The Strategically Small Church: Intimate, Nimble, Authentic, and Effective

by Brandon J. O'Brien

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 22, 2025

About the author

Brandon J. O'Brien (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is director of content and distribution for Redeemer City to City in Manhattan. He is coauthor, with E. Randolph Richards, of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes and Paul Behaving Badly, as well as the author of The Strategically Small Church.

Reviews

[Ryan George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brandon O’Brien doesn’t just encourage small church leaders to be faithful in their contexts. He also dives into the various advantages small congregations can have and offers insight on how to leverage their limited financial and human resources to maximize kingdom impact. I appreciated the compelling, countercultural vision O’Brien casted of what a faith community can be—and how humility and contentment can be force multipliers. Of the dozens of lines I highlighted, this might be my favorite quote: “We must recognize and acknowledge that God is at work even when and where our church is not. The kingdom of God is larger than each of our churches; indeed, it is larger than all our churches.”

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the pastor of a small church and a writer-of-things about the gifts and graces of microcommunities, I really, really appreciated this book. I'd read the original version years ago, but revisiting the revised and expanded edition only served to remind me of the essential goodness of O'Brien's insights. His broad and deep engagement with both leaders and thinkers in the world of wee kirks makes his voice particularly important, particularly as more and more denominational churches contract into the small church world. It's comprehensive, well-researched, logically structured, and accessibly written. For denominational leadership and pastors called to faithful ministry in those churches, this book is a blessing.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reaction to this may be intensely personal, but I absolutely loved this book. As a small-church pastor, who has struggled with feeling like a perennial failure because of not growing a large congregation, this book spoke directly to my soul. O'Brien is so refreshing in his simple honesty and vulnerable reflections on his own career. He is clear-eyed about the ways our culture pollutes our thinking about "success" and "failure," and he knows how to speak to tired and discouraged pastors, because he has been one! I think this is outstanding, and I will be recommending it to friends and colleagues for a long time.

[Piper Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gift to those who are in leadership at small churches.