As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
It has often been noted that—tempted as we as preachers might be—we can never preach to the crowd that is not present. This column might be a bit unusual, then, as one might say that it is presented for the person who will never read it. At least in the case of the written word, however, it can be posted for all to see—and share.
“I strongly believe that church size doesn’t matter, but I also just as strongly believe that church size does matter. I know that’s contradictory, but…” - Chuck Lawless
“Are Christians evangelizing less, leading to a decline in church membership? Or is the decline a result of rejecting pragmatic ecclesiology and shallow views of conversion?
“Small churches have always been and will always be the most common, most resilient and most adaptable expression of the body of Christ.” - C.Leaders
“The Small Church Academy launched a year ago through the Bivocational & Small Church Leadership Network (BSCLN) with three cohorts. Those cohorts – small groups of up to 10 members…. Eight are currently meeting.” - BPNews
“They are numerous, and they are located in the heart of places with lots of people…. I wish I could write that these churches will make a comeback, but it’s still an unrealized possibility.” - Sam Rainer
“…single assembly reduces your options. When your building is at capacity, you simply have to send members elsewhere or start a building project. Maybe you strategically send members to a struggling, like-minded church down the road.” - 9 Marks
“The average Christian congregation…[has] just 65 members, about a third of whom are age 65 or older, according to a 2020 pre-pandemic survey. By contrast, a separate 2020 study found that three-quarters of megachurches were growing, many at a rapid clip.” - NPR
“Sure we want to stretch toward a greater potential, but not with the result of an inept and fake experience.” - Phil Cooke
“We couldn’t compete, so we didn’t try. We were just ourselves—faithful nobodies who wanted God to use them.” - Chuck Lawless
Discussion