I am continuing my series of posts on life in a smaller Church (under 300) in a smaller town. The Church I currently serve is in a town of 1,600 people who are mostly rural in nature. Life here is different from life in a Church of 300 plus or in a town of 20,000 plus. It is really different from a Church of over 1,000 people or in a community of over 100,000 people.

Yesterday I looked at the role of the Pastor and today I want to look at the past of a smaller congregation. Every congregation I have served had a strong history. The Churches had been around for a long time in their communities. One in northern Indiana was not only the oldest Church in town but one of the oldest in the state.

One thing I have noticed about smaller Churches is that they have a sense of stability. Nothing really seems to faze a smaller older congregation. That is because they have been around long enough to see it all. The Church has had high and lows and they have had difficult times and wonderful times throughout their history. They have survived through all of those experiences and they believe they will survive long into the future.

In fact, one common conversation has occurred in every congregation I have served. That is the talk about “good old days.” Every Church has told me about the time their attendance was the highest in worship, the time their Sunday school was averaging the most people and the time their VBS had every kid in town. Without exception, every Church I have served had some glory day that everyone remembers fondly.

The downside to this stability and glorious past is that there is usually no plan for the future. The Church once had a great ministry going and it slowly passed. Now there is no plan to try to get it back again. There is this thought that says, “Growth comes and goes and one day it will come again.” “If we are patient and keep doing things the same way, one day the glory will return.”

The hard reality is that this is simply not true. Growth both spiritual and numerical will not return without some plan to make it happen. You see, when I begin to ask more and more questions I find that those glory days of the Church were usually preceded by strong leadership, daring plans and leaps of faith. The Church tried contemporary music, they experimented with two services, they offered the most outrageous VBS ever or did some great event to shake things up. For a few moments the Church planned, prayed and served and something great happened. Then over time the Church lost that leadership, and sometimes the faith, to dare action and it slowly slid down into disarray. Now it looks backs happily into the past and backs blindly into the future.

After years of experience I have learned that it is great to celebrate the past. I deeply appreciate all those who have paved the way for me to be here as a Pastor at this Church. But in order for a Church to go forward it needs to turn itself toward the future and dream about what God can do based off of what he has done.

I am going to do a series of posts this week about being a smaller Church (under 200-300 people) in a small town.

First, you need to know a little about me. I grew up in a town of 500. We attended the local Church in that town until I was 5 and then we went to a nearby town of 15,000 for Church with a congregation of 200. On top of that, I have been a preacher/pastor since 1993 and every Church I have served has been under 300 people. In fact, the largest Church I have served averaged 278 in a community of 60,000 – but my average Church is 125 in a town of less than 10,000 and usually less than 3,000 people. You need to know that I write this material not as a large church pastor looking down on small churches in small towns but rather as a person who is living this reality every day of my life.

Second, you need to know that I feel God has called me to this community of people. Personally I have felt God calling back again and again to a small church in small town. His calling on my life has not just been to be a pastor but to help lead some of these congregations through difficult times and into new levels of growth. God has allowed me to lead 4 congregations to new growth levels in my time as their minister and I have truly been blessed on this journey.

With all that said, I have come to learn a few things about smaller churches in small towns that are worth exploring. Many of these concepts have a very big upside, but they also can have a big downside. I want to explore that in the coming week (or more).

The first issue that I would like to write about is the role of the Pastor. Being a pastor in a smaller congregation is completely different from being the pastor of a larger congregation.

1. Smaller Churches have only one staff member usually. Occasionally there is some part-time staff, but even those are students in a local college or just Church members with no formal training. This means that pastor is called upon to do more than one job. A small Church pastor is often called upon to be youth minister, children’s director, worship leader (at least planner), counselor, administrator and any other duties that needs filled. The upside is that the preacher can connect to everyone in the Church on a very personal level. We can serve side by side in almost any area. The downside is that some pastors are not good at other areas. Take me for example, one congregation had me leading singing. I can’t carry a tune, but the position needed filled so I did it. God bless those poor people.

2. Smaller Churches are dependent on volunteers. Since the preacher can’t do everything he needs reliable people to serve along with him. The preacher in a smaller Church is often pleading for more and better volunteers. The hard reality is that in a smaller Church the number to draw upon is very small. Many simply don’t want to volunteer, many don’t feel qualified, many are burnt out after years of service and many just serve because of necessity while waiting to quit. There is a great upside to this truth though. Everyone in the Church is needed and everyone has a chance to use their gifts and abilities. Ask me how you can help and I can give you a page of ideas. The number of volunteers in a small Church is usually well over 50% of those attending. The downside is that a smaller Church cannot offer the ministries a larger Church can offer. I often have to tell people I am sorry we do not have a ministry for 3rd graders who are left-handed and struggle with the onset of early stress related disorders 🙂 We struggle to have youth group and children’s ministry let alone specialized areas of ministry. I do not have volunteers and I do not have the time. It doesn’t mean that I, the Church leaders and the Church do not care – it just means we don’t have the manpower.

