Small-Church Ministry: A Few Suggestions

According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, nearly 60% of all churches in the United States have fewer than 100 in attendance at their weekly services. That's 177,000 congregations accounting for 9 million people. Of those congregations, a large number of them fall into the category of the truly small church, which has 40 or fewer members.

Through the years, I have known about and come to appreciate a good number of small congregations of the Churches of Christ. After going back through some notes and reflecting on my experiences, here's a bit of advice I'd share with anyone who's looking to work with a small church:

1. Arrive as a chaplain, not as a successful businessman.

Small churches don't require someone who's good at administration. There just isn't much to administrate. And, what little there is probably already has someone taking care of it. But there's never too much kindness, care, and love. So give them that. Especially if you go to a rural area--the scene for many small churches--you'll want to roll up your sleeves and do some work with your hands. To farm and ranch people, sitting at a desk isn't work. I know, anyone who has studied hard knows better. But people who have always worked with their hands need to see that you aren't afraid to get some dirt on your clothes and break a sweat. If you really work with them, they will listen to you as they never would have otherwise.

2. Remind them of their identity in Christ and of their mission in the world.

Sometimes a church just needs to be reminded that belonging to the Lord and living for Him is what life is all about. Like individuals, churches can get depressed and disoriented. A few years ago, a congregation that had been through a bad time welcomed a new minister. About two years later, one of the members of the congregation remarked, "He didn't try to set us on fire. I think he realized that it had been a long time since we had felt really good about being Christians. So he preached about Jesus and how great it is to know and serve Him. That did a lot to restore our spirit. Now we're a happier, more effective congregation."

3. Discover the very best aspects of the congregation and emphasize them.

In his letters to the seven churches of Asia (Revelation chapters 2-3), Jesus had at least one positive thing to say about each congregation. Every small church has something about it that's good. Identify that, and then tell the people what you've noticed. Build on that strength.

4. Encourage the congregation to do one or two things very well.

Unlike medium-sized and large congregations, the small church can't do many things at once. There simply aren't enough people or resources. However, a small church can and should carry on one or maybe two specific ministries. Help them to do something at which they can really excel. Meals on Wheels, Bible correspondence courses, special care for a missionary family. The possibilities are endless. What the congregation chooses will obviously be related to the previous point.

Just a few thoughts. What would you add or change?

Strengths and Values of the Small Church

The last post identified some of the pitfalls of small churches. Now I want to consider some of the positives. The following are my own observations mixed in with ideas that I've borrowed from others. Here are three real strengths and values:

1. Small churches experience fellowship naturally.

Ever known a small church that had a small-groups ministry? Of course not. In the small church, the congregation is the small group. Much-larger churches must create and manage what small churches already have, simply because they are small churches. I'm an advocate of the big church, too. But I wonder how much time and money big churches spend in order to provide a time and setting for relationships outside their big worship assemblies? Life Groups, Care Groups, Brother's Keeper, etc. The small church has never needed these terms, nor the expense and structure that go with them.

Along this line, a recent comment by Dusty Chris says it all: I think the small church is alive and well and "gets church" better than its larger counter part "in the big city." [People in small churches] help each other, they love each other, they eat together often, they depend on each other like I have not seen in larger churches. The benefit is in its smallness...everyone has to be available for ministry and leadership. Smallness is not bad. It means there are more opportunities for intimacy and closeness...and that beats the pants off the larger churches. I feel like Norm in Cheers when I walk into the Paonia Church of Christ. Everyone knows my name.

2. Small churches serve as vital outposts for the kingdom of Christ.

Some areas are sparsely populated. Many communities in the U.S. are small. They will never have a big church because there just aren't many people there.

In hundreds of rural counties across the U.S., the population has been in a nosedive since the middle of the last century. For example, here in the Texas panhandle there are only two counties that aren't in population decline, the two that are associated with Amarillo.

Years ago, when I served as a preacher in a small town in Arkansas, I decided to look up the population statistics for the county. The results surprised me. The high-water mark had been the 1950 census, when there were 28,000 people in the county. But each decade since then, the numbers had gone down. The most recent census was 1990, when the county population stood at around 18,000. The membership numbers at church were flat for years, and we just didn't have many new visitors. No wonder. Compared to 40 years before, our population had shrunk by 36%.

Naturally, in communities in numerical decline, a church will almost always dwindled in number. Peter Wagner once referred to this as a church disease which he named population abandonmentosis. This disease has shriveled many churches that were once much larger. Today, those congregations would be classified as "small."

