Pastors -Just Say, “I Don’t Know”

The moment one becomes a pastor, something strange happens: people suddenly think you know everything about the Bible!

Twenty-four hours ago, you were like everyone else –learning the Bible a little at a time. But once you become, “Reverend” or “Brother,” the expectations skyrocket.

Let’s be honest, nothing really changes overnight for new pastors. They are still the same people they were previously.

Only two things really change overnight for a new pastor:  1) the responsibility toward the congregation, and 2) the heightened expectations of the congregation.

Both of these changes are good. The Bible teaches that pastors are accountable for their flock. They are responsible to feed the sheep and oversee their spiritual growth (Hebrews 3:17).

Likewise, the congregation is called to hold the pastor in high regard and protect his reputation (I Thessalonians 5:12-13) (I Timothy 5:19). The Bible even outlines standards to which the congregation can expect the pastor to adhere (I Timothy 3:1-7).

But all of those biblical expectations and responsibilities do not mean that a man suddenly has “all the answers” the day he becomes a pastor. In fact, the same man won’t have all the answers at the end of his pastorate either!

That’s why, when pastors are asked difficult questions, they should be quick to admit, “I don’t know.” Here are five reasons why:

1)   Honesty is the best policy. It’s not just a cliché –it’s biblical. Acting like you know something (ie. Making it up as you go) is lying. This may be on of the pastor’s greatest temptations to sin.

2)   Humility is Christ-Like. Whether your congregation realizes it or not, humility is difficult when everyone treats you as the “Bible Answer Man.” This subtle pride for having all the answers is dangerous. When you don’t know the answer to the question, don’t let your pride get in the way -choose humility.

3)   Expectations must be Biblical. Church’s should have a high regard for their pastor –yet they should be careful not to set him on an idolatrous pedestal. When the pastor is willing to admit his limited knowledge, it helps congregations balance their expectations of the role biblically. For a pastor to act as if he is all-knowing is not only blasphemous, but it raises expectations even more and sets him up for a greater fall in the end.

4)   Dependency must be on Christ, not the Pastor. When the pastor acts as if he can answer every question and solve every problem, he is misleading his flock. Worse, he is leading them away from dependency upon Christ and more toward dependency upon him. This is the opposite of John the Baptist’s quest to see Christ increase while he decreased.

5)   The Congregation needs an Example of Maturity. As a spiritual leader, the pastor should shape the congregations picture of spiritual maturity. If he implies that maturity means “having all the answers” he will lead church members to a frustrating spiritual journey away from Christ and full of false expectations. Instead, the pastor should show the congregation an example of how a Christ-follower admits his limitations, leans on Christ, and boasts in the cross.

Those aren’t lessons that are learned “overnight,” but they can begin to be taught today. So the next time you (Pastor) are asked which eschatological theory is correct (as if you understand them all to begin with), where the Dinosaurs fit into the biblical narrative (as if you have a time-travel machine), or –my personal favorite- where a certain verse is found (as if you are a walking concordance); take great joy in saying, “I don’t know.”

3 Great Reasons to Be a Small Church

I’m not a fan of judging a church by its attendance. For that reason, I must confess my double standard.

During my time as a pastor, I paid attention to the size of the Sunday crowd. I guess its just human nature to think bigger is better.

On several occasions, however, I was happy with a smaller attendance. For instance, on one particular Sunday, a large team of volunteers traveled to provide relief to flooding victims in a neighboring state. On another Sunday, two mission teams were traveling abroad.

On those Sundays, I felt good about the small crowd –it meant something was happening!

That has lead me to ponder other positive reasons a church may have small crowds –not just on random Sundays, but every Sunday. Here are a few great reasons for having a consistently small congregation:

  • Your church is a training ground and “launch pad” for pastors and leaders.

Small congregations are an ideal place for new ministers to gain valuable experience. Many small churches have become quite skilled at nurturing and encouraging young pastors and leaders –and the larger churches should be thankful!

  • Your church ministers to a transient group.

Some pastors are hesitant to serve in a church with a high population of college students or young professionals who are “on the move.” They fear that the constant shuffling of church members will inhibit their ministry. While there are some challenges associated with ministering to transient groups, there are also major kingdom advantages. Namely, your church has the privilege of consistently sending out people to the far reaches of the globe!  Will you take advantage of your built-in “mission opportunity?”

