Small Churches: The Advantages
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Tue, November 01, 2005
- Viewed 120
- (20) comments so far
Second, in a smaller church there can be a greater awareness of needs. Since the members know each other, those who face medical, economic, mental, or spiritual needs are known and have the help and sympathy of others. It isn?t always true, of course, but the response to a need can come more quickly from a smaller group that identifies itself as ?family.?
Third, in a smaller church the ministers can truly shepherd the sheep. Although I?ve never thought it was the minister?s responsibility alone to call, counsel, or shepherd, there is a sense of closeness that develops between the committed shepherd and the congregation. The minister almost becomes a ?father? figure and has far more direct contact with his flock than the senior minister in a mega-church. In a mega-church, one of the members asked the caller who had come to see them in the hospital when the senior minister was going to come see them. The caller responded, ?You don?t want to be that sick.? And so it goes!
Fourth, in a smaller church there is a stronger sense of tradition. Tradition can be either good or bad, but when it is good it binds together people better than slick programs or beautiful structures. Traditions create loyalties and identifications that can be positive and helpful.
Fifth, in a smaller church there is a strong sense of identity. Of course, that identity can sometimes degenerate into a prejudice against those ?ho aren?t like us.? Nonetheless, there are positive benefits for gathering people together who come from similar backgrounds, interests, and occupations.
Sixth, in a smaller church there is a greater tolerance with those who make an effort. Aunt Mary may not be the most accomplished pianist in the world, but she tries hard and hits most of the notes so she is loved and accepted. Besides, she may be the only one who can even play. Professional quality is not often available in the smaller church, but loving acceptance for those who make the effort is.
Your thoughts? (Remember... part two is tomorrow!)
Michael Hines has an interesting post on the advantage and disadvantages of small churches on his blog (The Discipler). Since I’m often accused (by a very small group of people) to be pro-mega-church and anti-small church; (which I’m not, by the way); I thought this would be a great discussion topic here. Today, we’ll look at what Michael says are some real advantages of small churches. Tomorrow, we’ll look at some of the disadvantages... Michael writes…
Comments
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Monica on Sat, November 05, 2005
Al,
Whew….your post was really loaded with unfair generalities!
You’ve painted the picture that small church pastors are fat, lazy, weak, have ill intentions, bow to false idols, and are a disgrace to “real” pastors.
I would challenge you to examine your motive in making the statements that you did. I choose not to pick apart the work of a large-church pastor or a small-church pastor. I choose to learn from both models, taking the things that help my ministry and “tossing” that don’t.
Since God didn’t make his human creations with a cookie cutter, why would be create the churches to be identical?
Can we value the advantages of the SMALL church (which I believe are true) while still valuing the advantages of the LARGE church (which I believe are true)?
My preference isn’t what size of church I serve, it that I serve in the church God has placed me. AND that I serve HIM with fervor, zeal, and passion.
So, Al…could you bring yourself to see anything of value in a small-church pastor?
bill on Mon, December 05, 2005
I once read taht 90% of churches in the USA are less than 50-75 people. Considering those mega churches with over 5-10,000 members I can agree with the statements printed in November/05. I have a very small pioneer work, and I lead worship, play keyboard/guitar and preach [as pastor]. Visitors call and want a small church, but since we meet in our home, there is a ‘subbing’ of the site. There are too many, as a friend of mine once quoted ““kangaroo Christians”” jumping from one building to another always looking for that perfect place. Too bad that a lot of times we do not look to the perfect One, The Lamb of God who should be our direction and not the best choir, guitarist, etc.
God Bless and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah
Budd Wicker on Thu, December 08, 2005
I’ve read all the posts and enjoyed the wisdom in each one. I’ve pastored small and medium sized churches, but no mega-sized. A In my own personal view I see the need for all. God sees the needs of every individual and just where he/she is in thier spiritual journey. As you have, without doubt, noticed,each size church has its “core” people who remain with thier local church regardless of its size or who the pastors are. The rest of the congregation is apt to move to another church for any number of reasons, which we all have experienced. Some people are created with the need of close community and a sense of family, which the small to medium church is usually equipped to provide. However, I must admit that many small congregations are small simply because of small-mindedness and spiritual deadness. And sad to say, we all have seen more lazy pastors than we wish to see in the past few years.