I tell you all of this because I listen to lectures on Church growth. I read articles about how to grow a Church. I attend conferences on how to reach the lost. And most of them leave me very empty because my Church is not like the larger Church and it is not like the Church in a bigger town. Being a Pastor/Preacher of a smaller Church in a small town is different from being anywhere else. In order for the Church to reach people with the gospel it requires everyone in the congregation working together as a team with all of their gifts and abilities. When a Church can grasp that concept, it finally starts on a road toward growth.

Here are some of the good things I have read on the web lately.

CHURCH –

* Carpet Splitting over at Christian Standard

* Top 30 Blogs Christian Leaders Need to Read in 2015 by Brian Dodd

FAMILY –

* 7 Things Husbands Should Stop Doing – By Mark Merrill

* 5 Things the First Year of Marriage Taught Me About Myself – by Philicia

* Maybe Life’s Biggest Moments are Really the Small Ones – at We Are THAT Family

* 10 Texts to Send Your Kids or Grandkids by Mark Merrill

* The Day I Didn’t Make Cheerleading at WonderHERful

God taught me numerous lessons this past year and I know He wants me to learn more in the coming year. Unfortunately, you do not learn by passively letting each day go by. I think you need to be asking questions all the time. These may be questions about yourself or about the circumstances you are experiencing. Here are some of the questions I am continually asking myself.

1. What do I need to remove from my life?

I am fully aware that some of the behaviors in my life are counterproductive to my long-term dreams. This may be as simple as removing some of the chocolate or soda from my diet. It can also be as tricky as watching movies with nudity or foul language in them. Jesus reminds us that for a plant to grow there must be pruning.

2. What do I need to add to my life?

I once read a statement from Dr. Phil that said something to the affect of, none of us really change we simply exchange one habit for another. I am not sure I completely agree with it, but there is definitely some truth to it. For example, I not only need to remove the junk food but I need to add exercise. Instead of lying around eating sugar and getting fat I need to get up and do something active to fill that time. If I am going to remove something negative I had better have plan to fill that void with something positive.

3. How can do things better?

Numerous things in my life are not necessarily bad. In fact, many things I do are very good. The problem can be that I am not doing them effectively. How can I improve my Bible reading time, my prayer life or my spiritual reading? Is it better to listen to something or read it myself? Is it better if I take notes or simply sit back and absorb? How can I maximize the time I am using for good in my life?

4. Does this matter in the big picture of things?

Early in life I was often caught up in the minutia of the moment. Little flaws would drive me crazy. Momentary disagreements would derail me. One sentence statements would keep me up at night. Lately I ask myself “big picture” questions. Is that one disagreement indicative of my entire relationship or just this one moment? Will this one flaw throw off my entire effort or be just a minor distractions? Will I care about this issue in a year? When I ask myself this question it helps me to calm down and not be so emotional in the moment. That dent will not matter in a year compared to the scar I can give with my words in the moment.

5. What did I learn from that experience?

At least half of what I attempt fails. Maybe more. Some blog posts never get read. Some sermons get a nice yawn. Some family times end in arguments and frustration. Some ministries fail. Some dreams die before I am able to take the next step toward them. You know what I mean, because we have all been there. I have come to believe we can focus on the failure or we can learn from what just happened. With that knowledge we can do try to avoid the same mistakes the next time or do it differently altogether.
The flip side is also true. Sometimes I actually succeed. The blog gets praise, the sermon goes well, the ministry is effective and my relationships are great. I still need to pause and ask myself, “What went right?” How can I repeat success unless I learn from those experiences too.
Failure or success must be constantly evaluated so that we can learn from each day of our life.

These are the questions I am asking myself this year. Some of them I ask daily, some weekly and some monthly. I will often sit down at lunch alone and just start thinking. Often I bring a notepad and jot down ideas that come to mind. It has resulted in blog posts, sermons and always life lessons that are making me into the person God wants me to be.

If you ask anyone who teaches in the Church who learns the most when you teach, most of them would say “I do.” Teaching others usually produces a big step of growth in knowledge and faith for the teacher. It doesn’t matter whether it is your first time teaching or your thousandth time teaching, there is always something that God is teaching you through the process. I am no different. Even after over 20 years of ministry I manage to learn something new every week or at least I get reminded of lessons I learned years ago and have since forgotten. So today I thought I would share a few lessons God is teaching me in my ministry through my current season of life.

