By Doug Beutler
I was being interviewed on a podcast a couple weeks ago about small churches and the host asked me why I am so excited about small churches. I told her that the reason I am so excited about small churches is because I believe they are Ripe for Revival. She then asked the most important question, “Why are small churches Ripe for Revival?”.
Here is why I believe small churches are Ripe for Revival.
1) Small Churches are positioned for change
Most small churches have a limited number of programs or they don’t have any programs at all. Unlike larger churches that have many programs that demand a large workforce small churches are lucky to have 1 program. Discussions can be easier to have in smaller churches because there is less politics, deeper relationships, and fewer people to convince. People only have a limited amount of time to donate to the church. Churches need to prioritize how to best use that time. We are learning in the church that relationships are more important than programs.
I will never forget when one of the people attending our church came to me very frustrated. I asked them what was wrong. They said they didn’t have enough time to make disciples. They then described for me all the “things” that they were involved in with the church. Women’s ministry, outreach ministry, drama ministry, children’s ministry, and worship ministry. Where did they have time to build relationships and make disciples? After some discussions she decided it was more important for her to make disciples then lead a special event for the church. So we stopped doing that special event because there was no one else who had a passion or time for it. These are the tough decisions that churches need to make if they want to have a disciple-making movement in their churches.
2) Survival in a small church is a real thing
Financial pressure, finding and keeping a pastor, and having people continue attending your small church are realities that a small church faces every week. Losing a family or 2 in a large church may not even be noticed but for a small church, it can be devastating. Because of this pressure, it forces small churches to be open to change in ways larger churches may not be. It creates situations where small churches may now accept what in previous years they would have never considered accepting. Like changing the color of the carpet, changing music styles or having music at all, or using technology in the worship services.
I remember when LifeWater merged with a struggling small church in 2009. I was surprised by the tone of the discussions between the two groups. The church that was struggling wanted to merge with us because they had lost hope that they could survive and they desperately wanted to continue being a light in the community. They were willing to adopt our church name, accept our doctrine and denomination, allow us to put screens on the walls to project words for our worship songs, and accept our contemporary style of worship. All these changes I would guess they were unwilling to accept before but were willing now because they knew they had to change or die.
3) Small Churches have a trained pastor available.
I went to an invite-only Catalytic Church Planting Gathering in Houston Texas this last fall. There were 10 or 12 churches there that had been chosen to come and talk about church multiplication in a new culture. We spent lots of time talking about the difficulty finding qualified church planters, the limited amount of money available for church planting, and the restrictions in training church planters. We were there for 2 days and worked about 10 hours a day on these questions. We did a great job identifying the issues but not a lot of solutions.
One of the great things about small churches is that most of them already have a pastor. These pastors love their people and their community. They already have relationships built and have earned trust in the community. They have taken classes at a Bible College or Seminary and have a good foundation about what they believe. They have sound doctrine and if the church is part of a denomination the pastor has had to go through their credentialing process. These pastors are aware of discipleship and most of them have a desire to improve in their disciple-making abilities. There are fewer worries about false teaching, inappropriate behavior, and misleading people in a small church structure compared to other multiplication structures. Desperate recruiting is not necessary and the pressure to “find someone” is lessened.
4) It does not cost money are require a minimum number of people to make disciples.
One of the great things about small churches is that beginning a disciple-making movement in small churches that lead to revival doesn’t cost money. You don’t need expensive resource materials, you don’t need a band, you don’t need an expensive sound system, you don’t need an elaborate marketing plan, you don’t need critical mass, you did need a vast variety of programs, and you don’t need multiple staff to run all those programs. The only thing you need is a pastor who has a passion for Jesus, for his people, believes in the scriptures, and a desire to make disciples. They start with one person who is open to growing in their faith and they meet with them weekly. They experience life with them, walk with them in faith for the long run, and then they ask them to invite a friend to join them. That is how revival and multiplication begin in a small church.
There are many small churches in America that are ready for this change. They are ready to impact their communities for Christ. They are positioned for change, they are motivated by survival, they already have a pastor and people in place, and it doesn’t cost any money or require a minimum number of people. Small churches are Rip for Revival! If you are a small church pastor please prayerfully consider what your next step could be in starting a disciple-making movement in your small church. If you go to a small church talk to your pastor and see what your next step could be in creating a disciple-making movement in your small church. If you need help reach out to us here at Seeds of Change. https://www.lifewatercc.org/seeds-of-change