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Small Congregation, Big Potential: Ministry in the Small Membership Church
There are many questions that leaders of small-membership congregations ask themselves about their church's future. Lyle Schaller suggests that two in particular should rise to the top of the list. First, what's the right size of for a church? Is the small congregation averaging two or three dozen people at worship a legitimate order of God's creation? You bet it is, says Schaller. Second, should these congregations make their plans on the basis of few resources and fewer options, or should they see themselves as possessed of pools of talent and expanding possibilities? If you are convinced that the former is true, then this book is not for you. If, however, you are among those who believe that small-membership churches are distinctive places of Christian witness and service, spreading the gospel and living in service to the world in ways that other, larger churches are not, then this book is for you. In it you will find the right questions to ask as you seek to lead a small-membership congregation, and solid, practical guidance for doing so.
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
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July 5, 2019
If you pastor a small church, there is hope for you, and your success is not governed by how large your church is, but how well you obey God and love people. Is your church healthy? Are you moving forward or are you camped out or - God-forbid - moving backwards? You're going to have to be willing to change and try new things. It's ok to be a small church so long as you're reaching out to others. That being said, don't read this book.
Ugh, I hated it. I don't know if I could disagree with this guy more. He raises some very valid points, and then gives conclusions that are just out there. Whereas I totally agree that pastor's shouldn't be doing everything, he goes to the other extreme and makes the entire church run by the laity (pretty much). Rather than having a pastor that preaches, you get videos to play. So there's no authority structure. He thinks that evangelism is not a large part of the church's existence. It's his way or the highway. No, I repeat no, examples of how his method has worked ever anywhere, so it's completely hypothetical. Redefines "small" and "success" to make an unsuccessful church (regardless of the size) be ok. Contradicts himself with many points that I'm sure make plenty of sense to him. Thinks small churches should be connected like the different branches of a local library and copy the culture's fascination with consumerism and individuality rather than providing what the culture is failing to provide. Try and imagine small groups where the small groups actually consist of 100 people. No biblical reasoning, just his own ideas. I can't even give a good review of this because of how stupid it was. Reading it looks like this: statistics, monologue, off the wall solution, repeat. It's a book that you really have to read to understand how stupid it is. I could go point by point in this review to show all the things I disagree with, but it's better to just say I don't agree with anything in this book and move on. Don't recommend for anyone. (I may have gotten some points wrong, but it was very difficult to stay interested in such a boring book.)
Ugh, I hated it. I don't know if I could disagree with this guy more. He raises some very valid points, and then gives conclusions that are just out there. Whereas I totally agree that pastor's shouldn't be doing everything, he goes to the other extreme and makes the entire church run by the laity (pretty much). Rather than having a pastor that preaches, you get videos to play. So there's no authority structure. He thinks that evangelism is not a large part of the church's existence. It's his way or the highway. No, I repeat no, examples of how his method has worked ever anywhere, so it's completely hypothetical. Redefines "small" and "success" to make an unsuccessful church (regardless of the size) be ok. Contradicts himself with many points that I'm sure make plenty of sense to him. Thinks small churches should be connected like the different branches of a local library and copy the culture's fascination with consumerism and individuality rather than providing what the culture is failing to provide. Try and imagine small groups where the small groups actually consist of 100 people. No biblical reasoning, just his own ideas. I can't even give a good review of this because of how stupid it was. Reading it looks like this: statistics, monologue, off the wall solution, repeat. It's a book that you really have to read to understand how stupid it is. I could go point by point in this review to show all the things I disagree with, but it's better to just say I don't agree with anything in this book and move on. Don't recommend for anyone. (I may have gotten some points wrong, but it was very difficult to stay interested in such a boring book.)
Displaying 1 of 1 review