A Third Option: Small Churches
When I hear “experts” talking about the future of the church, I often see them going in one of two options: megachurches and house churches.
The advantage of megachurches is that they have a huge amount of resources available for ministry. The disadvantage is that much of the giving to the church goes to buildings, payroll and other “non-ministry” expenses.
The advantage of house churches is that they have very little, if any expenses and all givings can go directly to ministry. The disadvantage is that small size and lack of public space places some limitations on opportunities.
What I rarely hear about are those smaller and older churches that are all over our cities and towns. It is assumed that they are dying and will soon just be an architectural curiosity.
But what if we saw the amazing potential of these churches? Most of these churches have paid off their mortgage decades ago and so do not have huge expenses. They are known in their community and have space for ministry.
I truly believe that if we saw these smaller and older churches not just as a relic of the past but as strategic for sustainable ministry in our communities that we could take advantage of this opportunity.
I have mostly pastored in such churches and I still believe in these churches. I’m not speaking against megachurches and house churches but I do wish people would see the present value of this third option.
Hey Stephen,
Congratulations on your new ministry in NS! I completely agree with you. I know that many of these smaller churches, like mine, are looking for ways to do ministry yet find they are bypassed for the larger more affluent churches. The community that exists in many of the small churches is phenomenal and ministry can be very effective for many of the reasons you have mentioned.
Thanks. We are enjoying it here (currently only 16 days into our ministry). A dedicated congregation in a paid off building can do so much, if people would only see the potential.