HEALTHY CHURCH SOLUTIONS: Small Things
Years ago in a revival meeting, at the end of every service, Pastor Rufus Crawford would end the meeting by singing, “Little is Much When God Is in It!” The truth of that song being sung every night was a great reminder that Jesus is more interested in the quality of our walk with Him than the number of people present. Jesus likened His kingdom to a mustard seed and leaven. Henry Blackaby stated, “We measure success by the number of people involved in our ministry. We seek spectacular displays of God’s power. We must learn to view success as God does. God is interested in the heart; He is pleased with obedience.”
Small churches matter, and God has the wonderful habit of working in extraordinary ways through very ordinary-looking circumstances. During this Christmas season, we are reminded that God has responded throughout history by sending a baby, such as Isaac, Moses, Samuel, John the Baptist and, of course, Jesus. Henry Blackaby stated, “When Jesus selected His first disciples, He could have enlisted a multitude to follow Him, but He chose 12. It was not the number of the disciples, but the quality of their walk with Him.” D.L. Moody understood this by stating, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to Him.”
Jesus began His ministry “upside down” compared to how we would rather start — with the big and spectacular. Jesus began with the seemingly insignificant. The debate has been ongoing for a long time about which is better, building a church from crowd to core or from core to crowd. Jesus’ ministry was focused not only “upside down” but also it was “inside out.” Most churches seem to focus on centrifugal force by creating motion in the middle and believing it will “pull” others toward them. It is the Field of Dreams mantra, “Build it, and they will come!” Who does not love a full auditorium and a packed-out service?
You hear, “Well, they must be doing something right at that church. Look at how full the parking lot is on Sunday!” Is that the best metric to use for “success” in ministry? Size, in and of itself, whether large or small, does not guarantee that a church is biblically sound or that it is not. All too often, we are enamored with the motto, “Bigger is better,” while God has repeatedly focused on and worked through the small, ordinary and seemingly insignificant. Zechariah 4:10 (HCSB) says, “For who scorns the day of small things?” The focus of the Great Commission is centrifugal force, where the church is living on mission by going out and making disciples.
Small beginnings give you an opportunity to start again by hitting the reset button. It is a new chance to do what is right, a new opportunity to live according to His plan, a new time to experience new things and to live and fulfill God’s mission through obedience to His Great Commission. Do not judge what others are doing or not doing, but begin believing again that “little is much when God is in it.” Yes, God loves small churches, but He also loves big churches, and one of the worst things you can do is compare because it tends to breed jealousy and envy. The focus is more on the message and mission than the methods utilized.
Scott Hubbard stated this about Zech. 4:10: “Christians worship a big God with a big mission that will one day reach this whole big world. Yet, for all His bigness, our God has a remarkable love for the small. He sets his eye upon small people in small places during small moments (Psalm 33:18; Matt. 6:4). The Son of God, who ‘…did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,’ (Phil. 2:6-8 ESV) even became small to save us.” We love to embrace the truth of how big God is, but then struggle to embrace God’s love for the small, such as Gideon’s 300 or the little boy’s 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Scott continued, “What will it mean for us to worship a God who works like this? It will mean praying for the big, longing for the big, and working for the big — all while faithfully and contentedly devoting ourselves to the small. Pray for revival, then prepare breakfast for the kids. Dream of the knowledge of God’s glory flooding the Earth (Hab. 2:14), then bring a taste of that glory to the neighbor next door. Preach a grand vision to dozens or hundreds on Sunday, then sit and listen to the wounded one on Monday.” It means faithfulness where you are, to the people around you, and to the task God has placed before you.
Who is that one person you need to call and encourage? Where is that neighbor you need to build a relationship with to, hopefully, share the gospel? Who is the person you need to begin discipling by intentionally meeting with them consistently with a reproducible process? Where is the one you need to invite into your home and have a “small” time of fellowship over a meal to let them know they are loved? Where is that needy person you could serve through some “small” act of kindness that would make a “big” impression on their life? Do not underestimate the mustard seed or leaven.
Start small through awareness. How many people in the last week have you made aware of God, your church or you in a positive way? (Acts of kindness, encouraging words, a smile, etc.) In the last week, how many from the awareness category do you know by name, they know your name and you are praying for them regularly? (Prayer is not optional.) How many from the connections category do you know their story, they know you know their story and you connect with them on a regular basis? (Have coffee with them, go shopping with them, help them with yard work, etc.) How many from the relationships category know that you know Jesus, and you want them to know and grow in Jesus?
Little is much when God is in it!
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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