  • Your church ministers to a low-population community.

Many times a church’s size is a result of the size of the community in which it is located. There are plenty of small churches who have saturated their regions to a greater degree than larger churches in metropolitan areas. This provides greater opportunities for becoming a “community church” in which area residents look to the congregation for leadership and involvement –what a platform!

 

As one author has explained, the Church is like an airport. In an airport, if the crowds get to big, there may be a problem. But on the other hand, when the crowds are small, it may be a result of great success.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not bashing big churches. Large crowds can be a great sign of God’s work. But, perhaps its time to see churches based upon their actions rather than their size. It’s not always about attracting and collecting crowds as much as equipping and mobilizing those God has entrusted to us.

Overcoming Teeter-Totter Temptation

Teeter-totter: Perhaps the greatest name for piece of playground equipment. The name itself paints a picture, doesn’t it?

I recently took my son to a park where he became fascinated with a teeter-totter. After a few minutes of “teetering” (or is it tottering?) with him, I had to take a break. As I sat down on a park bench, he continued to play on the teeter-totter by himself. At first it was hilarious. As hard as he tried, he just couldn’t get it to work. Then, he got a great idea: to stand on the center of the teeter-totter and attempt to balance himself.

As I watched him compensate his weight from side to side, it reminded me of my own balancing act. You see, I struggle to compensate between ambition and godliness.

I don’t think I’m the only one who struggles with this. Just visit a few funerals to see what I mean.

Attend one funeral, and everything is focused around a lady’s accomplishments in life. Attend another funeral, and the preacher is using the deceased as an example of how nobody on their deathbed wishes they had spent “one more hour at the office.”

So which one is it? What are we supposed to applaud –ambition or godliness?

Is it possible to have “God-centered ambition?” I’m not just talking about the ambition to go into full-time ministry. Instead, is it possible to be a “God-centered ambitious entrepreneur,” a “God-centered teacher,” or a “God-centered ambitious police officer?”

I think it is.

Consider King David. He certainly was godly man. Scripture even calls him a “man after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22).

At the same time, He was a man of ambition. He led armies into battle and ruled the nation of Israel.

So how did he reconcile a God-centered heart with his strong ambition?

First of all, it’s worth noting that he didn’t always do a good job of this. Reading through books like 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Chronicles, and the Psalms will make this very clear. In fact, David wrestled with the issue of “God-centered ambition.” Consider his words in Psalm 131:1.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

Can you imagine what it takes for a king to say, “my eyes are not raised too high” or to admit that there are “things too great and too marvelous for me”?

It’s obvious that David gave thought to his ambition –to the degree that he chose to be intentional about what he set his sights on.

In the past, I have tried to balance my ambition with my desire for God –as if there is a huge teeter-totter with ambition on one side, God-centeredness on the other side, and me in the middle. Each side is calling for me to “go all in.” But every time I take a step in one direction, I feel like I have to take a step back in the other direction to keep everything balanced. And the greater my leadership responsibilities, the greater the teeter-totter becomes, until I just can’t keep up the balancing act. It’s a classic case of the double-minded man (James 1:8).

But David takes a different approach. Instead of trying to balance two things, he chooses to “go all in” and see everything through one lens –the lens of God centeredness. In verse two he explains:

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

By choosing to look at everything through the lens of God-centeredness, David submitted to God’s ambition for his life (which is much better anyway). Instead of abandoning ambition, David chose to embrace what God had prepared for him (Ephesians 2:10). In this way, David didn’t abandon his gifts or talents. Instead, he chose to see them in light of God’s desires.

You see, if ambition were wrong, God would be a sinner. Why? Because He has the grandest ambition of all: to seek and to save sinners who will become a world-wide network of worshippers filling the universe with His glory!

The greatest ambitions are the godliest ambitions. If your ambitions don’t tie into His ambitions, your ambitions are way to small –like tiny idols crafted by human hands (Acts 17:25).

Attempting to “balance” is attempting to do something only God can do. It’s trusting yourself to manage your heart rather than trusting God to rule your heart. In this way, the “teeter-totter temptation” can be more than a burden –it can be sin.

How did David avoid the teeter-totter temptation in order to look through God’s lens?

He “calmed and quieted” his soul.