– I must force myself to connect with other people. (I am naturally introverted)
– I need God’s grace daily and often hourly.
– My family is my greatest ministry.
– Giving people are an enormous blessing from God.
– The Bible has numerous stories I cannot explain.
– Most people are looking for attention.
– Almost no one cares what you accomplished 10 years ago or 5 years ago or 2 years ago or even last year.
– People who serve are rare and more valuable than gold.
– Love people, no matter what.
– Jesus never ceases to amaze me. He is more complex and wonderful than I learned growing up.
– Laugh often – even at yourself especially at yourself.
– Appreciate your parents
– The Church can occasionally be an ugly place, but it is still the greatest organization for good that I know.
– You must lead yourself before you can lead others.
– Say kind words daily to your spouse and your children and anyone else you come in contact with.
– Children’s ministry is more important than worship today.
– Very little compares to the joy of hearing my children laughing.
– The greatest compliment you can give my preaching and teaching is your obedience to God.
– I am ready for Jesus to return any day now, but I am not quite ready to go and see him.
– God never ceases to show up and amaze me.

Those are just some of the things God keeps impressing on me. What about you? What is God teaching you these day?

Yesterday I wrote about my role as a father and today I am thinking about my role as a Pastor. Here are some lessons I am trying to teach other believers in my Church through my words and my actions.

– We are all in this together.
– Serve.
– People will help you if you ask.
– Jesus is more complex than we are told.
– Think of other people.
– Your ALL children are watching you.
– God will bring something good from bad situations if you let Him.
– Yes, children are the future of the Church, but you are the present Church.
– Obedience is greater than praise.
– It’s okay for your children not to be involved in every activity at school.
– Senior adults are the greatest asset in any Church, if they will do something.
– God’s grace is sufficient.
– Love is an action word.
– To have a strong Church you need strong leaders.
– Faith needs daily deposits
– People willing to teach are more precious than gold.
– Don’t criticize.
– Church growth is about friends and family coming to Jesus, not just numbers.
– Step out in faith regularly.
– There is a lot of bad theology out there, use your bible and your brain.

Once again, I know there are numerous other lessons I am constantly trying to teach. These are the big recurring themes in my life and ministry right now. I am sure some will adjust and new items will take their place as the Church here grows in the faith and in their number. Hopefully these are lessons that you are currently learning from me, otherwise I might be wasting my time:-)

I have been thinking about my children and all I want to teach them before they leave my house and head out into the adult world. I am unashamedly a Christian and a preacher and these lessons are through the lens of a father, christian and pastor. Maybe they will inspire or challenge you. Here is what I have so far.

– Your life is valuable because God created you and redeemed you, no matter what else happens.
– Think of the people around you.
– Always respond with kind words even when you want to scream.
– Your family is a group of people who love you.
– The Church is a mess, but most people are doing their best to learn and grow.
– The Packers are the closest thing to God’s team 🙂
– There are few truly evil people in the world, most just desperately want attention.
– Love your wife the best you can.
– Don’t attach your self-worth to what you own.
– Hurt people will hurt people.
– No one understands women, even women.
– You will fail, try to handle it with grace.
– Dad and Mom love you unconditionally.
– Following Jesus is hard.
– Be willing to laugh at yourself.
– Laugh often.
– Be Careful, I am always scared for your safety.
– Carry enough cash for emergencies.
– Serving others is better than self-indulgence in the long run.
– Be grateful for everything you have.
– Enjoy the people God puts into your life before they are gone.

I could probably come up with more, but this is what I am thinking about this morning. I desperately want to raise children who will love the Lord and love people. Everyday is a journey down that path and I pray we all end up in a good place together.

While on my break I got to do something I do not get to do very often, I was able to listen to a sermon while sitting out in a congregation. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to dozens of sermons each year. I usually hear those sermons as a podcast while driving down the road or just out walking. I chose to listen and I get to chose the time and place and in some ways the topic. If I do not like a podcast I just go to the next one. Sitting in a Church congregation and listening is very different. I don’t really choose anything about what is going to happen, except how I handle it. Here are my suggestions to make the most of your time listening to a sermon each week.

1. Pray Before You Go – I always ask God to speak to me through the sermon I am going to hear. It may be the whole sermon, through one point of the sermon, or possibly just one story or line. I want God to allow me to hear something that will cause me to grow as a follower of Jesus. This may be a 10 minute prayer before I leave the house or a 1 minute prayer during communion while my mind begins to focus on the upcoming sermon.

2. Listen Close – I have really never understood people who get up, go to Church and then talk or play on their phone during the sermon. Just stay home if you don’t care to hear anything being said. But if you do want to hear something then try and focus. I try to set up or lean in or anything I can do to hear what is being said.

3. Take Notes – One of the greatest ways that I listen is to take simple notes. By that I mean that I do not try to write everything I hear, but words, phrases and ideas that jump out at me. I try to see if I can follow the outline and the line of reasoning. Honestly, I usually throw the notes away after the sermon is over, but it does help me to focus and hear everything. This does mean that I need to grab my Bible, a notebook and a pen or two before I leave the house.

