Home Worship & Creative Leaders Worship & Creative How To's 6 Tips from Small Church for Ministries of Any Size

6 Tips from Small Church for Ministries of Any Size

The nature of small churches encourages members to depend on other people and build relationships—and that dependency often cultivates loyalty and authentic community.

4) Accountability breeds spiritual maturity. Small churches understand that accountability to both God and others is essential to developing mature Christians. None of us want to lead or be part of a church that isn’t seeing their members grow into Christlikeness. A small church allows people to live life with each other, as members frequently see one another—each weekend at worship, during the week in a small group, and often in a Bible study or ministry team meeting.

In a megachurch, face time is rare—usually once a week in a small group but almost never at worship. Ministry that is crowd-based, and usually crowd-directed, doesn’t typically reach to the personal relationship level. In a vibrant church that offers involvement, significance, and relationship (the above three principles), people become accountable to God, to others, and to their church.

5) Pastor proximity nurtures discipleship. A small church often affords its members an actual friendship with the pastor and pastoral staff. It’s not difficult to meet and know the leaders—and come to them for counsel. That kind of pastor proximity—not found in a megachurch—often nurtures church loyalty and the desire for discipleship.

6) The church doesn’t revolve around the pastor. Because people in a small church know their pastors personally—their strengths and weaknesses, their assets and flaws—they’re also less likely to create a pastorcentric church and instead build a church that’s about people—not the leader. Most megachurches are magnets for dynamic communicators that create a large following. When people can honestly say they’re part of a church because they find true community and they’re growing spiritually there—not just for the great teaching on the weekends—you know your church is not pastorcentric.

Megachurches have made certain contributions, and we should praise God for their influence in our modern world, but never overlook the contribution of the small church as a protective womb where individuals are nurtured as they live for Jesus Christ.