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Small Churches Are a Big Deal (A Review of “The Grasshopper Myth”)
Last month, Dixie Phillips, from “SGN Scoops” magazine, interviewed Karl Vaters about the origins of The Grasshopper Myth and NewSmallChurch.com. That interview, and Phillips’ review of the book, were combined into an article entitled “Small Churches Are a Big Deal”, which was printed on pages 25-26 of the April 2013 edition of SGN Scoops. Today’s post is a reprint of that review/interview.
Only In a Small Church: You May Not Need a Mission Statement
I know it’s practically heresy to propose this. But your church may not need a mission statement. Since the 1990s, there may be no more widely accepted rule in church growth circles than the expectation that every church needs a mission statement. It was taught in seminars and written in books. I remember at least
27 Advantages of Putting an Expiration Date on New Ministries
It’s been over a decade since our church started a ministry that failed. Are we that brilliant? No. We just don’t start new ministries any more. We try experiments, instead. If I were to start the turnaround process in a church again, this is the #1 rule I would follow from Day 1 – outside
Expanding the Sweet Spot for a Healthy Church Turnaround
There are three participants in any healthy church. The pastor, the congregation and God. Knowing and coordinating the zone where their hearts intersect is the most important task a pastor can do. And it’s critical to understand and do well if you want a successful church turnaround. This is especially important in a Small Church.
The 4 Most Overlooked Truths About Leading a Turnaround Church
It’s one of the toughest tasks in pastoral ministry. Leading an existing church through a turnaround from unhealthy to healthy. But it’s even harder when we’re trying to do so without understanding some basic principles needed for a successful turnaround to take place. Here are four common, fundamental principles that are regularly ignored or unknown
3 Surprising Misunderstandings About Church Turnarounds
Why do you want your church to turn around? There are a lot of good reasons to do so. Among them, you might want to see your church move from: Unhealthy to healthy Inward-obsessed to outward-focused Stuck in the past to excited about the future Unloving to loving Uninviting to inviting Legalistic to joyous Shallow
How We Connect: The Decline of Denominations and the Rise of Size
We live in an increasingly post-denominational world. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, it’s just the way things are now. Years ago, virtually every friend I had in ministry was within my own denomination. Every program my church used came from our denominational headquarters. The idea of ministering in any significant way outside
Ministry Reality Check: We’re All Gonna Pastor a Small Church
Three facts sit atop my “things I wish someone had told me in bible college” list. Fact #1: 80-90% of pastoral ministry students will never pastor a church larger than 250 people. Fact #2: 99.9% of us will pastor a Small Church for at least some time in our ministry. Fact #3: You can pastor
Only In a Small Church: The Easter Sunday Blues
The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest event in history. But Easter has an unseen downside for many Small Churches. Right now, all around the world, churches are excitedly preparing for Easter Sunday. Lilies are being arranged, choirs are rehearsing, Passion Plays are being staged, Easter eggs being stuffed and hidden, extra services are being
