I’ve pastored churches between 100 and 200 for about half of my 30+ years in ministry. To do it without going crazy, I’ve had to come to grips with this essential reality:
A pastor can’t have meaningful relationships with 100 to 200 people. If we try, the pastor and the church will suffer for it.
We just aren’t capable of it. Not emotionally, spiritually or geographically.
Here are some Dos and Don’ts that I’ve learned the hard way. They’ve helped help me and the church survive and thrive in the often awkward, in-between world of a church with 100 to 200 in regular attendance.
Author
-
Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of four books on church leadership. His fifth book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, releases on April 2, 2024.
He also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. Episodes feature in-depth interviews about the 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.