For many years I have been a fan of Frank Peretti’s novels and one book in particular really won me over. “The Visitation” was a wonderful revelation of the strength of small church pastors making a tremendous difference the lives on individuals despite the lack of glory and honor. The novel also implied that the larger church can have serious problems that make it less attractive and even dangerous to the life of the believer.
I want to celebrate the dedication and hard work of the unsung hero, the pastor of the small church. They have made a difference in the world far greater than their numbers and will never be recognized or honored for their work. They are available 24hrs. a day and demonstrate a wide set of skills that make them effective in ministry.
As our nation becomes in love with big and bigger the small group ministry, the small cell, or the small home church is still the universal building block of any significant congregations. For years now the experts have been warning that the small group is far more effective than the large group in changing lives and bringing people to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Small does not make everything virtuous any more than big makes everything better. Yet it is in the small group that accountability, and teach-ability becomes effective. The world largest church in Seol Korea is actually a community of small house churches. Small is God’s plan whether we are talking about cell groups or congregations.
The Pastor of a small church, group, or house church is the front line minister who closes to the real work of Christ. Those who move up in administration over Pastors move further away from working with the lost and the recently saved.
So this is to all those individuals out there who lead a bible study group in their home, Pastor a congregation of hundred people, or have a house church meeting in their living room. You are one of the most important workers in the Kingdom of God, and we love you for your service. No fame or rewards are as great as what you do each and every week over the flock you love and nurture. Keep it small and let others learn from your example. Our reward is great in heaven.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Celebrating The Small Church
I love the small church. She deserves more respect than she is given.
The idea of a large mega-church did not come until recently. Not long ago their was no congregation in America or Canada that could boast the numbers we now see in some worship services. On the other hand we have not seen the decline of the small church like we have today. Most congregations in North America are small churches, and they are in rapid decline.
Big churches are growing and small churches are closing.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that there is a smaller precentage of people attending church in North America than there was before the Mega church. People know less about their faith, read the Bible less, and pray less than ever before. The majority of people who do attend church don't act much different than those who don't believe in God.
Bigger is not always better.
The congregration I have served for the last eleven years is not a big church. In the last 80 years of her life, the First Church of God (Medford, OR) has never been big. This small congregation has seen many generations of believers and many pastors. We who make up the nature of this congregation come and go but the church remains. But we know each others name and we have journeyed through many hardship sharing each others burden. Like most small congreations, were small, tough and loyal.
The trouble is that we are also rejected because of our size. Our size is our strength. The small church is a place where people miss you when you are not there. It is a place where we talk about you when your not around wondering what is going on in your life. We may even feel the permission to meddle in your life because we are concern about what is happening. In other words, we are like family.
In the next series of blogs I want to celebrate the small church, and what she has done around the world over the last 2000 years. She is not obsolete yet and she has a lot to say to a fast paced post-modern world.
What is your take on size? Does it matter?
The idea of a large mega-church did not come until recently. Not long ago their was no congregation in America or Canada that could boast the numbers we now see in some worship services. On the other hand we have not seen the decline of the small church like we have today. Most congregations in North America are small churches, and they are in rapid decline.
Big churches are growing and small churches are closing.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that there is a smaller precentage of people attending church in North America than there was before the Mega church. People know less about their faith, read the Bible less, and pray less than ever before. The majority of people who do attend church don't act much different than those who don't believe in God.
Bigger is not always better.
The congregration I have served for the last eleven years is not a big church. In the last 80 years of her life, the First Church of God (Medford, OR) has never been big. This small congregation has seen many generations of believers and many pastors. We who make up the nature of this congregation come and go but the church remains. But we know each others name and we have journeyed through many hardship sharing each others burden. Like most small congreations, were small, tough and loyal.
The trouble is that we are also rejected because of our size. Our size is our strength. The small church is a place where people miss you when you are not there. It is a place where we talk about you when your not around wondering what is going on in your life. We may even feel the permission to meddle in your life because we are concern about what is happening. In other words, we are like family.
In the next series of blogs I want to celebrate the small church, and what she has done around the world over the last 2000 years. She is not obsolete yet and she has a lot to say to a fast paced post-modern world.
What is your take on size? Does it matter?
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