And the godliest ambitions begin in communion with the Lord when we quiet ourselves before him. In that moment, our lenses are re-focused with a godly perspective on our life’s calling.

Here we are able to relinquish the burden of “balancing” and rest in the joy of “refocusing.” The result? Hearts that are emblazoned with a greater ambition -a godly ambition!

Are Puppies More Advanced Than Humans?

Most of us would agree that humans are more advanced than animals. As believers, in fact, we would agree that God made humans as the pinnacle of creation (Genesis 1:26-27). So it has always seemed strange to me that a baby animal is able to survive elements and conditions of which we would never dream of placing a baby human.

Jill and I once bought a puppy and named him Deacon (great name for a Pastor’s dog). Everything was great -until the yelping started. Just when we would begin drifting off to sleep… yelp… yelp… yelp…. For the first few nights we endured it. After all, who could be upset with a cute cuddly puppy?

But after our sweet little fur-ball  had yelped in the house for a few weeks, we placed him in the back yard. No big deal for a dog, right? But who would think of doing such a thing with a sweet, cuddly infant boy or girl?

Of course, puppies have another advantage over human babies: They learn to walk in a matter of weeks. We would consider that a miracle for a human child.

There’s no doubt about it. In the first few years of life, the human is incredibly more dependent than the animal. So is it strange that we still regard the human as being more “advanced?” Only if you believe that dependency is unconditionally a sign of immaturity.

While there is no doubt that we want our children to grow up to be independent in some regards (just think potty training), spiritual independence is not something to be celebrated.

In fact, Psalm 71:6 acknowledges, “Upon you I have leaned from before my birth.”

The Psalmist recognized that dependence is a blessing of God. Even before birth, a human baby is completely dependent for nurture, nutrition, and development.

The infant continues to be dependent for learning basic developmental skills. Of course, over time the child will mature physically and developmentally. Although there is never a time that we become “completely independent” (the air we breathe is a gift), there is a sense in which we become more independent in the physical/developmental arena.

So, why would God cause humans to develop slower than animals? Perhaps that’s what the Psalmist is driving at when he states, “Upon you I have leaned from before my birth.” In the preceding verse, the Psalmist explains “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth” (Psalm 71:4).

In other words, at the same time that the Psalmist had outgrown a certain level of physical dependency, he had acquired a greater level of spiritual dependency –and for this He was thankful!

Spiritual dependency is to be celebrated! Maybe that’s why God places humans in a much longer physical development process –so that we will learn dependency upon Him.

Wouldn’t it be great if we celebrated spiritual dependence as much as we champion physical independence? What if we cheered on humility as much as taking first steps? Can you imagine celebrating service to others as much as learning to tie shoes? And what would it be like if we couldn’t stop talking about self-sacrifice the way we announce a baby’s first words?

And what if we welcomed our “dependency moments” in adulthood? What if we viewed a failing memory as a reminder that God never forgets us -or regarding fatigue as a reminder that God is our strength?

Perhaps it would cause us to not only cherish the dependence of a child, but –even more- rejoice in our dependence upon God. Now that’s something to yelp about!

What is the Best Size for Your Church?

How tall are you? I’m six feet and ½ inch. Some of my life-long friends are taller and some are shorter. Yet, all of us have quit growing (at least in height).

We all understand that height has nothing to do with maturity or competency. My doctor probably isn’t going to say, “you’re just three inches shy of greatness.” Instead, we all understand that our height is part of our design. It’s how God made us.

Still, many of us desire a different height. An aspiring basketball player may want to be taller while an aspiring Jockey might want to be shorter. Sometimes the desires are situational. For instance, when the box at the store is on the top shelf, you may desire more height, but when you are stuck on a flight with no legroom you may desire less height.

I have rarely met someone who is happy with his or her height. I guess the grass is greener at different altitudes!

The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as the “best” or “most valuable” height. Every height has its own advantages. In other words, your best height is the height at which God designed you to be.

Similarly, there is no “best” or “most valuable” church size (numerically speaking). I believe that God designs churches of different sizes for different reasons. Each church size has its own distinct advantage.

Small churches may have relational advantages. Usually, in a small church environment, each member has the opportunity to know the pastor on a first-name basis. For that matter, everyone in the church can know everyone else in the church on a first-name basis if they desire.

