Why I Love Small Church

"Go big or go home" is what I heard from one pastor friend. "You've got to have a big vision" said another.



My denomination publishing house rolls out another program, calls it "Simple Church", and then charges $69 for a seat at the conference so you can learn how to be simple.



Well, I'll tell you how for $20. Send them by paypal please.



Here it is - love small church.



If you love small church, you won't have to be troubled by things that drive the guys in big churches crazy. Staff meetings are a breeze when it's just you. Worship planning never has a hitch when nothing is timed to the minute, especially since you never start on time. Budgeting is much easier, since you have no money to plan with, and have to depend on God to meet your needs rather than John Maxwell's friends and their stewardship skills.



Much of what is directed at me tells me I am a failure because I haven't led my church to exponential growth, aren't planning on satellite campuses, and have no plans to open a virtual community on Second Life. We don't even play rock music during our worship. GASP!



Ah but today brought with it a beautiful expression of God's grace in clear skies and warm breezes, as well as the opportunity to read David Fitch's article "Why Missional Community Is More Difficult And I Love It"



It was awesome. Here are a couple of excerpts - go read it. It's good for what ails you.

It is more difficult to take 10 people and grow a living organic body of Christ to 150 than it is
to transplant 200 or 300 people (or I have heard even 600-800) and then
grow that congregation to 5,000. Because a crowd draws a crowd.



It is more difficult
to build a community of people who know and care for one another, who
when they speak, they are heard, who when there is conflicts, all
participate in reconciliation and growth, than it is to
put on a production and provide religious goods and services where if
some people don't like it they can just go shopping elsewhere.



It is more difficult to preach a sermon to 100 people than it is to 8,000 people.



It is more difficult
to deal with conflict and leadership in a small organic church where
our conflicts, our vision, our weaknesses must all be talked about,
worked through.

Go read it all. Then forward it to the pastor of any small churches and struggling plants you know. David Fitch, you are my hero.

Technorati Tags: David Fitch, small church, missional, community, David Wilson, It's Like Herding Cats

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