Small Church

“Being small does not mean that something is broken. But if something is broken, you can’t fix it by making it bigger. Bigger fixes nothing.” - Church Leaders

“As the COVID-19 pandemic forces the church to restructure worship and establish online giving, pastor Michael Cooper told Baptist Press most of his members are not accustomed to tithing and giving online.” - BPNews

“Larger churches will have a more difficult time staying larger. At least, that is my postulate according to our early research. And to be clear, I am defining a larger church by the size of its largest worship service, not by its total attendance.” - Thom Rainer

“What is taking place to give us such optimism and hope? Allow me to share five reasons. I must admit I was surprised at some of the research I found on this topic.” - Thom Rainer

“Two-thirds of churches have an attendance under 125. The smaller church is the norm, not the exception. And though the news has not been that promising for smaller churches in recent years, I do see some very promising signs for the years ahead. Why do I make such an apparently contrarian statement? Here are five reasons.” - Thom Rainer

“While plenty of materials are geared toward church growth in bigger congregations, more resources are emerging for leaders in smaller contexts.” - CToday

“A new study from Exponential by LifeWay … gives a clear picture of the state of Protestant churches in America today. Most have fewer than 100 people attending services each Sunday (57%), including 21 percent who average fewer than 50. Around 1 in 10 churches (11%) average 250 or more for their worship services.” - Christianity Today

“Many of the least churched regions were in rural America—where about 14 percent of the U.S. population lives” - CToday

“If you’re a small church pastor who’s been frustrated with your inability to gain control of the church, stop trying. There’s a better way.” - CToday