Ministry In The Small Church

This follow-up to Shepherding the Small Churchexhorts pastors to take their leadership to a different level, one that is rooted in spiritual activities like preaching and discipleship instead of professional leadership strategies.

Dizzying changes have taken place in American religious life in the last half century. Yet in spite of that fact, taking a snapshot of a “typical” Christian church in America would reveal a surprising number of small-to-mid-sized congregations, rooted in a local neighborhood or community, tied to a specific denomination, where most of the members know each others’ names, and hence are blessed (and cursed) with being the church together. In this clear-eyed, humorous appraisal, Jason Byassee contends that the “church around the corner” occupies a particular place in the divine economy, that it is especially capable of forming us in the virtues, perspectives, and habits that make up the Christian life. Not that he romanticizes these churches, however. Having been a rural, small membership church pastor, Byassee knows too well the particular vices and temptations to which they are subject. But he also knows the particular graces they’ve been given, graces like the “prayer ladies,” those pillars of the congregation who, “when one told you she was praying for you it meant something. When one hugged you, you remembered all week. When one cooked for you the casserole tasted like love. And when you were around them you were in the presence of Jesus.” Anyone who serves, or belongs to, a “church around the corner” will find their ministry strengthened by this enlivening, inspiring book.

Learn how to develop an effective youth ministry with only a few teenagers. And discover how to choose which activities will best help you meet your mission. BONUS: You get 28 ready-to-use activities for small groups!

One size does not fit all, especially when it pertains to a church's role in ministering to a community and its people. It is a fact that most churches in America are small in size. Many of these churches are steadily shrinking. As a response to this need, there have been many books written about Church growth and Church health. Books regarding ministry and church leadership are often written by pastors of large churches that may not have the same perspective about Ministry In The Small Church. Ministry In The Small Church focuses on working in the hearts, minds, and attitudes of ministers and the leadership of small churches for the glory of Christ. It is a call to renew the ministry that God has apportioned to all His people. The goal of Ministry in the Small Church is to encourage and aid the focus of ministers of all types in small churches. The author, Tyler Somers, has a unique love and perspective for Christ's Church, particularly in the small church setting.

An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches.“If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent.” Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting.James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.

One size does not fit all, especially when it pertains to a church’s role in ministering to a community and its people. It is a fact that most churches in America are small in size. Many of these churches are steadily shrinking. As a response to this need, there have been many books written about Church growth and Church health. Books regarding ministry and church leadership are often written by pastors of large churches that may not have the same perspective about Ministry In The Small Church. Ministry In The Small Church focuses on working in the hearts, minds, and attitudes of ministers and the leadership of small churches for the glory of Christ. It is a call to renew the ministry that God has apportioned to all His people. The goal of Ministry in the Small Church is to encourage and aid the focus of ministers of all types in small churches. The author, Tyler Somers, has a unique love and perspective for Christ’s Church, particularly in the small church setting.

A small youth ministry has the flexibility and qualities to be nimble and relational, two qualities that will serve teenagers better than a big budget. This resource demonstrates how to create a ministry teens will love to be a part of. (Ministry & Pastoral Resources)

Do you lead a small church? Big churches get all the love. Articles, books, conferences—they mostly feature leaders of large congregations. Yet big churches are a small part of the ecclesial landscape. In fact, more than 90 percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. That means small churches play a big part in what God is doing. Small Church Essentials is for leaders of these smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well, and how to do it even better. Readers will: Be assured that leading a small congregation does not make them ministry failures Come away inspired to lead with passion, regardless the size of their church Have field-tested principles for leading a church in their context Possess new metrics for biblically measuring vitality in small churches Have a toolkit of resources to use in their everyday ministry Karl Vaters has been a small church pastor for 30 years, is the author of The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches, and the Small Thinking that Divides Us (2013), and travels extensively to churches and conferences to speak about leading a small church well. If you are pastoring a small church, this book will be a breath of fresh air. It will affirm your calling while giving you fresh tools to help you lead. It will help you: Stop believing lies about small churches Lead your church to fulfill the role only small churches can Understand your congregation’s strengths and weaknesses Turn around a dying or unhealthy church Identify good trends and bad in church and culture