What makes Small Churches unique?
Great small churches can change the world. Are you ready for your church to be great? You don’t need to wait. Greatness can start today.
Small Churches Can Thrive Even If They Don’t Become Big Read More »
We can and must appreciate what each church does well, without creating any sense that one size of congregation is better than another size of congregation.
The Essential Small Church (7 Reasons We’re Needed) Read More »
Money isn’t the goal of ministry. But it is a tool – and an important one. When we manage our money well, we can do better ministry with it.
Small Church Finances: 4 Budgeting Lessons I Learned The Hard Way Read More »
Intentional mentoring is a great way to expand your church’s capacity for effective ministry and fulfill our mandate to make disciples and equip God’s people.
Recruiting Volunteers In a Small Church Read More »
Church health is not about making our current ministries better, it’s about doing better ministry.
Quit Trying To Fix Your Church’s Ministries – Until You Do This First Read More »
For years I bucked against the idea that I am a small church pastor. Instead of seeing it as my calling, my heart and my passion, I treated it like it was my penalty for not having the skills to be a big church pastor. So I consumed every church growth book and devoured all
Pastoring A Small Church Is Not A Penalty, It’s A Specialty Read More »
In my last post I gave you 5 Bad Reasons To Go To a Small Church.
But there are some great reasons to go to a Small Church, too.
Some people wonder if there’s ever a reason to go to a Small Church. After all, if they’re small, they must be doing something wrong, right?
Wrong.
There are a lot of great Small Churches in the world, and a lot of great reasons to worship, minister and fellowship in one. Here are 5 of them.
This is the second in a series of four posts on both bad and good reasons to want to go to a small or big church. (Scroll down to see the previous and upcoming post titles.)
1. Because It’s Where My Gifts Can Flourish
Some people’s ministry gifts aren’t suited to a big church.
It’s not because they’re gifts are lesser, they’re just more usable in a smaller setting. If God can use your gifts better in a Small Church than a big church, go to a Small Church. Which leads us to…
2. Because They Can Really Use You
Big churches usually have little problem finding help – both paid and unpaid.
But there are many Small Churches all over the world that are desperate for people who are willing to help wherever they can. I hear this cry from Small Church pastors all the time. People visit, maybe even a few times. They say they like the church, the people, the preaching, but they leave because “you don’t have such-and-such a ministry”. To which we want to scream “then stick around and help us start such-and-such a ministry!”
5 Good Reasons To Go To a Small Church Read More »
People are really picky about the kind of church they like.
But you knew that, didn’t you?
Most people choose their church home based on a combination of several factors, including theology (hopefully that’s first on the list), worship style, location, where their friends go, etc.
For many, one of those factors is size.
I’ve met plenty of people who say they could never feel at home worshipping in a big church. I’ve met just as many people who feel the same discomfort about worshipping in a Small Church.
And that’s fine. To each their own.
But, along with the valid reasons I’ve heard for wanting or not wanting to worship in a certain size of church, I’ve heard some really bad reasons, too.
This is the first in a series of four posts on both bad and good reasons to want to go to a small or big church. (Scroll down to see the upcoming post titles.)
Why am I doing these lists? Because we should all be free to worship in any type of church we want without anyone telling us it’s wrong based on its size. But we should also take a moment to assess the reasons for our preferences, too.
If you’re a pastor, these lists aren’t as likely to apply to you. But they might help you in one of two ways.
First, they can be a starting point for conversations with people in your church about why they’re there. Knowing their motivations for attending your church or not attending another church might even help you spot potential problems before they rear their ugly heads.
Second, you might want to give one of these lists to someone you know who is considering attending or not attending a church based on size. They might help someone make a better choice.
I’m a huge fan of promoting and encouraging healthy Small Churches. But people don’t always go to Small Churches for good reasons. Here are five bad reasons to go to a Small Church.
5 Bad Reasons To Go To a Small Church Read More »
The church I pastor will probably never be a really big church.
Not because we don’t want to grow. We do. And we are.
But, given the specific combination of gifts, location, property, demographics and God’s call on our church, small works better for us.
And we’re not alone in this.
Many churches are in situations like ours. Their smallness is not an indication of failure, it’s the best way for them to do the ministry God is calling them to do.
The Counter-Cultural Statement Of a Strategic Small Church Read More »
There are so many types of Small Churches in the world! The variety is staggering.
Correspondingly, there are a great variety of Small Church pastors, too. But as I talk with more of them (us), I’ve found that there are some patterns that keep repeating themselves.
Specifically, I’ve discovered that Small Church pastors tend to fall into one of six categories. Or some hybrid of two or more.
If you’re a Small Church pastor who doesn’t fit into any of these categories, that’s fine. Maybe there’s a seventh or eighth one I haven’t run across yet.
But I offer these six to you for three reasons:
First, to let you know you’re not alone. There are others who feel what you feel and know the challenges you struggle with.
Second, as a way of supporting each other. Once we know there are others like us, we can reach out and help each other.
Third, each type comes with areas of caution to be aware of. I offer those cautions today as well.
So here they are. You might be a Small Church pastor…
The 6 Types Of Small Church Pastors (Descriptions & Cautions) Read More »
