Small Churches, BIG Impact

 

My time at Ga Tech may be to blame for it, but I always find myself asking why things are done the way they are. This includes how we "do" church. I feel that too many small churches simply do what they've always done. IMHO, there might be better way! At our small church, we thought maybe we could get some helpful ideas by examining how the early church did things. We discovered at least three areas where what they did was different from what we were doing: • Worship Services: A first-century church meeting was not a spectator sport. Any member could contribute verbally to the meeting. The prime directive was that anything said had to be edifying, encouraging, equipping, or motivational. Their leaders were more like side-line coaches than star players. Even the leader's teaching time was more dialog than monolog. • Lord's Supper: Not only did the New Testament church celebrate the Lord's Supper every week, but as an actual supper (hence the name), centered around the elements. • Decision Making: Rather than a C.E.O. model, it appears that early church leaders took the time to serve the church by building congregational consensus on major decisions. Incorporating these practices into our small church has been a tremendous blessing! Might they be to yours, too? A Baptist church planting network interviewed us about the results of doing church this way. It's a short, 20-minute interview. Take a listen. It may give you some biblical ideas to help your church have a big impact!

Jesus is Wonderful!

Stephen Atkerson

Small Churches, BIG Impact

NTRF.org