No one ever built a great church by emphasizing what they’re against. (Well, no one but Jesus ever built any church, but you get what I mean.) After all, the word “Gospel” means good news. What you’re against may be really bad. And opposing it may be very important. But what you’re against isn’t good […]
#BestOf2014: Want a Great Church? Emphasize What You’re For, Not What You’re Against Read More »
Most of the church’s mistakes (aka, sins) were made by Christians looking for bad guys to fight instead of finding hurting people to bless. And most of the mistakes the church makes today happen for the same reasons.
No, I’m not talking about those vile, publicity-hungry, sign-waving people who boycott soldiers’ funerals. They don’t have anyone fooled. No one thinks they represent a real church, let alone real Christians.
I’m referring to the average pastor, church or media ministry that spends more time and emotion denouncing the sins of their society than reaching out to the hurting with love and compassion.
#BestOf2014: No More Angry Christians, Please – We’re Full Up Read More »
Where are the church leaders who will take up the mantle of, not just successful ministry, but life- and society-transformation? I’m not talking about name recognition. I’m talking about leaders with such a radically positive approach to the life and message of Jesus that they have a society-shifting impact.
Where are the Christian innovators who will put a dangerous passion for Jesus ahead of personal ministry success? I’m not upset at anyone. I just want more.
I pray for an infusion of Godly change agents who won’t just transform the institutional church, but make the world stand up and take notice. Or, more likely, change the world and leave the institutional church playing catch-up.
Church leaders and denominational officials often talk about how many small congregations there are. But those stats are almost universally seen as a problem to be fixed, instead of an asset we should support and strengthen.
The reason I support healthy Small Churches isn’t because I’m settling for less and denying the value of numerical growth. I support Small Churches because that is where most of the global church growth is taking place.
I support Small Churches, not because numbers don’t matter, but because they do. More people are led to Jesus, discipled and sent back out into ministry through the ministry of Small Churches than by any other means.
#BestOf2014: Are You Serious about Worldwide Church Growth? Support Small Churches Read More »
A friend of mine pastors a wonderfully healthy Small Church.
One of the ministries they have invested in is a partnership with a nearby halfway house for men who have recently come off of drug and/or alcohol dependency. Each week, faithful church members drive 8-10 of these men to and from church.
The people in the church invite these recovering addicts in with open arms and hearts. They befriend them in many ways, including inviting them into their homes for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Through this church, these men receive tangible evidence of the love of Christ during a particularly difficult time of their lives. Many of them come to faith in Christ.
This wonderful, Jesus-style ministry to “the least of these” is just one evidence of the compassion, health and outward-reaching attitude of this great church.
But the loving care they’re showing towards these men has not and probably will never add one single permanent member to the rolls of their church. And it certainly doesn’t add to their financial bottom line.
“A Healthy Church Will Always Grow” – Or Will It? Read More »
Last month, the second anniversary of NewSmallChurch.com passed by without notice. No, I don’t feel sad that none one sent me a card. Hallmark is still working on a set of “Your blog is two years old today!” cards.
I just didn’t remember it myself. I’m not big on anniversaries.
But we have passed that two-year mark, so I decided to take a moment to reflect on what’s happened in the last two years, and what I’ve learned from it.
Truthfully, it’s almost hard to remember what my life and ministry was like before I started this. Writing, blogging, travelling and speaking has taken up such a chunk of my time that it’s completely changed my schedule. I’ve met so many great people that I would no know today without this.
But mostly, the last two years have re-affirmed the premise of this blog and The Grasshopper Myth – that playing the numbers game in ministry is a dangerous thing.
Yes, reaching more people is better than reaching fewer people. This blog and my book have reached ten times more people in these two years than I expected to reach in my lifetime, and I’m profoundly grateful for that. After all, we write, preach, teach and pastor to touch people’s lives. It’s appropriate that we want those efforts to have a positive impact on as many people as possible.
But readership and attendance numbers can only tell us so much. And some of what we think they’re telling us is false.
6 Lessons, Blessings & Cautions from 2 Years of Blogging Read More »
Are you a pastor? Is your church small? Congratulations! You’re a Small Church pastor! This podcast, with Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig of 200Churches.com, presents the ideas from my post, “I Am a Small Church Pastor, and I Am Not a Failure,” which is taken from the first chapter of The Grasshopper Myth. In this podcast, I share how I discovered that it’s possible for a church to be both great and small. There’s some straight talk and a lot of laughs here, too. (Episode 51 – 34:36 run time)
Help! We’re Small Church Pastors! (Podcast) Read More »
A healthy church does not inevitably mean a growing church. I used to believe that it did. After all, I’ve read about the “truth” of inevitable church growth in every church leadership book written in the last 30 years. I even taught it myself.
I don’t believe it any more. It’s a myth. The reason I no longer believe that numerical growth is inevitable for a healthy church has to do with one problem that kept presenting itself…
The evidence stubbornly refuses to back it up.
#BestOf2013: The Myth of Inevitable Church Growth Read More »
Helping Small Churches become healthy before they get bigger is a revolutionary idea. It shouldn’t be, but it is. And it probably will be for a while. But dents are being made. Let me tell you about some that were made this week. On Wednesday I was honored to represent Small Church pastors by being
“So, Will This Session Help My Church Break Through the 200 Barrier? No? Uh… OK…” Read More »
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
