It’s common for small churches to struggle trying to be something they are not—a big church. Doing so often leads to frustration and discouragement, even burn-out. It also fails to capitalize on the advantages of being a small church.
Bob Desagun, a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, helpfully addresses this subject in a blog post entitled “Small is Big.” Here is part of what he wrote:
As a pastor I was frustrated with the failure to see our attendance increase. It brought me to the point of questioning whether my “season” of ministry was over. Should I throw in the towel and call it quits? Instead, I took an overdue short vacation coupled with a long time in the prayer closet. God revealed to me that I was trying to make the church something it wasn’t—big…. I came to realize that it was time we started acting our size.
Bob goes on to describe steps his congregation took to take advantage of who God had made them. To read the post go to http://www.cmalliance.org/alife/small-is-big/.
To download a free book with helpful tips about operating as a small church (what the book refers to as “simple church”), go to http://www.simplechurchrevolution.com/.
I really enjoyed both the article and the book. Our small group has struggled at times to find our identity, and I believe that God is lovingly revealing our way to fulfill his ideal for us in ways that are beautifully brought out in these publications. Thanks for sharing!