said “there are no small churches” for years because I believed the lie that Small […]
Six Reasons Why “There Are No Small Churches” Isn’t True Read More »
Where are all the great Small Churches? Would you know one if you saw one? They exist. There’s no doubt about that. There are great Small Churches in every country, serving every ethnic group and virtually every language. They worship in every imaginable style of music, and they meet in every type of building – including
It’s Time for Small Churches to Become Great Churches Read More »
I like Rick Warren. A lot. I’ve never met him, but I’ve learned a lot from him. And we both live in Orange County, California, so we have several friends in common. They all speak very highly of his kindness, integrity and generous spirit. “Genuine” is the word they use most often. As much as I
Size ≠ Health: My Friendly Critique of a Rick Warren Interview Read More »
What makes a great pastor? The bad news is, it’s not easy. The good news is, you’re probably doing it already. Great coaches and great pastors some from the same place. And no, you don’t have to be a sports fan to get something from this analogy. Have you ever wondered where all the superstar
It’s Not Magic: Great Pastors Come from Great Struggles Read More »
Being a pastor is the fourth hardest job in America. That’s been the common wisdom floating around the internet for a couple years now. It may be true. But it shouldn’t be true. It certainly doesn’t need to be true. I think it’s time to stop making it true. There are two reasons people believe that statement to be
Pastoring Shouldn’t Be This Hard (And 4 Ways to Make It Easier) Read More »
“They just don’t get it.” How many times have I said that while shaking my head after reading articles, blogposts and books about church leadership? I could write a book. Oh, right… I know I’m not alone in this. If you’re a Small Church pastor, you’ve had the same experience on many occasions. The articles
They Just Don’t Get It: When Big Church Solutions Meet Small Church Realities Read More »
The evidence keeps piling up. Mondays can be very hard on Small Church pastors. This past Monday, I received one of the most truthful, passionately written expressions of pastoral pain that I’ve ever read. It was written by the wife of a Small Church pastor in the comment section following one of my most widely
If Numbers Are Not Important, Then Why Are They So Important? (A Poignant Guest Post) Read More »
Church health and church growth are not mutually exclusive. There are plenty of large, healthy churches that do both – and way too many unhealthy small ones that do neither. But one doesn’t necessarily lead to the other. Not all healthy churches grow big. And not all big churches are healthy. In more than 30
Big? Or Healthy? If You HAD to Choose… Read More »
Last month, Dixie Phillips, from “SGN Scoops” magazine, interviewed Karl Vaters about the origins of The Grasshopper Myth and NewSmallChurch.com. That interview, and Phillips’ review of the book, were combined into an article entitled “Small Churches Are a Big Deal”, which was printed on pages 25-26 of the April 2013 edition of SGN Scoops. Today’s post is a reprint of that review/interview.
Small Churches Are a Big Deal (A Review of “The Grasshopper Myth”) Read More »
Why do you want your church to turn around? There are a lot of good reasons to do so. Among them, you might want to see your church move from: Unhealthy to healthy Inward-obsessed to outward-focused Stuck in the past to excited about the future Unloving to loving Uninviting to inviting Legalistic to joyous Shallow
3 Surprising Misunderstandings About Church Turnarounds Read More »
