SBC Today: What Makes Small Churches Great Churches: Part 1: Truth

Small churches are not great simply because of their numerical limitations, no more than large churches are great because of the number of heads in the pews. One can attend a church of any size that is unhealthy and detrimental to the cause of Christ. The purpose of this series of articles is to recognize that small churches that average under 100 in worship attendance still play a vital role in the advancement of the kingdom of God and have an important role in our convention. In my opinion these roles are often neglected and/or minimized by those who report our news because the headline “100 Decisions for Jesus” reads better than “Gospel Presented, One Says Yes.”

I must tell you that as I begin this series, the articles arise from my preaching series to my local church. In many ways, 2011 marked our greatest year as a church. We sent a couple to Peru on a mission trip that saw over 1,000 commitments to Christ, sent thirty-one people (out of an average of 65) on a mission trip to Arkansas, sent two men to disaster areas in Kansas and North Dakota, actively took up various items for a Burmese congregation in our area, had members teaching Bible studies in a drug rehab facility, conducted blood drives at our church, and conducted a science camp that was the best church children’s camp I’ve ever been a part. Still, as we approached the end of 2011, a pessimistic spirit began to emerge in the hallways of our church. Why? Because even though we had the greatest outreach and evangelistic impact in our church’s history, we didn’t see the visible results in our weekly worship attendance and offerings. In fact, our attendance declined, and we had to reduce our budget for the third year in a row.

I tell you this not to evoke sympathy for my plight, but to let you know that what I write comes from a specific context and has a very specific purpose. As a man intimately connected with the rise and fall of church attendance and offerings, I sought the Lord for a way to change those. What He told me (or reminded me) was His measuring rod for effectiveness is not the world’s measuring rod. What makes a good year for a church is more complex than merely looking at worship attendance and offering totals. For God, a good year for a church is advancing His kingdom on earth, making an eternal impact in the lives He places in our path. The truth of the matter is our local congregation made huge strides in making an eternal impact in the lives of people. My congregation did not need to hear what more we needed to do, but instead they needed to hear what we do that pleases God and makes our church a great place to belong. Read more