4. Think Action – I am constantly asking myself two major questions as I listen to a sermon. First, have I learned anything new or have I learned some truth in a new way. Secondly I ask if there is something I need to do again, or differently or in a new way with the information I have received. What actions do I need to add or remove from my life? It was once said that the Bible was not given to us to increase our knowledge but to change our lives. And to that end, I listen.

I am sure there are other things that some of you find helpful. I will be honest, I have sat through some boring sermons and some that were just the same information I had heard before. That is when I bow my head and say a simple prayer, “Lord let someone get something out of what is being said, even if it is just the preacher.” I really believe that no sermon is ever wasted. God will use His word being taught in someone’s life. I praise him for that as a man who listens to sermons and as a preacher of sermons.

I once read somewhere that the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint. I have since heard it applied to being a pastor as well. The implications of both are clear – plan and prepare for the long haul and not a short trip.

Jesus had a similar analogy in Matthew 13 when talking about a seed. There are many stages in a plant from germination to a full-grown seed bearing plant. Until an adult plant bears a good seed it has not completed its purpose. The seed that germinates and grows but dies with no root is the same value as the seed that didn’t take root at all.

How many of us have known a person who came to faith and was on fire for God and now doesn’t even attend Church? How many of us have known a pastor who once preached with great passion and now doesn’t even preach?

I know that there are literally dozens of factors that cause these sad situations, but I want you to be aware of a couple of these.

1) Regular Soul Maintenance. I believe everyone needs to pray daily. Everyone needs to read their Bible at least 4 days a week. Everyone needs to attend a worship service weekly. Everyone needs to serve, at the very least, monthly.
* Too many people have too much “down time” away from the life of faith. They quit reading their Bible for long stretches of time, they quit praying and they skip Church. Their lack of time spent developing their faith leads to shallow or even no faith.

2) Regular Time Off. The opposite is also true. I watch too many Christians get excited about their faith and they serve every Sunday and often one or two more days each week in addition. They attend every program the Church offers. You see them at the Church building day after day.
*Too many people have no “down time” away from the life of faith. They never take a rest and they burn out over a long stretch of time. Eventually they quit because they have nothing left to offer.

I must admit, I have been guilty of being on both sides of this equation. I have skipped my quiet time and paid the price in my soul. I have also spend every hour focused on my faith and ministry and paid the price in my soul as well. There is thin line we must walk between too much down time and too little, but it is a line we must walk. Which side do you find yourself on?

I like to take a few moments each year to reflect and on the previous year. Here are my personal statistics.

-Preached 51 times on Sunday morning
-Preached at 2 special programs (Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve)
-Taught 25 Sunday School Lessons
-Taught 5 youth group lessons
-Gave 4 leadership devotions
-Baptized 4 people personally
-Wrote 242 blog posts – which had 6,724 views by 1,948 unique visitors
-Attended 2 conferences (1 on marriage and 1 on change)
-Traveled 4,000 miles in a U-haul
-Led two Churches for 6 months each
-Uncounted number of prayers, meals with people, counseling sessions, visiting and miscellaneous work.

All in all it was a good year. God has continued to use me and bless me in numerous ways.

I have been reflecting on this past year and I have been thinking of all that God has taught me or at least re-taught me. Here a couple of thoughts.

1. Where God Guides God Provides. I heard this phrase early in ministry and it has proven true over and over again. This year God provided me with a place to move, a ministry to lead, funds for a U-haul, a house in Missouri, the sale of our house in Alaska, and every day with food and shelter. I have not missed any payments and have had items replaced that I had to leave behind (like mattresses) through other people’s generosity. When you take a new path because you are trying to follow God, I firmly believe He will show up in unbelievable ways.

2. Do Your Best for God and Let Him Provide the Results. I was looking over my blog stats for the year and I was amazed. In 2013 I wrote 201 post and had 1026 views by 240 unique visitors. This year I had about 9 times as many visitors and over 6 times as many views. What did I do different in 2014? Almost nothing. I promoted my blog through the Church I serve and I know that Adrian Church is bigger than Homer, but that does not explain all the unique visitors. I find that God takes what I write and somehow connects it with people who need to hear it. God continues to use my life and ministry to bless, encourage and teach other people in ways that I could not do on my own. Last year I had the opportunity to baptized 4 people and only 1 of those was I really working with in 2013. Two of them I didn’t even know existed. God brought people into my life that needed to hear what I had to say. He has used me last year and I know He will use me this year. I know He can do the same for you.

What happened for you in 2014? What lessons did God teach you or remind you of during the year? I look forward to a great 2015 because the God who led me in 2014 is still in charge. Praise God.