Small is Great

Small Church: Great Church

"Discovering God's Synergy for Small Membership Communities"

The future of small church is particularly hopeful for the next generation
for the following reasons...

1. The “flattening” of the economic and technological world means that there will be an equalizing of wealth and information in the years ahead. That means that North America is going to experience a downsizing in all areas of life. Small congregations will become the lifeblood of the Church along with other emerging congregational configurations. Small churches will survive and flourish because they are practical and feasible to operate and maintain.

2. There is a movement in organization away from hierarchical (top down) community toward organic (team culture) community. The New Science talks about the efficiency of fractals, or the smallest recognizble unit of an organism. Small membership communities are like fractals. Fractals can deal with change with speed and efficiency. Top down organizations have more difficulty adopting to change.

Small Churches work the best in an ever changing culture because...

1. They are owned and operated by the people. They are faith based co-ops.

2. Everyone has a role. They are places where the ministry of the baptized is most realizable.

3. Small congregations form “real” people. It’s almost impossible to be phony in a small church. Nurture and accountability is
everyone’s ministry.

4. Small churches actually adapt to change “better” than any other size community. That is because everyone is involved in the decision making process, so the change when made is owned by all. And , as small churches have fewer people, there are fewer votes to count.

5. Small churches grow faster than large churches. Research done by the Natural Church Development people show that 20 small churches of 50 members will add (in total) 16 time more people in a year then one large church of 1000 members.

6. Small churches are inherently relational. People outcome is always valued over program outcome. Small churches feed our great yearning for intimacy and community (family).

7. Worship is more important in small churches then in any other size configuration. Worship is a homecoming event. You are missed when not present; and you are truly involved when present.

The self-image picture that you can transform:

Church Leadership Coaching

"Where the Church is a mystery to be embraced, not a problem to be solved."