Small Church

“Churches of all sizes have conflict, but it is felt more acutely and has more effect in smaller churches…. in a congregation of fifty people, if one family leaves everyone notices, and 10 percent of the volunteers and perhaps more than 10 percent of the budget goes with them.” - RHMA

“I’ve actually apologized to some people for how our church treated them. I haven’t seen the massive shift in how our community sees us that I hoped to see yet, but we are trying to do consistent, faithful basics along with creative, generous ideas where we can.” - SBC Voices

“Most small churches do not want to stay small. They simply do not want to change. That’s an uncomfortable thing to say. But after pastoring three small churches—one that stayed stuck and two that grew significantly—it’s the most honest diagnosis I know.” - C.Leaders

“Though it’s good and reasonable to desire growth, I have learned to rejoice in the fact that God has chosen not to grow my church at the speed I once envisioned.” - 9 Marks

“Since most rural communities are not growing, it’s harder for churches there to increase attendance. Yet 3 in 4 pastors still aim for attendance growth….Even more rural pastors aim for success in the spiritual growth of their congregations evidenced by their focus on salvations, care, forgiveness and serving.” - Baptist Press

“New research shows that when it comes to reaching young people, size isn’t a limitation—it’s an asset.” - CToday

“Most church training events and conferences don’t include the average church. The average church is 65-75 people and has one pastor. Most training events are geared for churches of 200-500 that have multiple pastors and several ministry leaders.” - SBC Voices

From Chuck Lawless:

• 7 Reasons the Size of Your Church Doesn’t Matter
• 8 Reasons the Size of Your Church Does Matter

“Inevitably, the issue of church size enters the discussion. They say things like, “We’d like to do more, but we’re just a small church.” … Sometimes, comments about size serve as a cover for different concerns.” - Lifeway

“Church growth strategies have been tough on small church pastors…. But a small church pastor is uniquely positioned to drive a revival of discipleship in ways that larger churches and celebrity pastors simply cannot replicate.” - Church Leaders