We are a “leavened” lot with more views and issues than is good for us. Some of our problems come from ideologies of some (not all) organizations and denominations we belong to, which do not promote church growth, and strange as it seems, even discourage it. Numbers indeed have thier place in the Lord’s plan whether small, medium or mega-sized, but this cannot be used as a measurement as to effectiveness. I have also served as an evangelist, traveling over this country and Canada, and I have seen an amazing thing under the sun: Small churches that are great and mega-churches that are not much more than nurseries. One of the hottest peppers in the world is little more than the size of a kernal of corn. It will burn a hole through your tongue! There is a vast difference between “bigness"and “greatness”.
This is not to put the large churches down, but to encourage those who might wonder why they can’t seem to “match up” to pastors of larger churches, which is a tragic illusion in the first place. Paul teaches us that to compare our ministry with another’s is not wise. To be quite candid, I think that’s the actual source of this issue. It doesn’t have so much to do with our “professional” opinions of the necessities or irrelevance of mega-churches and such as it does our own private sense of competiveness, which borders the sins of coveteousness, envy and ultimately, idolatry. We of the smaller churches need to focus hard on the pastures God has placed us and work them for all they’re worth. Regardless of how it looks, with all the hubba-hubba of the “church growth” gurus, the testimonies of “How I Done It And You’re a Wimp If You Don’t Do What I Did”, which amounts to little roosters always crowing long after the sun has come up… it “is GOD Who giveth the increase”. It was Christ Who said, “I…I will BUILD My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against” the church He builds. If He puts us in a large place and builds a large flock, let’s be thankful and guard against the self deception of pride and arrogance. If He has a small church which HE has built, be thankful and guard against envy, coveteousness and bitterness. Take your lemon and make sweet lemonade for your people. It’s better to be loved by a few who will follow your proven leadership for God’s glory than to be worshipped and adored by thousands who know you little more than what they see at a distance. So much for the sermon. Sorry.
Thank God for you guys. I’m proud to be numbered among you.
Budd Wicker
E Hill on Tue, December 13, 2005
My husband and I have just become aware of this website - we are in the process looking for a new ministry opportunity after a five year journey of—well we will leave that alone.
I just want to thank you for the encouragement. I needed it. I’m sincerely glad you guys are out there working for the gospel.
Thank you for addressing thoughtful processes, authentic relationships, and deliberately aiming for a corporate encounter with the living Christ in your churches.
My husband and I often talk about what we call “The Waxed Fruit” syndrome in the church at large today. It sure looks pretty, but you can’t eat it. Often we are focusing solely on all the things we should be aiming through; the tools, or to extend the metaphor of edible food further, the pans we cook with. It can become a very strange version of idolatry and works. Jesus and a personal encounter with him should be our deepest goal. That can be a unique process for every church not matter what the size.
I watched a pastor leave the podium in a huff recently because his microphone was buzzing - right in the middle of the invitation he sat down. In the name of excellence her terrified his sound techs, and left the gospel message hanging with this parting sentence. “We’re done.” Although I understood the distraction of a malfunctioning tool, I wished he could have been scrappy enough to turn it off and continue without it.
To me this has everything to do with this discussion. Big or small; in riches or poverty, what are we aiming for? Jesus was available to people everywhere synagogues, hillsides, lakes, homes, streets, palaces. Scripture says sometimes he preached to 5,000 and sometimes went out of his way to speak to just one. I can imagine his disciples discussing the numbers. I can’t imagine Jesus giving it much attention. He was aiming to bring people out of darkness into light.
When a child is missing in the mountains, the community comes together. The rich guys bring their RVs. The poor guys bring their flashlights. Someone makes sandwiches. The people link arms and comb the terrain with every tool they have. My heart cry is to quit focusing on the tools as if they are all important, and get back to figuring out how to find the lost kids in our church’s back yards.
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