Small Churches

11 Advantages Of Having 50 Churches Of 100 Instead Of 1 Church Of 5,000

/ 1 minute of reading

Church planters are some of the great heroes of the faith. Especially when you realize how many church plants fail within the first few years.

But I wonder, how many failed churches might still be alive and well today if we didn’t pressure them to reach numerical goals that most churches, even after decades of existence, fail to achieve?

What would happen if, instead of sending one church planter to start a church, hoping for it to reach (to pick an arbitrary number) 5,000 attendees, we sent out 50 church planters, and resourced them with the tools to grow to 100 on average?

Not that every church will reach 100. Some will be bigger, some will be smaller. But if the expectation was 50 churches of 100, instead of one church of 5,000, how would it change the way we plant, resource and encourage churches?

And what if we applied that same logic to our existing churches?

11 Advantages Of Having 50 Churches Of 100 Instead Of 1 Church Of 5,000 Read More »

The Endlessly Fascinating Microbiology Of Small Church Ministry

/ 1 minute of reading

When you love something, there’s always more to discover in it. That was the essence of a conversation I had recently about the value of small church ministry.

It began with a question.

“What you’re doing with small churches is great, but won’t you have to expand your vision at some point? I mean, how much more is there to say or learn about small churches?”

The question was conversational, not confrontational, so I replied just as conversationally with the following:

“How much is there to learn about small churches? I don’t know. How much is there to learn about microbiology?

“Just because microbiologists limit their study to small organisms doesn’t mean they’ll run out of valuable principles to discover, unexpected ideas to apply, or new ways their work can bless humanity. In fact, they don’t weaken their contribution to science by narrowing their focus, they strengthen it. When we narrow our field of study we can go deeper and get more out of it. For us and others.”

The Endlessly Fascinating Microbiology Of Small Church Ministry Read More »

Thom Rainer and Lawrence Wilson Interview Karl Vaters About Small Churches

/ 1 minute of reading

Small churches are becoming big news!

Recently, I had the chance to be interviewed about small churches by two great ministries.

Both interviews were published this week. One in a podcast, the other in a written article.

First, I was honored to be interviewed by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe for the Thom Rainer Leadership Podcast.

The title of the episode we recorded together is “Five Big Problems For Small Churches”.

Second, I was interviewed by Lawrence W. Wilson for his “Encouraging Pastors Blog”.

Thom Rainer and Lawrence Wilson Interview Karl Vaters About Small Churches Read More »

Is Your Church A Family? 5 Ways To Help It Be A Healthy One

/ 1 minute of reading

So much of what’s taught about church methods and structures comes from a corporate mindset. That’s to be expected when most church leadership writers are coming from a large- and megachurch background. But smaller churches don’t operate that way. And they shouldn’t. Because small churches are more like families than corporations. And their pastors are

Is Your Church A Family? 5 Ways To Help It Be A Healthy One Read More »

The Man Who Saved The World By Thinking Small: A D-Day Tribute

/ 1 minute of reading

If you’re a small church pastor who feels like your church has been devalued because of your size, you’re in good company. One of the unsung heroes of World War II faced the same problem.

Andrew Jackson Higgins was a New Orleans boat builder who saw the importance of something very small, that no one else saw.

Because of Higgins’ foresight, his hard work and, quite frankly, his stubborn persistence to push back against the very people who couldn’t see how much they needed his help, he literally helped save the world.

This is his story.

The Man Who Saved The World By Thinking Small: A D-Day Tribute Read More »

The Mixed Blessings Of Scalable Church

/ 1 minute of reading

Church leaders often worry about churches that stay small. Some of that worry is justified. Much of it isn’t.

Some things about church are always scalable. The Great Commission commands us to reach as many people as possible with the truth of the gospel, for instance.

But other things are better in small batches. The Great Commandment, for instance, often demands that we go smaller and deeper, not bigger and wider. The same is often true for the mentoring aspects of discipleship.

We need to understand why a church is small before we can know if its size is a problem to overcome or an opportunity to capitalize on.

The Mixed Blessings Of Scalable Church Read More »

One And Done: Why Small Church Discipleship Is Always A Moving Target

/ 1 minute of reading

The days of finding or creating a discipleship program, then using it for years, is over. Especially in a small church.

Our church created and implemented a great a discipleship class last year. In our church of 180 (average Sunday attendance) more than 60 adults took the class and got a lot out of it.

It’s been a huge win for us.

But I’m not going to tell you what our idea was. For two reasons.

First, because it was very specific to our church, our needs, our teaching style and our current circumstance, so the likelihood of it working elsewhere is slim.

Second, because, even though it worked really well, we’re not going to do it again.

What worked last year won’t work next year. Especially if the discipleship you’re doing is actually producing growing disciples instead of just frequent attenders.

One And Done: Why Small Church Discipleship Is Always A Moving Target Read More »

Why Are There So Many Unhealthy Small Churches? (Don’t Worry, It’s Good News)

/ 1 minute of reading

“I like the idea of small churches. But if they’re so great, why do I see so many more unhealthy small churches than unhealthy big churches?”

A small church pastor asked me that question recently. Not from cynicism or unkindness. It was out of genuine concern for a reality he saw.

To be honest, it’s a reality we all see. The vast majority of unhealthy churches are small. That’s unarguably true. What’s not true is his unspoken concern that most small churches are unhealthy.

The truth is that while the vast majority of unhealthy churches are small, the vast majority of small churches are not unhealthy.

Why Are There So Many Unhealthy Small Churches? (Don’t Worry, It’s Good News) Read More »

5 Simple Statements Any Small Church Pastor Would Love To Hear

/ 1 minute of reading

Too many small church pastors are doing most, or all, of their ministry alone.

Most wonder if anyone outside the church even knows or cares that they exist. That isolation can become toxic. And it can start to bleed out into their congregations, confirming the worst stereotypes about why small churches remain small.

On top of that, when we look for help, we often find more frustration than encouragement – as we discussed in my last post, 5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we took just a little time and energy to reach out, we could help reverse this trend.

5 Simple Statements Any Small Church Pastor Would Love To Hear Read More »

5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor 

/ 1 minute of reading

Many of my fellow small church pastors have stopped looking and asking for help.

It’s not because we don’t want or need the help. It’s that we’ve grown weary of hearing advice that’s offered with the best intentions, but is more hurtful than helpful.

If you’re in a position to speak, write or counsel small church pastors, here are 5 things small church pastors regularly hear that you should reconsider.

5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor  Read More »