11 Advantages of Having 50 Churches of 100 Instead of 1 Church of 5,000

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But there are a lot more people who are capable of leading smaller churches. Not because the skills and gifts are lesser (I’m a small church pastor myself) but because they’re more common.

Most pastors don’t go into ministry because they feel called to manage resources, raise funds, build facilities or utilize most of the skills needed for big churches.

Most pastors are called to preach the Word and care for people. Those are the gifts that are needed in smaller churches.

3. Benefits of a small church: Church leaders would be under less pressure.

It’s hard to pastor a healthy church. It’s even harder to start one and nurture it to long-term health.

But it’s brutal to try to do that while under the relentless pressure to get bigger every year. And it’s unfair to expect it.

But being one pastor of 50, pastoring churches averaging 100? That’s setting us up for success.

4. Benefits of a small church: Fewer pastors would quit in frustration and discouragement.

Too many pastors leave the ministry without finishing the race.

How much of that is due to unrealistic expectations of numerical growth, combined with under-resourcing them to be healthy while they’re small?

Celebrating and resourcing healthy churches of all sizes might keep a lot more good people in pastoral ministry.

5. Benefits of a small church: Our time and energy could be utilized better.

I’ve seen it happen too many times. A young pastor starts out, excited about ministry. But very soon they discover that doing a good job within their pastoral calling isn’t enough. The pressure mounts to get the attendance numbers up. From the denomination, the church members, fellow pastors and their own ego.

Soon, they find themselves doing less pastoring, more growth strategizing. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, but we all have limited time and energy, so when we push for numerical church growth we’re often stealing something from pastoring.

But if 50 pastors are expected to pastor churches averaging 100, that pressure diminishes and the time and energy they were spending on growth strategies can be poured into pastoral care.

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Karl Vatershttps://www.karlvaters.com/
Karl is the author of four books and has been in pastoral ministry for almost 40 years. He is the teaching pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, a healthy small church in Orange County, California, where he has ministered for over 27 years with his wife, Shelley. Karl’s heart is to help pastors of small churches find the resources to lead well and to capitalize on the unique advantages that come with pastoring a small church. Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com, and has created S.P.A.R.K. Online (Small-Church Pastors Adapt & Recover Kit), which is updated regularly with new resources to help small churches deal with issues related to the COVID-19 crisis and aftermath.

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