Virtually every lead pastor will pastor a small church. At least for a while. Usually longer than we expect. So why not do it well?

Three facts sit atop the list of things I wish someone had told me in Bible College.

Seriously, take a look at the class schedules for any ministry training school/college or seminary. How many of them are telling their ministerial students any of these realities, let alone teaching them the skills needed to pastor a small church?

Some?

One?

Any?

Teaching ministry students how to get through 200 without teaching them how to do it well under 200. Isn’t that just a little cart-before-the-horse-ish?

Let’s take a look at these points, one at a time.

FACT #1: Most of Us Will Never Pastor A Big Church

How do I know this? Because 90% of the churches in the world have less than 200 people in them. Even in the developed world, 90% of churches have less than 250.

When is someone going to break this news to our pastoral ministry students?

Instead we pump them up with big church principles and expectations, most of which apply in less than ten percent of the churches in existence. Then we wonder why so many pastors leave ministry burnt out and disillusioned, with damaged churches in their wake.

Most lead pastors will do most of our ministry in small churches, because 90% of churches are small. So why are we teaching ministry students big church skills, almost exclusively? Most of those skills will never apply to 90% of the ministry they’ll be doing.

FACT #2: Virtually All of Us Will Pastor a Small Church for Some Time

99.9% of lead pastors will spend at least some time pastoring a small church. But even if expect to build a big church to mega-size, the absolute irrefutable fact is that unless your father currently pastors a megachurch, no one will ask you to pastor a megachurch as your first position in ministry.

maybe you’ll go to an existing small church and it will grow to a mega. Maybe you’ll be a church plater and oversee its growth to become the next big thing. But even if you do, here’s an undeniable truth; Before it becomes big, it will be small.

Since every pastor will lead a small church for at least some time in their ministry, shouldn’t we learn how to do it well? Plus,(and I know this will sound like lack of faith to some people but here I go) what if your mega-plans for a megachurch growth don’t pan out that way? It doesn’t for 80-90% of us.

I know were all convinced we’re great speakers and leaders. We have revolutionary ideas no one has ever heard of before. We have faith to move mountains.

But what if…?

What if God’s plans for our ministry are different than our plans? What if He wants to use us in the service of a smaller congregation for most, if not all our ministry years?

Can we be okay accepting God’s will, if that’s what His will is? And if a lifetime of small church ministry is possible, even likely, shouldn’t we spend some of our ministry training time preparing for it?

FACT #3: You Can Pastor a Small Church Well, Without for Settling for Less

Recognizing the universality of small church ministry is not a defeatist attitude. Far from it. When you recognize, embrace, and passionately fulfill God’s call on your life to pastor a small church, you will find it to be a profound privilege and blessing. To you, to the people you pastor and to the community your church ministers in.

It’s not settling

It’s not missing out

It’s not less than

If you don’t let it be.

Let’s stop acting like we’re embarrassed by all the small churches in the world. Maybe there are so many small churches because they’re God’s idea, not our failure. It’s time to embrace the wonder of ministry God has called MOST of us to do.