Small Church / Big God

Seeing Past the Small Church Stereotypes

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. -Matthew 18:19-20

Let me begin by saying that I am not advocating in this article that one church is better than another. One size does not fit all. There is a need and a purpose for all types of churches and for all sizes; so that people of all types and from all walks of life can be met where they are in life. I am for traditional churches and for nontraditional churches, as long as they are teaching and practicing biblical truth and doctrine. I do not care if it is a storefront church or a cathedral, a cowboy church meeting in a barn, a biker church that meets in a garage, or a recovery church meeting in a school cafeteria, as long as they are preaching and teaching Jesus and salvation through faith in Him. The place and style after all is not the church; we are. And despite our many differences, the local church is ultimately part of the bigger universal church.

I also recognize that small is a relative term. For some small means 500 or less. To others, it means attendance in the single digits. I will leave that determination to your own preference. However, I will say this, there are more small churches than there are what most would consider larger churches. I have seen several different statistics over the years where it shows that the percentage of churches that fall into the 200 attendees or less model make up 90-95% or more of the church population. Unfortunately, after the year of the pandemic, this number has probably increased. It is undeniable. The small church is often not the one seen in the headlines, bumper stickers, or social media, but it is far from obsolete. The small church makes up the majority of the church population.

Now with that said, I do want to help someone out there to see that the small church stereotypes that you have most likely heard can sometimes be unfair, and believing them might lead one to miss out on the blessing that it might provide you or your family. I grew up in a small church and currently serve as pastor in one. I can honestly say that both of those churches have dramatically influenced my life. If I had listened to the stereotypes about the small church, my life would be totally different. Granted, some of the stereotypes might actually be true in some churches. They might also be true of bigger churches. My point is that the stereotypes are not set in stone. Each church is different. Do not let church size define your view of a certain church. Some of the small church stereotypes I am referring to are as follows:

Stereotype #1. -A small church is a dead church.

One belief is that a church must be small because it is dead or dying. Wrong. There are any number of reasons why a church might be small. It might be a new church that has just started meeting and is anything but dead. Likewise, a church might be small due to socioeconomic changes in the community or culture. This does not mean that there is anything wrong with the church. They might be doing everything they can with the resources available to them. Small churches can have just as many active ministries going as their larger counterparts. Small is not code for inactive.

Along with this, others believe a church is small and therefore dying due to conflict or internal problems. Maybe there was a split, leaving the church small and struggling. Of course, this can be true. But it can also be true of bigger churches. Conflict unfortunately happens. Small does not automatically mean there has been conflict. Some of the most loving congregations I’ve met are small in number. If it did happen that way though, it could be that this conflict or split occurred years ago, leaving them small in number and there hasn’t been conflict of any kind for decades and no one left had anything to do with it. You do not know until you look into it. It has been my personal experience that a small church can also have less conflict than a bigger one. After all, fewer people, and fewer differing opinions; therefore, fewer conflicts.

It has also been my experience that the small church can be more involved in missions and local community ministries than some of their bigger counterparts. Do not get me wrong. Many larger churches get involved in local ministries too, but often they are based on their own resources and programs. But for the small church, these local projects are often the lifeblood of their ministries and they can tie them to other similar churches, resulting in a greater sense of being part of a larger community. Giving to local charities, serving in local shelters, supporting special local offerings and the like allow the smaller congregation an opportunity to help out on a larger scale. Being part of a small group does not mean you can’t be part of a bigger purpose. It has also been my experience that small churches often give a larger percentage of their money to missions and ministries on a national or even global scale. The dollar amount may not be as big as our larger sister congregations, but the percentage is often greater. I am reminded of the widow’s mite story of Mark 12… Small churches working together can make a difference.

A dying church is a church that is inactive. It has nothing to do with size.

Stereotype #2. -A small church has nothing to offer.

Like the first stereotype, this one is often wrong for many of the same reasons. It all depends on what you are looking for. There is usually a place in which to plug into in a smaller congregation. In fact, considering most small churches only utilize volunteers, you might find it easier to find a place of service than in a larger congregation with a full-paid staff. Again, it all depends upon what you are looking for.

I once had a church member tell me they were leaving our church. They told me that they liked me and that it had nothing to do with me or my preaching. They said they just wanted to go to a church where they would not be asked to serve in some capacity every week. They just wanted to “be fed”. At least they were honest with me. I have heard the “be fed” line many times over the years. I get it. We all need to be fed from time to time. But part of Christian maturity means there comes a time when we are to feed others too. Scripture speaks about graduating from milk to meat (Hebrews 5:12-14). Granted, not everyone is ready to teach others. Nevertheless, all Christians are called to serve others. Being fed is not to be our priority. You can be fed and serve others at the same time and church size has nothing to do with it. The greatest blessings come when we serve others and doing that in the small church is often easier to do. If you are looking for a ministry to get involved in, then the small church might just be for you.

Likewise, these small churches can have just as many ministry opportunities as bigger ones. Some of the strongest men’s and women’s groups I have seen were in smaller churches. Also, some of the strongest youth groups I’ve seen exist in what most would consider a small church setting.

For example, when I was a teen, I remember being one of two teens that went to a youth bible conference one weekend. The youth pastor and the pastor took us, even though there were only two of us. That weekend had a tremendous impact on me. They cared enough about me and my friend personally to go through all that trouble, even though there were only two of us. I had some great one-on-one, time with my spiritual mentors. You see, in a smaller group, it is easier to invest in individuals. Years later, when I would preach my very first sermon, that same pastor drove down from Tennessee to hear it. My whole church wrapped their arms around me that day. It was in this small church setting that this young boy first realized God’s calling in his life. It had nothing to do with size, but everything to do with the hearts of those leading in the ministries of which I had been a part. And in this small church, I had the support of everyone.

