This summer has been chaotic for me. Hit by a drunk driver, personal finance in a tailspin, the flood at the church…it’s been a greater challenge than I expected. In the midst of it all, one of the things I’ve been trying to work on is a series on unleashing the potential of the small church. While we hear so much about the mega-church success stories, the idea that only mega-churches can be healthy life giving churches is a sad representation of the Body of Christ.

Church growth is something most pastors are striving for, but if our definition of church growth is all about how many we have in attendance and not about how we are impacting our community then I have to question if we are really in this for God’s Kingdom or our own. Even many of the largest congregations admit that bigger churches without small group interaction are not adequately discipling our congregants. As Willow Creek’s www.revealnow.com states on it’s opening page, the question of how many we have “is a good question, but it only measures what we can see. When it comes to the spiritual growth of people we need to get to the heart of things.”

If the vast majority of churches in America have less than 120 in attendance, then it stands to reason that there is a small church dynamic that appeals to the majority of those in our communities. I firmly believe that a church of 40 can be just as effective as a church of 4000…and considering that many large churches started out with 40 or fewer in attendance, I think their existence is proof enough.

What I am hoping to do is establish some parameters, insight, encouragement and admonitions for small church leaders who are looking for a means to understand their potential and tap into it. Some of the topics I’m hoping to discuss are: “A Biblical Understanding of Success in the Kingdom”; “Don’t Limit God”; “Don’t Limit Your Expectations”; “Understand Your Community”; “Becoming A Life-Giving Force in Your Community”; “Connect in the Kingdom”; “Redeem the Time”; and I’m sure there will be others along the way.

Hopefully, with summer winding down I will be able to use this blog to bounce around some of these thoughts. As always I appreciate input, but also recognize that most of those who stop by this page don’t comment, and that’s fine too. I just need to get these thoughts out of my head and my heart, and hope to help someone other than myself along the way.

So, if you want to go along for the ride, buckle in and we’ll see how fast we can get to where we’re going. If you’re already there, any suggestions for the journey are greatly appreciated.

Blessings!

Darrell Buttram, Jr.