The One Unique Advantage Small Churches Have on Large Churches
How many times have you heard a small church leader talk about some sort of resource they wished they had that larger churches might have? We often focus on what we can’t do or don’t have rather than concentrating on our strengths and gifts. What if instead small church leaders began to explore and celebrate the unique advantages and gifts small churches can offer that larger churches simply can’t. What a paradigm shift and gift that could be for leaders and well as small church congregations!
If a guest visits a small church, the guest will most likely be recognized as a guest and welcomed graciously. If that same guest were to visit a large church, the guest could go unnoticed. It is common for not everyone to know one another at a larger church. No one wants to call out a person as a guest only to learn that they typically attend another worship service. Or another common phenomenon in large churches is for regular attenders to believe that the guest has already been greeted by others and/or the hospitality team and therefore don’t feel compelled to greet (or perhaps overwhelm) the guest. For these reasons and more, building relationships is more difficult in larger churches.
Relationships are a small churches’ superpower! In the book, Mission Possible for the Small Church: Simplifying Leadership, Structure, and Ministries in Small Churches, authors Kotan and Bradford describe this relationship superpower:
“In small congregations, everyone knows your name. This is a place for all to feel known. A new person will not attend this church and go unnoticed. Children are loved and nurtured by the whole congregation and afforded opportunities to participate in the church in ways that children in larger churches may not because they are stuck in the “youth annex.””
How is your small church building on its superpower of relationships? What other strengths and resources does your small church have? How are you leveraging your superpowers and strengths to reach more people and for deeper Kingdom impact?
To identify more resource opportunities, explore other strengths, discover best practices, and learn more about how to simplify leadership, structure, and ministries in small churches, pick up a copy of Mission Possible for the Small Church. Join us at the Small Church Gathering in your area to dive deep into this topic and more learning opportunities designed with the small church in mind!