Of course, this can happen in big churches as well. But I would guess the staff and members have to be more intentional in making sure individuals don’t slip through the cracks. Some are highly successful in this and in plugging people into appropriate ministries, but I think in the smaller church it happens more organically.

Stereotype #3. -A small church doesn’t want to grow.

Sometimes there are obstacles in the small church that make growing in number harder than in a large church. For example, no one wants to the be the first or only family with a baby or to be the only college-aged young adult in a church. I understand that, as I have struggled with those ideas as well. But that doesn’t mean the desire to grow in these or other areas doesn’t exist. It might just be that they need someone that is mission minded to be that first in a certain ministry to help get it off the ground. I would love to have new mission-minded people find our small church.

Again, it all depends on whether or not you want to join what is already going on or be part of the ground floor of some new ministry. It also depends on the attitude of the congregation. Just don’t assume that because it is small it means they are not trying or desiring growth. It could be just the opposite. You might just find they are more open to new ideas than some of the larger congregations that have a set way of doing things. Besides, evangelism is our great commission, regardless of size. Big or small, find an evangelistic church.

Stereotype #4. -A small church is closed to outsiders.

Openness to new people has nothing to do with size. Just as it is easy to get lost in a large church setting and feel like just one of many faces, it is also easy to feel as if you are an outsider in a small group where everyone else knows each other. It can be intimidating to step into a group where everyone else seems to be family. But again, this can happen in larger settings as well. Again, it has to do with the mindset of the people and the leadership of the church, not the size. I have been made to feel like I belong in both settings.

However, once that initial awkwardness of getting to know each other is taken care of, the small church does have a family feel that might not be as easy to find in the larger groups. For example, in the small church, when something is happening with your family, such as health issues or other crises, everyone is going to know about it. To some, that might be exactly what you are trying to avoid. But for others, this sense of family is inviting. I know from my own experience; our small church is family. They have loved on me and my family through many a family crisis. I cannot imagine weathering them without the support of my church family. And often, it happened without me having to say a word. Again, this can happen in larger churches too. But again, in the small setting, I think it happens more organically. You cannot help but notice when someone is missing in a congregation of 40 verses a congregation of 4,000. It is harder to slip through the cracks.

While it can be intimidating to walk into a small church as the only stranger; do not let that fear rob you of what might be a beautiful relationship one day. It might just be the beginning of something wonderful in your life. Let God show you if it is where you need to be.

Stereotype #5. -A small church does not have the same level of sound teaching and preaching.

I know this point might be a little self-serving, but I must admit, this stereotype makes me angry. To assume that because a church is small must mean they can not get good leadership or teachers is strictly false. It is also a little arrogant. It is most likely on the assumption that they cannot afford “good” teaching and preaching or that a good teacher or preacher would not want to go to such a small church; as if God’s calling in ministry has anything to do with money or clout.

What makes a teacher or preacher sound or effective? Is it their salary? Is soundness of teaching determined by budget? Is it their education? Is it their social connections? Or is it their heart? In my Bible, Jesus chose the least likely people to be the leaders in the early church. Even Paul himself had to leave Jerusalem and go to Antioch and start from scratch with a zero-member congregation and be a bi-vocational tentmaker when he first started preaching. Would we say he was sound? Where is it written that God only calls us to bigger and bigger congregations as we progress in ministry? Paul was told to go where there were basically no Christians. He went there because God told him to.

It might just be that the pastor of that small church might just be feeling a call to that ministry and is as sound as any. A perfect example is the church I now serve. The pastor before me was a nationally well-known leader in our denomination. He could probably have pastored any large church in our denomination that he wanted. There is a college nearby that has an annual bible conference named after him in his honor. Yet, his wife told me he came here to this small church because he felt called to this church and he served here for many years until his unexpected death. I find it very humbling to follow in his footsteps. But the fact that he followed his calling to this small church told me much about him and it also told me what I needed to know about this church when I was considering coming here. I consider it an honor to serve here, and I am happier in this small church setting than I have ever been.

It is also safe to say that some of the leaders of some of the largest churches in the nation might have just as much reason to be examined as to if they are sound teachers as any. I am not going to mention any names, because it does not matter for the purpose of this writing. But just because a person has a huge following does not mean they are teaching and preaching biblically. There are countless ways to draw a big crowd that have nothing to do with sound doctrine. Sometimes, it might just mean the opposite. So be careful. Let the Bible be the standard by which you determine if a teacher is sound, not the size of the crowd.

Stereotype #6. -A small church cannot meet my needs.

This might be true. But then again, it might not. It depends on what your needs are at the moment. But give it a chance. You might be surprised. Do you want to be a part of something bigger than yourself? Do you want to be a part of a church family? Then give it a try. If it doesn’t fit, it might be that a larger church down the road would be a better fit and provide these things for you. Just do not assume that because it is small, it has nothing to offer.

There are people in my community that I will probably never be able to reach through my small church. I pray the larger churches in the area can reach them. Likewise, there are people that walk through my door all the time that would probably never step foot in the mega-church down the street. Put simply, there is room for all of us. There is a need for all of us. We are all in this together. Especially in our culture today, there is a need for both the big and small churches. We all have different things to offer. We are to complement one another, not compete with one another.

Most importantly, the question to ask is whether or not this church points me to Jesus. If the answer is yes, then small or not, it is probably worth trying. Do not underestimate the strength of the small church.