I guess this is my new avenue to share my consuming passion for the growth and health of small churches in general and small Adventist churches in particular. I believe that Christ has a mission and direction for small churches in small communities that is powerful and unique. In fact, there may be no better way to expand the kingdom of God than through the ministry of small churches.
Part of my motivation for this blog is the vacuum of meaningful encouragement and dialog about the subject of growing healthy congregations in small communities. As a full-time leader in just such a group, I yearn for encouraging words and suggestions that will make a real difference in the life of my home church. Sadly, I find myself reading books and attending conferences where small churches are told to just imitate big churches so that the small churches can become big ones as soon as possible. Little thought is given in some circles to the unique challenges of small churches.
From experience, I have found that not only do small churches have unique challenges, but they have unique opportunities that far outweigh those hurdles. As my blogging time and experience grow, I hope to begin sharing ideas about both those hurdles and possibilities.
2 comments:
It would seem the most effective ministry performed during Christ's time on earth was not to the big cities, but with individuals and small groups in the little towns. He and His disciples could often be found mingling with the citizens of towns and villages, sharing in the most basic of life's necessities and demonstrating the loving character of God.
Relationships; it all comes down to relationships -- and what an opportunity a church has in a small town versus the seemingly anonymity of a church in a large city. We are called to reach the people of the cities, but it appears our methods are not as effective as they should be when relying so much on media. But when a church catches the vision to be personally present in their town or community, the truth can be shared through the bonds of friendships formed with genuine interest and love.
May God lead us into a deeper commitment to spend the time, energy, and compassion to invest in the real-life people of our communities. Peace.
Congrats on the launch of "smallchurchfire"! I'll link to you from http://georgiagrown.blogspot.com/ .
Blessings,
~Harold Cunningham
Post a Comment