Center for Congregations
Taught by Karl Vaters
Session 1: Redefining Success In Ministry
What is The Grasshopper Myth?
The false impression that our Small Church ministry is less than what God says it is because we compare ourselves with others.
All the people we saw there are of great size. …We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. – Numbers 13:32-33
Three undeniable realities of pastoral ministry:
- Reality #1: 80-90% of churches will never be larger than 250 people
- Reality #2: 99.9% of pastors will pastor a small church for at least some time in our ministry
- Reality #3: You can lead a small church well, without settling for less
Don’t fall for IKEA Envy
Over 1 billion people choose to worship God in small churches
Small is not a problem, a virtue or an excuse
Session 2: Big or Small? What’s the Difference?
Over 90% of our churches are under 200, over 80% are under 100
- First Reaction: Oh no!
- Second Reaction: So what?
- Final Reaction: Now what?
Many big church principles don’t translate well to a small church context
The law of large numbers: the bigger the crowd, the more predictably they behave
The smaller the crowd, the more impact each person has – for good and bad
Big church principles center on process, systems & curriculum
- Small church principles center on relationships, culture & history
Hearing God’s Heart Together1. The Sweet Spot: God, the church and the pastor’s hearts meet
2. The Default: God and the pastor, but not the church
3. The Listening Place: God and the church, but not the pastor
4. The Danger Zone: The Church and the pastor, but not God
Big changes come from small places
Session 3: Becoming a Great Small Church
People will come to small churches, but they won’t give up quality to do so
New generations will not build the kind of churches their parents built
Discover what your church does well, then do it on purpose
Don’t put a mission statement into words until you’re already putting it into action
Do ministry from the church, not just in the church
Use the “closet rule” for ministries: Don’t add a new one until you’ve dropped an old one
- What does your church do well, that you would like to do more of?
- What does your church do poorly, that you would like to do less of?
Move out of a destination mindset and into a process orientation
- Churches can handle change, but they don’t like to be surprised
When thinking small saved the world
NewSmallChurch.com • ChristianityToday.com/Karl-Vaters
Facebook.com/NewSmallChurch • @KarlVaters• CornerstoneFV.com
