In praise of the smaller church

Small churches are the future and are needed today than ever. They are essential in a world that has grown too big, too impatient, too complex, and too impersonal. By contrast, the small church tends to be unhurried, intimate, modest, and rooted in the faith of our fathers. In a world of superstores and on-line shopping, the small church is the mom-and-pop shop that offers personal service in a low stress environment.

Churches with fewer than one hundred in worship attendance represent fifty-nine percent of all churches in America and forty-one percent of total attendance. At the other end of the range, churches with one thousand or more in worship attendance represent two percent of all churches in America and twelve percent of total attendance. Nevertheless, they garner the lion’s share of media attention. This may be why some small churches have an inferiority complex.

However, that does not need to be the case. God champions the small. He chose the timid Gideon and a small portion of his army to rout the much larger Midianite forces. The city of Sodom would have been spared destruction if ten righteous people were found. It was the young David who defeated the giant Goliath. God chooses the things that the world considers foolish, weak, and insignificant that all glory may go to Him.

Although small churches lack the glitz and glamour of the megachurch, they do have some advantages. They are the right size for forming and maintaining strong communal ties. One another ministry is a vital function of the church. In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus teaches us to minister to the level of one percent. That means everyone. This is easier to do in a small church.

Worship is more participatory in a small church. Performance skills are not as important and, since the worship leader comes from the congregation, people are more forgiving of the occasional error. It is likely that they will be enthusiastically supportive.

Organizations of one hundred or less are easier to manage than larger ones and require fewer resources. They maximize the use of church members’ skills and often have a significant presence in the community. People from diverse generations work together in all aspects of church life, creating natural opportunities for mentoring.

The key to success for the small church is to embrace who you are and whose you are. In the New Testament letters of Paul, we find great support for the small church. The focus is on faithfulness to God and the church community rather than to growth. Growth for the sake of is self-serving and the strategy of cancer cells.

Faithfulness will attract people seeking Jesus. You will attract the hurting. You will attract people seeking community. You will be able to receive the ones God sends.

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