Today’s post is filled with questions I don’t have answers for. That’s where you come in. Warm up your typing fingers to add feedback in the comment section. But first, a little background. For the past 20 years I’ve pastored a Small Church in Orange County, California. In the past 50-plus years this county has given birth […]
What does a healthy Small Church look like? It looks like a healthy big church – in all the ways that matter, anyway. No, a healthy Small Church is not just a miniaturized version of a healthy big church. Pastors who try to do that are usually concentrating on the externals. And it never works
The Elements of a Healthy Small Church – And the Hidden Agenda that Can Kill It Read More »
In my last post, Grow It or Close It? Is There a Third Option for Struggling Small Churches?, we established that there are more options for a struggling Small Church than to grow it or close it. We can help it become a healthy Small Church. But there’s an inevitable question that follows, isn’t there? Namely, how?
The Essential First Step to Having a Healthy Small Church Read More »
What are we going to do about all those struggling Small Churches? That question has been the subject of endless ministerial (especially denominational) hand-wringing in the last several decades. A lot of time and money has been invested in conversations, books, seminars and classes attempting to fix this problem. Struggling Small churches are usually given
Grow It or Close It? Is There a Third Option for Struggling Small Churches? Read More »
“If it’s OK for a church to be small, how do you suggest we measure a church’s success?” Since starting the ministry of New Small Church, I’ve been asked that question more than any other. Maybe more than all other questions combined. At first I didn’t know how to answer it. Now I answer that
“How Will We Measure Our Success?” – The Question the Disciples Forgot to Ask Jesus Read More »
No one in ministry can afford the sin of arrogance. We miss out on too much when we think our way is the only way to do ministry, or that we can’t learn from others who do ministry differently than we do. That’s certainly true for pastors of Small Churches. While Small Church ministry is
5 More Principles Small Churches Can Learn from Megachurches Read More »
“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 the idea of Small Churches. But if they’re so great, why do I see so many more unhealthy Small Churches than unhealthy big churches?” That’s the question I was asked last week during an extended conversation with a Small Church pastor. The question wasn’t from cynicism or unkindness. It was out of genuine
Why Are There So Many Unhealthy Small Churches? (Don’t Worry, It’s Good News) Read More »
If you’re a Small Church pastor who feels like your church has been devalued because of your size, you’re in good company. One of the the unsung heroes of World War II faced the same problem. Andrew Jackson Higgins was a New Orleans boat builder who saw the importance of something very small, that no
The Man Who Saved the World by Thinking Small: A D-Day Tribute Read More »