Large churches may have resource advantages. Most large churches have the ability to produce resources and training for their membership or entire communities.

I can think of one small church in particular which has produced dozens of strong pastors and missionaries over the years. I can’t help but think that God has designed that congregation to remain small for the purposes of training new leaders. Its small size is perfect for a man to gain valuable experience in ministry. In this way, that small church has been a blessing to people all over the world!

Similarly, I can think of a large church that has supported dozens of missionaries over the years through its vast resources. God has designed that congregation for a unique equipping role.

Each congregation has a unique role to play in the kingdom. Like players on a basketball team, size enhances roles. You want your 7-footer to play center, not point guard.

Likewise, the best size is the size that God designed for your church. No size is “best” or “most valuable.”

Of course, not every church has reached the size God has designed into its DNA. Some churches are still in their infancy. (Several pastors may argue their church is in adolescence!)

Further, God may have different “size” plans for your church at different times in your church’s life. (That point doesn’t really fit into my analogy… so we’ll move on!)

With all of that said, I think there are two extremes every church must avoid. First, churches should never use size as an excuse to grow lazy. Small churches should not say, “God created us this way, so let’s sit back and relax” nor should large churches say, “God has blessed us, so we don’t have to work hard anymore.” Both attitudes betray biblical teaching.

On the other hand, churches should not get so wrapped up in becoming “bigger” that they are willing to utilize non-biblical means to achieve numerical growth. Like an athlete who takes performance enhancing drugs, they may grow in the short-term, but the un-natural methods will have negative effects on their health in the long-term.

What does all of this mean? If you aren’t happy with the size of your church, perhaps you need a change of perspective.

Embrace what God has designed for your church to be. Labor diligently for souls. Work with all your heart. And praise God for the results –whether tangible or not.

Want to Fix Your Want to?

Pardon me for making this assumption about you, but I’m fairly certain you have something you regularly daydream about or look forward to. I’m talking about that one thing that you delight in. Depending upon your personality and preferences, it could be anything –college football, naps, shopping, spending time with friends, reading, chocolate, hiking, early morning coffee, exercise, or listening to music. You get the picture.

I feel safe making this assumption about you because we are created for affection.  God wired us this way for several purposes. For one thing, it shows the creative diversity of His creation through the display of our differing personalities. Further, it provides relationship-building material for us to craft friendships. Of course, the chief purpose of creating us with affection is to worship and glorify God!

But what if my affections are not set upon God? Or, even deeper, what if I want to take joy in the Lord, but it doesn’t seem to be happening? Is my “want to” broken?

In Psalm 1:2, the psalmist describes a “blessed man” by stating that “his delight is in the law of the LORD.” Perhaps that’s discouraging to you because it’s not your delight. How can you fix your “want to?”

To be perfectly honest, you can’t fix your “want to” –only God can. However, that doesn’t mean you sit by idly. Instead, you are called to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). But how? The next verse explains, “For it is God who works in you” (Philippians 2:13).

If it sounds a little bit like cyclical thinking, it is! The more you desire God, the more God cultivates your desires. The more God cultivates your desires, the more you desire God. It reminds me of the man who told Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

When you step back and look at the psalmist’s  “delight” in the “law of the LORD,” it becomes apparent that he benefitted from the same cycle. His delight was fueled by the fact that “on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). The same law that He delights in is also directing his delight.

So how can someone enter into such a cycle? The answer is to be proactive. Pour yourself into God’s Word. Spend time begging in prayer. Focus your eyes on the Lord.

“But wait,” you might say. “Isn’t that self-powered, rather than God powered?” Only if you are foolish enough to think you came up with the desire for a greater delight in God. You see, the desire to fix your “want to” is a direct result of God beginning to fix your “want to.”

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Eager For Mail?

My son loves to check for mail. Every day when we come home, Bryce hops out of the car and runs to the mailbox. I always smile as he stands at the curb checking every envelope to see if something has his name on it. When I ask him why he likes to get the mail, he says, “I don’t want to miss anything important!”

More times than not, he walks back to the house with his head hanging down. “Nothing for me today,” he mumbles.

It always hurts my heart to see him disappointed. So recently, I decided to write him a letter. I took it to the post office and mailed it back to my house.

The next day, I’m not sure who was more excited about “mail time.”

