Small Church Ministry

Small Church Ministry
Why an Unfriendly Small Church Is Worse than an Unfriendly Big Church
Walking into a small church for the first time can be an act of great vulnerability.
Why an Unfriendly Small Church Is Worse than an Unfriendly Big Church
Image: Stewart Black | Flickr

Friendliness is more important in a small church than in a big church.

Not more likely, but more important. Here’s why.

People are only capable of having relationships with so many people. So we behave differently in a large crowd than we do in a small group.

When there are ...

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Small Church Ministry
How I Stopped Feeling Embarrassed by My Small Church
They knew the church was small, but they came anyway. Maybe they came because it was small.
How I Stopped Feeling Embarrassed by My Small Church
Image: Jayel Aheram | Flickr

I spent too many years feeling embarrassed by my church.

Sure, there was a time when the embarrassment was well earned. For a few years, we were unhealthy, dysfunctional and hurting.

But even after we got healthy, I stayed embarrassed. Not because it wasn’t a good church ...

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Small Church Ministry
Why Growth is Harder In a Small Church – And Change Is Essential
Big churches find it much easier to incorporate new people because the bigger the crowd, the smaller the impact each person has.
Why Growth is Harder In a Small Church – And Change Is Essential
Image: tracyshaun | Flickr

The smaller the church, the harder it is to incorporate new people.

The same dynamic applies to older and more established churches. Here's why.

Everyone who comes into your life changes your life.

The fewer people you know, the greater impact each person has. And the longer ...

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Small Church Ministry
7 Big Church Assumptions that Unintentionally Hurt Small Churches
Some small church pastors have stopped looking for help from their big church counterparts because they're tired of being hurt. It doesn't have to be like this.
7 Big Church Assumptions that Unintentionally Hurt Small Churches
Image: Matthias Ripp | Flickr

If you were trying to help someone, would you want to know if you were unintentionally hurting them?

Of course.

Sometimes that's what happens when big churches try to help small churches.

Not every time. Not even most of the time. But often enough that many small church pastors ...

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Small Church Ministry
Small ≠ Broken: 5 Steps to Greatness In a Small Church
You don’t need one more person, one more dollar or one more square foot of building to start being a great church.
Small ≠ Broken: 5 Steps to Greatness In a Small Church
Image: Claudia Dal Ceredo | Flickr

Where are all the great small churches?

Would you know one if you saw one?

They exist. There’s no doubt about that. There are great small churches in every country, serving every ethnic group and in virtually every language. They worship in every imaginable liturgical style ...

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Small Church Ministry
The Glorious Inefficiency of a Healthy Small Church
A worship service can be conducted efficiently, but worship can't. It requires time to ponder, reflect and celebrate.
The Glorious Inefficiency of a Healthy Small Church
Image: Peter Dutton | Flickr

I like working efficiently.

Every time I figure out a new way to work smarter, not harder, it’s like finding a $20 bill in an old coat.

Shortcuts, life hacks and time management tools are a great blessing, allowing me to get more done in less time, with a higher degree of ...

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Small Church Ministry
Small Churches are Not a Problem, a Virtue or an Excuse
Instead of arguing over big or small, let's utilize what's best about churches of all sizes. We're better with all of us than without any of us.
Small Churches are Not a Problem, a Virtue or an Excuse
Image: Peter Baker | Flickr

I love small churches. But I refuse to idealize them.

There’s not an ounce of nostalgia in me for some long-lost, non-existent, good-old-days when everyone attended a little white chapel and all was right with the world.

I also refuse to blame small churches for what’s ...

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Small Church Ministry
I Don’t Like the Same Small Churches You Don’t Like
The problems most people have with small churches aren’t about size, they’re about sickness. And sickness can happen in churches of any size.
I Don’t Like the Same Small Churches You Don’t Like
Image: Lord Jim | Flickr

"I don’t like small churches.”

Yes, people have said that – and things like it – to me.

I get that small churches aren’t for everyone. But saying “I prefer big churches” is the way most people state it.

To tell a small church pastor ...

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Small Church Ministry
Overcoming the Small Church Easter Sunday Blues
Many small churches prepare for Easter Sunday under an unseen burden.
Overcoming the Small Church Easter Sunday Blues
Image: timlewisnm | Flickr

The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest event in history.

But Easter has an unseen downside for many small churches.

Right now, all around the world, churches are excitedly preparing for Easter Sunday. Lilies are being arranged, Passion Plays are being staged, Easter eggs being ...

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Small Church Ministry
Sometimes a Small Church Is the Right Tool for the Job
Big and megachurches do a lot of great ministry. But they can’t do everything.
Sometimes a Small Church Is the Right Tool for the Job
Image: Lachlan Donald | Flickr

I led a dying man back to Jesus last week. And it would not have happened if I wasn’t a small church pastor.

Here’s the story.

He and his wife have been attending a nearby megachurch. She is a committed believer. He is not.

Whe he realized his illness was reaching a ...

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