Big Reputations in Small Places

“And of course you two know each other.”

The school’s guidance counselor casually pointed to my 7-year-old daughter and an energetic 9-year-old boy. It was parents’ night at our neighborhood school in rural Wisconsin.

I was baffled. How does the guidance counselor know that? My daughter barely knows this boy. The only thing they have in common is that his family goes to our church.

And then I remembered … we live in a small town.

In a small town, people know who you are, where you work, and where you go to church. Like it or not, parts of your life become common knowledge. And people know you by your reputation—good or bad.

Churches in small towns can have an enormous impact by helping people understand how their reputations affect the advancement of the gospel. Read More