I have to say that there's a soft spot in my heart for these churches. So often, they are tempted to look down on themselves. They're like the guy who's doing what he should, but who still questions and doubts himself; like the older person who no longer thinks he is valuable. These churches need someone to remind them of who they are, and to tell them that by simply being and doing what they do is precious to God and a benefit to community.

Churches in small towns and in the countryside continue to moor the faith of their members as they hold up the banner of the cross. That's no small thing in the eyes of the Lord.

3. Small churches produce kingdom leadership.

I don’t have any statistics for this, but I’m virtually certain of it: I think small churches produce a disproportionately large number of Christian leaders. Many of today's great preachers, teachers, worship leaders, missionaries, etc. grew up in a small church. If you attend a congregation with 225 or more in attendance, the odds are your preacher grew up in congregation smaller than that. Ask him.

What percentage of young people from large churches are growing up to serve as Christian leaders? Again, it's my guess, but I think that number is disproportionately small. Why? Mainly because larger congregations, led and attended by professionals, simply won’t put up with amateur leadership. Not for long anyway. But small churches depend on mostly amateur leadership. If you want to learn how to teach or preach or direct the singing, the small church is where you can get free (and sometimes obligatory) training.

And, there’s a flip side to that coin. Most would-be preachers or worship leaders might never stand up in front of hundreds of people and give it a try. But they would in front of, say, thirty people. And that's a small church.

I don't mean to suggest that Christian leadership is all about being in front of the congregation. We know that it means being connected to people, nurturing others, and teaching them by example to be more like Christ. Again, the small congregation is the place where that opportunity and challenge very naturally presents itself. A person or family can live almost anonymously in a large church for years. I know. I've seen it. But it's impossible to be anonymous in a small church.

So let me ask you: Does any of this sound familiar? What are some of the other positives--strengths and values--of small churches? What kinds of experiences have you had?

Next time, I want to offer some suggestions for encouraging and working with the small church.

Church of Christ, Gould, Oklahoma

Back in March, I was returning home to Amarillo. I'd spent the night before at my folks' house in my old hometown of Altus, Oklahoma. Driving west along State Highway 62, I went through Duke and then came to an even smaller town: Gould, Oklahoma.

I grew up in Altus, so I've been through Gould many times. But I don't believe I've ever stopped there before. If I have, I don't remember it. Since moving to Amarillo three years ago, anytime I've driven through, the little Church of Christ just south of the highway has caught my eye. I've wondered, . .

How many little churches just like this one dot the map across the U.S.? What's the history of this church? When was the congregation established? Who are its members? What was the congregation like during the glory days, when many more people lived in Gould? What are the congregation's hopes and fears now that the town, like so many others, is drying up? (I checked the Census figures for Gould. In 1990, the population was at 237. By 2000, the number was down to 206).

I still don't know the answers to my questions. But this time as I came through, I remembered that my camera was with me. I decided to stop and chronicle what I could. Here's the north side of the building. (That's my car, Big Blue, in the distance).

The front doors face east . . .


It was a gorgeous afternoon, and I stood outside the front of the building for a while. Then, just because, I decided to see if the building was open. Maybe someone was inside, maybe a preacher sitting at his desk or practicing his sermon from the pulpit. Maybe the custodian was there, making sure everything was ready for the next morning.

I was surprised to discover that the front door was unlocked. I stepped inside. "Anyone here?" No one. I sort of felt like an intruder. But I also knew that nobody would mind that I was there. From the foyer, here's the empty auditorium. I love the effect of the afternoon sun shining through colored windows . .

At right in the previous photo, you can see the small statistics board on the right. Here it is up close:

As I look around, I wonder why this is so fascinating to me. Why do I look at all of this as though it were a piece of art? Is it because I see it as some quaint scene quickly fading into the past? Maybe. Either way, I can't resist standing behind the pulpit. I back up a step and look out at the empty pews . . .

This intrigues me for reasons I don't fully understand.

Anyway, sometime this summer I want to do a few posts on small churches. I'm not an expert on the subject. Far from it. But I am interested in the present and future of small congregations, especially Churches of Christ, across the U.S.

How 'bout you? Ever stopped at a small church somewhere, just because? Many of you have visited a small congregation while traveling. Or maybe you have memories of being a part of a small congregation. Do you ever wonder what's happening to church life in small towns as the U.S. becomes more and more urban? Maybe small church life is your life right now. What's that like? I'm interested in hearing about your experiences and what you know.