I watched from the garage as he opened the mailbox and pulled out a stack of letters. My heart rate increased as he sorted through the envelopes. Would it arrive today or tomorrow?  One, two, three envelopes later –there it was- He found it!

Bryce’s face lit up as he read his name on the envelope. Forgetting to close the mailbox, he started running back to the house dropping several letters on the ground.

He ran inside and immediately ripped open the envelope. I watched his face as he read the words one by one (He’s only five).

“Dear Bryce, you are my best buddy. I love you very much. Dad.” Below the text, I drew a picture of Bryce and myself holding hands and smiling.

I know -it’s not the most eloquent text. And my stick-figure drawing was certainly not worthy of any art awards! Yet, Bryce celebrated that letter because it fulfilled a deep desire he had anticipated as he checked the mailbox every day.

The Psalmist described similar anticipation when he wrote, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning” (Psalm 130:6).

In the original language, the idea behind the word, “wait” is eager anticipation.

The Psalmist says he is just as anxious to hear from God as a “watchman” was anxious to see the morning. Imagine a soldier taking the night watch. As time seems to crawl, his focus turns to looking intently for the first flicker of morning light to mark the end of his shift. Night after night, he experiences the same anticipation –much like a child anticipating a letter in the mailbox day after day.

Do you still anticipate God’s communication to you? Like the psalmist, do you hope in His Word?

I wonder if God watches us as we open His Word with the anticipation of a father watching his son open a letter? Can you imagine the emotion of God? (Yes, God displays emotions in Scripture) as His children receive revelation through the illumination of the Spirit (John 14:26, 1 Cor. 2:10-13)?

Of course, all of that assumes you are in God’s Word to begin with. In other words, you can’t receive the message unless you are going to the mailbox. After all, you don’t want to miss anything important!

If you are struggling with getting in the Word daily, here’s a few ideas to help you get going:

1) Establish a regular time that you will get into God’s Word every day.

2) Keep that time free on your schedule (the same way you reserve meal times).

3) Invite your family to take part in your daily time in the Word. Not only will it keep them from distracting you, but it will also help them develop an anticipation for spending time in Scripture.

4) Take advantage of family prayer times (meals, bedtime prayers, etc) to ask God to prepare your heart for the next time you are in the Word. Ask Him to ignite your soul with anticipation!

Pancreas Problems

I have diabetes –and it stinks.

In case you don’t know, diabetes is a disease that causes the pancreas to quit making insulin. Insulin is vital for processing sugar into energy. Without insulin, blood sugar levels cannot be regulated.

Since I’m not a physician, I won’t pretend to explain the chain reaction that follows. Just know that without medical intervention, diabetes can lead to blindness, amputated limbs and other painful issues.

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In order to regulate blood sugar, I have to give myself insulin shots every time I eat.

So you can imagine my excitement when I read an article about efforts to develop an artificial pancreas. In fact, I was so excited that I called a friend to tell them about it. I said, “I want to be the first artificial pancreas recipient.” My friend replied, “Don’t you mean you want to be the first successful artificial pancreas recipient?”

He had a point.

It reminds me of times that I’ve said, “I want to be an example to others.” What I should have said is “I want to be a Christ-like example to others.”

Without Christ, my example is not worth following. In fact, without Christ, my example would be fatal for several reasons:

1)   Without Christ, I am an object of God’s wrath –a sinner bound for hell (Ephesians 2:1).

2)   Without Christ, all of my best deeds fall short (Isaiah 64:6).

3)   Without Christ, I cannot be pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6).

4)   Without Christ, I would have no joy (Luke 2:10).

5)   Without Christ, my life has no purpose or meaning (I Cor. 15:12-19)

I am totally dependent upon Christ. Without Him, a faulty pancreas is the least of my problems.

The Blessed File Cabinet

The most powerful folder in my file cabinet is not the one that contains information about my bank account or tax records. Nor is it the folder containing a copy of my son’s birth certificate. It’s not even the folder containing my will.

No, the most powerful folder in my file cabinet contains a loose collection of letters, notes, and cards full of encouragement that friends have sent me over the years.

Why is it the most powerful folder in my file cabinet?

When I am facing adversity and disappointment, looking at my bank account statements doesn’t change my disposition. Neither does staring at my son’s birth certificate or my will. Certainly, my tax records don’t cheer me up!

