CityView Magazine

faith I Valuing Small Church THE BY DAN ALGER as well. When we are looking for a church we tend to want more programs, flashier children's ministries, better coffee and cushier seats. If there is a larger building, we reason that it must be a better church. If it has an ample budget, it must be more successful. If there are multiple services, multiple staff, and multiple campuses, we think the church has to be doing great things. But the Christian's evaluation of what is good and better should not be the same as the world around us — sometimes the smaller should be valued as being as good as the larger. Let me say at the outset that I am truly n our consumer culture we overwhelmingly value the big, the shiny and the rich. If there is more, we think that it must be better. If it is larger, it must be more successful. The same trend exists in the church thankful for many of the large churches in our city. Churches like Manna, Berean Bap- tist and others are doing fantastic work for Christ. I just want to use the platform I have here to make sure that in the shadow of some these giants, we do not downplay the extreme value of small churches. Small churches are all over our city and the surrounding posed to be. They are loving communities of faith, faithful to the Scripture, deep in fellowship, passionate in worship, active in helping others — and let us not forget that countless lives are changed in their midsts. I know many stories of peo- ple who have reluctantly entered the doors of a tiny church only to leave with a gigantic joy. Christians believe that God is the one who brings new life through his son Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. These three entities are just as powerful in small chapels as in large auditoriums. In fact, there are even some advantages to smaller churches. A primary challenge for larger church- es is to transform the mass of people into an intimate community. Small churches do not have this problem. If you walk into a small church, small towns; small churches with 50 or 100 members, or even fewer. They meet faithfully for worship, serve our community diligently, pray fervently for the welfare of our city and love each other deeply. There may not be lots of programs or very many zeroes in their budgets. They may not have orchestras, or strobe lights, or a youth group with a catchy name. Their buildings may need work and their parking lots may need paving. Their pastors may not have a nice suit or a $90 Afflic- tion dress shirt with a graphic cross on the shoulder, but these are not the marks of success in the Christian church. Many of our small churches epitomize what church is sup- 20 | September/October • 2012 to do more than just warm seats and use up air conditioning. Not all small churches are great places, just like some there. Larger churches have to figure out a way to not let people just hide in the crowd but actually engage in the work of service and ministry. In small churches if you are dead weight, you stick out like a Catholic priest at a Baptist revival. There is nowhere to hide in a small church, and this can be a great thing for motivating people they are going to know you are large churches are just big mistakes, but as you drive down the streets of our county, let us give thanks to many who are faithfully small. If you are in a small church, don't be frus- trated by wishing that you had more people and more money. Pursue great quality even if you do not have great quantity. Be faithful to the mission of the church and have influence in whatever ways you can. If you are the pastor of a small church, be encouraged and remember that you are doing a great work. The people of this county need our small church- es and the people who comprise them. Even if the world does not notice you, Jesus does — and he is well pleased. CV

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