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Don’t Despise the Size
I spent too many years telling good people that the way they wanted to do church was wrong. These people weren’t heel-draggers or vision-killers. Not all of them. Not most of them. They weren’t the grasshoppers. I was. They were followers of Jesus who attended the church I was pastoring because they found their spiritual
3 Starter Principles for Becoming an Innovative Small Church
Innovative? Small Church? Do those words belong in the same sentence? Can innovation happen in a Small Church? Is it even possible in an older Small Church? Turning a tired, dying congregation into a fresh, innovative church is one of the greatest challenges a pastor can tackle – even if the congregation is in full agreement.
The Over-Enthusiastic Volunteer Syndrome
One of the best characteristics of many Small Churches is that everyone wants to pitch in. One of the worst characteristics of many Small Churches is that everyone wants to pitch in. Sometimes that volunteer spirit has great results. Sometimes…not so much. The split-screen photograph in this post is an especially hilarious example of the
Could You Be OK Giving Your Success Away?
We want numbers to verify our successes. There are two huge problems with that sentence – and they’re found in the words “numbers” and “our”. First, not all successes have numbers to verify them. Second, the successes of the church are not our successes. We need to start getting comfortable, in the first instance, with
You May Be a Small Church Pastor and Not Even Know It
Are you a small church pastor? Seems like an easy question, right? But it doesn’t have an easy answer. Many Small Church pastors don’t know they’re Small Church pastors. I’ll tell you why in a minute. But first, here’s a short quiz you can take to find out if you’re a Small Church pastor. 1.
Can Measuring a Church Hurt It?
Earlier this week, I wrote a couple mini-rants in the comment sections of two ministry websites. The authors of the blogs weren’t the targets of my frustration. They actually brought up some good ideas. But the underlying issues got me going, so I jumped in. Here’s what the blogs posted about, followed by what I
No TLCs (Timid Little Churches)
New Small Church is not about timid little churches. It’s not about pastors and leaders who operate out of guilt or fear. It’s not about congregations that don’t want to move forward. And it’s definitely not about settling for less. It is about discovering who we are as churches, leaders and congregations, then using that
Want a Great Small Church? Avoid These Common Mistakes
A lot of websites define themselves by what they’re against, instead of what they’re for. No, I won’t name any – that would make me one of them. Unfortunately there are a lot of churches that do the same. Here at New Small Church, we prefer to be in favor of good things before we’re
8 Simple Words that Can Transform Your Church
Encouraging, Connecting and Equipping Innovative Small Church Leaders. Eight words. Eight simple words that can transform your church, your ministry and your life. How do I know that? Because the principles behind those eight words helped transform my life and my church from being defeated, wounded and sad to being strong, healthy and joyous. Those
