Small Church Ministry

Small Church Ministry
Jesus Didn’t Wake Up this Morning Depressed By the Size of Your Church
Mondays can be tough for pastors of struggling churches. But Christ is with you. And he has good news.
Jesus Didn’t Wake Up this Morning Depressed By the Size of Your Church
Image: Ed | Flickr

Was yesterday a tough Sunday, pastor?

Again?

You did everything you know to do.

You prepared, prayed and studied all week long.

A couple days ahead of time, you got in touch with volunteers to remind them this was their Sunday to teach, sing, usher, and so on.

You arrived early, ...

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Small Church Ministry
10 Steps to Get an Internship Ministry Started In a Small Church
Most small churches would love to have interns. But how do you overcome that massive initial step of getting your first intern?

Interning at a church is one of the best ways to prepare for pastoral ministry. Or to determine that pastoral ministry is not your calling (a distinction that is essential to know - and the sooner, the better.)

It’s also a wonderful opportunity for a church to expand its ...

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Small Church Ministry
7 Reasons to Consider a Small Church Internship
Small churches have unique characteristics, quirks and blessings that can only be learned by having ministry experience in them.

Church internships are great. For the church and for the intern.

If they’re done right (yes, that’s a big “if”), they can confirm or define a call to ministry, provide real-life experience, enhance classroom learning, and bless a local church.

If you’re ...

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Small Church Ministry
Are You a Small Church Pastor? So Was Jesus
If you pastor a small church Jesus knows what you're going through, because he felt it, too.

Jesus was a small church pastor.

Every time I say that, people rush to remind me that massive crowds followed Jesus. Which, of course, is true.

It’s also true that Jesus is the founder, the savior, the builder and sustainer of the Church – all believers at all times ...

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Small Church Ministry
Does Jesus Want Every Church to Be a Big Church?
Let’s stop arguing about which church size is best, and start seeing what’s best about each size.

“Jesus wants the church to grow!”

I agree. How can I not? Jesus was the one who said, “I will build my church,” and I’ve found that arguing with him is not a recipe for health or happiness.

“Jesus wants your church to grow!”

Wait just a ...

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Small Church Ministry
They Just Don’t Get It: Why Big Church Solutions Can't Fix Small Church Problems
The vast majority of churches are small, so we need small church alternatives to big church solutions.

They just don’t get it.

How many times have I said that while shaking my head after attending a conference or reading blog posts and books about church leadership? I could write a book.

Oh, right. I did.

I know I’m not alone in this. If you’re a small church pastor, ...

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Small Church Ministry
3 Assumptions & 5 Realities About Why So Many Churches are Small
Even with the arrival of megachurches, small churches are the primary way people choose to worship Jesus.

Why are there so many small churches in the world?

Ninety percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. Eighty percent have under 100.

Small churches are not in the minority. We are the overwhelmingly dominant way people have always chosen to worship Jesus.

Yet, despite this, ...

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Small Church Ministry
Does Saying 'It's Okay to Be Small' Give Churches an Excuse to Settle for Less?
Every church should be actively participating in kingdom growth. But kingdom growth doesn't mean every church will keep getting bigger.

The idea that small churches can be great churches is a hard concept for a lot of people to swallow.

I get it. It was hard for me to swallow for a lot of years, too.

So when people raise questions about it, I appreciate their concerns and I try to engage with them in some constructive ...

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Small Church Ministry
What Does a Healthy Small Church Look Like?
Numbers can help us understand some things about the health of a church. But they’re not the only thing.
What Does a Healthy Small Church Look Like?
Image: Chase Elliott Clark | Flickr

Small churches can be healthy churches.

But how can we know if they’re healthy without the numerical growth to prove it?

If you want to find answers, we need to ask the right questions.

A couple weeks ago I spoke to about 60 church leaders in six sessions at a 48 hour conference. ...

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Small Church Ministry
My Church Stinks!
What if church size wasn't the primary – often the only – measure of church health? How many pastors would still say “my church stinks" then?
My Church Stinks!
Image: Sander van der Wel | Flickr

Many pastors wouldn’t attend their own church if they weren’t the pastor.

How do I know? I’ve talked with a lot of them.

Sometimes it’s because the church is unhealthy, dysfunctional, even toxic. But many times it’s because of something far less problematic. ...

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