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| Additional Resources That Complement the Small Membership Church Guideline |
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1. Ideas for Using This Guideline
2. Biblical "Greats" for Small Church Leaders
3. Examples of Pastoral Leaders
4. The Christ-Centered Church
5. Options and Opportunities for Sharing Ministry
6. Questions for a Discussion on Mission and Ministry
7. Passion for People
8. Checking Your Church's Attitude
9. Ideas for Stewardship in Small Churches
10. Tips for Making NOW(rm) Work in Your Church
11. Assessing Your Nurture Ministries
12. More Outreach Ideas
13. More Witness Ideas
14. More Pointers on Lay Leadership Selection
15. Encouragement for Leaders in the Small Church
16. Organizing for Ministry
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Small Church, Big Worship
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by Dean McIntyre
I grew up in small Methodist churches in the 1950s and 1960s that my father pastored. I learned a lot from him and from my mother, who usually served as organist and choir director. Some of the greatest lessons I learned during those formative years had to do with small churches, the people who attended, the problems they encountered because of the
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| The Church Transition Workbook: Getting Your Church in Gear |
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The Church Transition Workbook describes a step-by-step process that will enable the church to get moving again after traumatic conflict or being "run over by change."
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| Welcoming the Other |
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Think about life in your congregation at present. What are you doing (or can you do) to welcome "the other"?
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Big Ambitions, Small Church
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| Cities/Burbs: The Distinctions Are Blurring |
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Central cities and the suburbs that surround them have long maintained clear
dissimilarities. These are changing as suburbs are taking on many of the
traditional characteristics of cities, and cities themselves are evolving.
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Book Review — If It Could Happen Here:Turning the Small Membership Church Around
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Reviewed by Diana Anderson-Northcutt, pastor of United Methodist churches in Lavergne and Rosston, Oklahoma.
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| The Small Church Primer: Strengths, Weaknesses, Worship, and Music in the Small-Membership Church |
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In this article, Dean McIntyre addresses the questions, "What are the challenges of being in a small-membership church?" "What are the gifts and strengths of small-membership churches?"
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Which Church Size Is the Best Size?
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Dr. Mark J. Key, director of congregational development for the Western New York Annual Conference, discusses the "U.S. Congregational Life Survey" and offers some practical suggestions for small-membership churches.
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Teaching in the One-Room Sunday School
The Anatomy of a Sunday School |
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It is virtually impossible for anyone to go to school without studying some kind of anatomy. . . . Take some time to look at the anatomy of your one-room Sunday school class.
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| Congregational Fitness Prescribes a "Healthy Regimen" |
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When serious conflict surfaces in a congregation, lay people are often stunned. Many feel frightened, angry, and helpless.
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| Book Review: Behavioral Covenants in Congregations: A Handbook for Honoring Differences |
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Most congregations reflect the cultures in which they reside instead of leading the way.
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| Book Review: Turnaround Strategies for the Small Church |
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Dr. Crandall's is one of the best books written about turnaround strategies. He begins with an overview of the many strategies that have been identified by turnaround pastors.
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| Book Review: Developing Your Small Church's Potential |
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If you are serving a small-membership church or if you are a member of a small-membership church, Developing Your Small Church's Potential is a book you will want to read.
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| Using Publications to Reflect on Ministry in Your Congregation |
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Reflecting on ministry in the small church is a group effort. Creating places for pastors and laity to talk about life together in a nonjudgmental way is crucial.
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| O For a Dozen Tongues to Sing: Singing Our Song in the Small-Membership Church |
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Wesley wrote longingly of having a thousand tongues to sing God's praise, while we in the small church might be thrilled to have a dozen show up to sing in the choir on Sunday morning.
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| When There Is No Musician in the Church |
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In light of the important role music plays in the church, many congregations identify or hire a person with musical gifts, training, and experience to lead them in their musical endeavors. But what is a congregation to do when there is no musician to lead them?
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