Articles for tag: Small Churches

April 8, 2012

Christian Standard

A New Church for Happy”s Inn

By Phil Alspaw “This is just a fun ministry.” I say those words to my wife nearly every Saturday evening as we pull around a rural fire department”s parking lot and start driving 35 miles home after worshipping with Chain of Lakes Christian Church, started by Libby Christian Church last year on Easter weekend. We usually drive on a logging road maintained only a few months of the year; it”s bumpy, narrow, and beautiful. A long section of the road stretches along a gorgeous river that supports a vast wilderness teeming with deer, elk, moose, mountain lions, wolves, bears, and

April 7, 2010

Christian Standard

It”s About More Than Just Size

By Mark A. Taylor Early in the first of his megachurch articles, Kent Fillinger gives perspective for churches of every size. The churches in this year”s list grew by an average of 4.7 percent, he reports, and points out that a church of 150 would need to add only seven to grow by the same percentage. Later, in his encouraging article about the explosion of baptisms in these churches, he calculates their 2009 baptism ratio (i.e., the number of baptisms per 100 attendees) at 7.6. To meet this standard a church of 150 would need to baptize 11 or 12 people annually.

December 6, 2009

Christian Standard

Reaching Unbelievers: How Effective Is Your Church?

  by Kent R. Hunter It was Tuesday morning and that meant the weekly ministry review at Starbucks. Jonathan and Jason are ministers with small churches south of Portland, Oregon. Today”s topic drifted toward Pathway, the megachurch in town. The conversation was similar to thousands occurring among ministers. Megachurches offer more programs, better worship music, slicker printed pieces, and specialty staff. People in our society seem to shop for everything, including church. The membership of small congregations””such as the two these men serve””is declining, while megachurches make headlines. Jason and Jonathan enjoyed their coffee, but had a bittersweet attitude about

October 8, 2008

Christian Standard

Church Health and Attendance Numbers”“How Do They Relate?

By Mark A. Taylor Is growing attendance a reliable indicator of church health? American Christians generally answer yes. Perhaps this is because we live with the effects of corporate pressure for quarter-by-quarter growth in sales and profits. For several decades now, the American mind-set has equated “bigger” with “better.” But not everyone accepts that conclusion any longer. Speaking at the Energizing Smaller Churches Network conference in Lincoln, Illinois, last month, Paul Williams listed 10 signs of a healthy smaller church. His first point: “Measure by relational growth as well as by numbers growth.” Many of the smaller church”s problems can

April 18, 2007

Mark A. Taylor

Leading Through Change

Change Is

Tom Ellsworth urges patient, listening-first leadership when guiding change in smaller churches. Mark A. Taylor introduces a book excerpt on helping town and country congregations respond faithfully to demographic shifts and unchosen change.

June 4, 2006

Arron Chambers

small churches

Magic Pill

Using a “Magic Pill” metaphor, Arron Chambers explains why some churches prefer to stay small—avoiding change, cost, and shared leadership—and urges congregations to pursue healthy growth under Christ.

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