Read These First – The Essentials

There’s a lot going on in Small Churches, and in the ministry of New Small Church. So, if you’re wondering where to start, this preview of essential posts will give you a good idea of what we’re about. And what we’re not about.

Scan the titles and excerpts, then click to read more. They’re listed by the order they were written, but each one stands on its own, so you can read them in any order you’d like.
For Pastors: Nine Reasons to Stop Telling Everyone They're Awesome
We don't need churches filled with awesome people. We need churches that help broken, sinful people find an awesome God.
For Pastors: Nine Reasons to Stop Telling Everyone They're Awesome

AWESOME /ˈôsəm/ (Adjective) Extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.

I’ve had it with people trying to tell me how awesome I am. Especially fellow pastors.

We should know better.

I’m not sure exactly when ...

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Adapt Or Die: 6 Steps to Becoming an Innovative Church
How to foster an atmosphere where new ideas are celebrated and the gospel is honored.
Adapt Or Die: 6 Steps to Becoming an Innovative Church

Adapt or die.

That's especially true in small churches.

The good news is, because of our size, small churches have the ability to adapt more quickly than our larger counterparts. Like steering a speedboat instead of an ocean liner.

Sadly though, that’s not ...

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How to Tell If a Small Church Is Strategic or Stuck
5 types of strategically small churches, and 4 types of stuck churches. Which one are you?
How to Tell If a Small Church Is Strategic or Stuck

Just because a church is small doesn’t mean it is stuck.

But the truth is, many small churches are stuck.

If small churches want to keep being vital elements in Jesus' Great Commission strategy, we need to be able to tell the difference between a strategic small church ...

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The Surprising, Guilt-Free Reason 80% of Churches Don't Break the 200 Barrier
Big churches and small churches are different. But it’s not a difference of quality, theology or willingness.
The Surprising, Guilt-Free Reason 80% of Churches Don't Break the 200 Barrier

Breaking through the 200 barrier.

Sometimes it feels like that's the only pastoring principle anyone has talked about for the past 30 years.

In case you haven’t heard of it, the 200 barrier is the invisible ceiling a church must break through if it doesn’t ...

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Tired of Being Trite: One Pastor's War On Ministry Clichés
Six steps that stop me from dumbing down the gospel (when I remember to follow them).
Tired of Being Trite: One Pastor's War On Ministry Clichés

TRITE /trīt/ (Adjective) Overused and consequently of little import, lacking originality or freshness.

It’s easy to become trite when you’re a pastor.

After all, we’re in constant output mode. Whether we’re preaching, teaching, comforting or just ...

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I Don’t Want Churches To Be Small; I Want Small Churches To Be Great
There are three truths we must acknowledge if we want small churches to be great
I Don’t Want Churches To Be Small; I Want Small Churches To Be Great

“Why do you want churches to be small?” I hear that question a lot.

My answer? I don’t want churches to be small.

Wanting churches to be small is like wanting Hawaii to be sunny, or vegetables to be nutritious. We don’t need to want it. That’s ...

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3 Starter Principles for Becoming an Innovative Small Church
The change in my church needs to start with Jesus changing me
3 Starter Principles for Becoming an Innovative Small Church

Innovative small church?

Do those three 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 ...

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9 No-Fault, No-Excuse Reasons Many Healthy Churches Stay Small
There's no reason to believe that a healthy small church is making more mistakes than a healthy big church.
9 No-Fault, No-Excuse Reasons Many Healthy Churches Stay Small

"What am I doing wrong?!"

How many small church pastors constantly torture themselves with that question?

And it doesn't help that someone's always writing another list to tell us about the mistakes and sins we must be committing that are keeping our church from ...

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Great Churches Emphasize What They're For, Not What They're Against
It's possible for people to agree with your list of sins and still not have a relationship with Jesus
Great Churches Emphasize What They're For, Not What They're Against

No one ever built a great church by emphasizing what they're against. (Well, no one but Jesus ever built any church, but you get what I mean.)

After all, the word "gospel" means good news.

What you're against may be really bad. And opposing it may be ...

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Forget the 200 Barrier - Small Churches Need to Break the Grasshopper Barrier
The only problem with smallness is when we think being small is a problem
Forget the 200 Barrier - Small Churches Need to Break the Grasshopper Barrier

The 200 Barrier needs to be retired.

We have to erase it from our church leadership lexicon before it does any more harm to good churches and their pastors.

Yes, there is a difference in the way churches behave administratively under and over 200 (give or take 50). It ...

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