The Church Is Stronger When Small Congregations Are Encouraged, Resourced And Engaged

The body of Christ can't afford to alienate small churches any longer. Especially since we make up 90 percent of churches, where half of all Christians attend, worship and minister. If we want the body of Christ to remain strong, focused on mission and reaching our communities and world with the gospel of Jesus we can't overlook the smaller congregations any more. When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry. When their voices are included in church leadership conversations, the body of Christ is better informed. When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger, more united, and more fully engaged in the mission.

October 22, 2017

by Karl Vaters

If we want the body of Christ to remain strong, focused on mission and reaching our communities and world with the gospel of Jesus we can’t overlook the smaller congregations any more.

When small churches and their leaders feel valued and involved, they do better ministry.

When their voices are included in church leadership conversations, the body of Christ is better informed.

When their concerns are heard and addressed, small congregations get healthier, and the entire church is stronger, more united, and more fully engaged in the mission.

Author

Karl Vaters

Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.

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