But I am always amazed how reflecting on the encouragement of my friends and family impacts my heart. Slowing down and remembering blessings from the past can shape our disposition today.

Of course, that folder in my file cabinet is just a small collection of blessings God has placed in my life.

In Psalm 75:1, Asaph writes, “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.”

In Psalm 103:2, David exclaims, “Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits…”

It seems that from time to time, these psalmists opened their file cabinets and reviewed the records of God’s blessings in their lives.

Recently, as I was meditating on Psalm 75, I decided to make a mental folder of God’s blessings in my life. My goal was to state them as specifically as possible so that I would savor every ounce of the blessings. Here’s a sample of what I came up with:

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1)   God blessed me with parents who have never lied to me or betrayed my trust. I have never had to wonder if I could trust them or if they had my best interest at hand. What a strong reflection of Christ for me to grow up under!

2)   God blessed me with a church family who cared for and provided for my family in our greatest time of need. They mowed the yard, raked leaves, cooked meals, cleaned house, and even offered to decorate for Christmas.

3)   God blessed me with three strong friends who have an “open door” policy with me –anytime, day or night. I can tell them anything and they are willing to always speak truth into my life –even difficult, painful truth. They have listened to my frustration and despair, corrected me in my sin, and encouraged me in my walk with Christ.

Of course, my list is much longer and more detailed than this. In fact, I could go on and on about the way God has blessed me –as I’m sure you can too.

So why don’t you try it? Set aside five minutes and just see what happens when you start reflecting on God’s “wondrous deeds” and “benefits” He has showered upon you.

I am confident that when you do, your heart will be overflowing with a passion to praise His name! That’s why David and Asaph’s comments about remembering God’s blessings are accompanied by phrases such as “We give thanks to you, O God,” and “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

Like the song says, “Count your blessings –name them one by one.” Don’t file them away forever!

The 16oz Church (Small Can Be Big!)

Remember the Pepsi Challenge? It was a marketing campaign in the 80’s where people would be offered two unmarked cups. One contained Coke and the other contained Pepsi. After taking a sip of both, the participants would be asked to reveal which one they liked the best.

Apparently more people picked Pepsi. At least, that’s what their ads led us to believe.  (Incidentally, Malcolm Gladwell has a great chapter in his book, Blink, which explains the flaws of this taste test).

Comparing two different brands of soft drinks makes sense to us. However, what if someone ran the same test, except this time using the same brand? Let’s say the only difference would be the size of the cup. Wouldn’t you think that was a strange comparison? Does anybody really think that a 24oz cup of Pepsi tastes better than an 16oz cup? No matter the size, the contents would be the same –and that’s what matters!

I think we would all agree that testing by size would be ridiculous and illogical.

So why, then, do we often measure the effectiveness of a church by its size? A church of 50 and a church of 5,000 are both full of the same thing: Followers of Christ!

Don’t get me wrong, not every small church is healthy, but neither is every big church. The fact of the matter is that the majority of churches around the world are what most would consider “small.”

I’m afraid that some may have the mistaken impression that “small” means a lack of mission or purpose. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Some of the most passionate missional churches are relatively small congregations. Make no mistake about it, “small” does not mean inferior.

There are a number of reasons why a church may be small:

1)   The community may be small to begin with

2)   The congregation may be transitory

3)   The congregation may be sending out people to plant churches

Stop and think. Is there a big difference between having a few large churches as opposed to a lot of small churches? Of course not. If anything, a larger number of small churches may allow more people to exercise their gifts of leadership. When you think about it, a large army of small churches could be the sleeping giant that strategically infiltrates the world.

Small churches have some great advantages.

1)   Many people feel more comfortable and are more prone to open up in a smaller setting.

2)   Small churches have less logistical distractions.

3)   Pastors can spend more time investing in each member

Maybe that’s why it should be no surprise when we hear a pastor or missionary reminisce about growing up in a small church. For that matter, we would do well to remember that every large church started out as a small church!

Please don’t misunderstand: I am not against big churches! Many mega-church pastors do a great job making sure that their congregation enjoys the same level of fellowship and mission as a small church.

All I’m saying is that it would be a mistake to write off churches because they are small. So, I want to go on the record proclaiming my love for small churches.

So don’t worry if your church isn’t a “three liter” congregation. After all, God does BIG things in SMALL churches!