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PASTOR'S BLOG

Discovering Spiritual Truths & Celebrating God's Grace in the Every Day Happenings of Life.

Does Size Really Matter?

9/7/2022

1 Comment

 
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There is a common misnomer out there, that for a church to be healthy, it has to be huge. If a church is bigger, it must be better. This pitfall is one I often struggle with as a pastor, comparing the numbers and ministries of one church to another. I do it here. I did it in the Midwest. Bigger is better. The larger the church, the better the pastor.  The more ministry "programs" they provide, the more impressive they are. Consequently, the smaller the church, the lazier and more incapable the pastor must be. Making use of this faulty logic, a small church must be an unhealthy church.  But this is not necessarily the case!  Such misguided commentary is a deceptive lie of the devil to destroy and demoralize faithful believers. The size of a church has no direct correlation to the effectiveness of a church. To be sure, a church of any size, that has no desire or plan to grow has lost sight of their mission. They've begun a decline that is inevitable, whether it is evident in the numbers or not. If a church, of any size, abandons the Word of God its days are numbered. If it slips into a self-serving or a survival mode and cares nothing about reaching people in its community, then it has become unhealthy.  Numbers do matter of course, especially when they are indicative of Kingdom growth. But just because a church does not draw thousands to weekly worship services and upon a sprawling, college-like campus, does not mean they are unhealthy.  This is especially relevant and encouraging news for our church—and for most congregations in the Northeast. 
 
The reality is that most churches in America are not mega-churches. According to a study done in 2018, the average size of an American Christian congregation was 75 people.  Four years later, and post-pandemic, I wouldn’t think that number has changed. If anything, it has probably shrunk a little.  Over 90% of churches in the US have a total membership of 350 or less. We are not alone. We are not unique. The good news is that we can be both a small church and a healthy church. More importantly, our viability and long-term health is not exclusively tied up in our roster role call. We can be healthy. We can be a mission-driven, difference-making church.  During the first next several months, our church leadership is going to wrestle with what it looks like for our church to be a healthy church. Then we are going to fine tune our mission, unique to us here at King of Kings Lutheran Church & Preschool.  What is the mission and identity of our church? What is God calling us to do and be in our community? What is our potential in Christ? Please pray for our church leadership as we begin these intentional dialogues; pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten and inspire us. And if you have some thoughts of your own and would like to be involved in the conversation, please reach out. I’d love to get together and talk!   
 
We may be small, in comparison to the nearby Catholic or non-denominational churches around us. But thankfully that doesn’t matter. We are mighty and we'll continue to be faithful! 
 
“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.” (Mark Twain)
“It's not the size of the dreamer, it's the size of the dream.” (Josh Ryan Evans)
1 Comment
Robin Leigh Kling
9/8/2022 01:25:45 pm

Well written Pastor Steve! It is definitely the heart and spirt of a congregation that matters. It greatly helps when they have Spirit-filled, energetic, passionate and humble pastoral leadership at the helm as well.

For me, a congregation needs to feel like you a part of a FAMILY. One is not anonymous. You are known by face & name and are valued. The best example of this is when I had surgery almost six years ago. What should have been an overnight hospital stay turned into a five day one. Not ONE person from our LCMS congregation in Fitchburg (outside of my husband Rob and son Andrew) called or came to visit me. [Actually, Rob had the foresight to use vacation time and take the week off of work. He was in the room with me every day after driving Andrew to school and he brought Andrew to spend time with me every evening.] Our Life Group (small in home weekly Bible study group) sent a card along with Rob. That was it. Do you know which non family members DID take the time to visit me? Pastor Joel from Bethlehem Lutheran. Also my former coworker and older friend Glenn. He doesn't drive, lived in Middleton and it was colder than usual that second week in December. He called one day, and the next, he took two busses to come and see me. That is true Christian friendship.

As Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1856, "Actions speak louder than words." James goes into great detail about this in chapter 2:14-26. Verse 17 sums it up quite well. "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." True Christian love meets people where they are at in life. When we serve and assist the people in our every day lives, we stand apart as being different from the rest of the world. It often results in them asking why we do so and what is the source of the peace and joy in our lives. Then they are ready to learn about the different Jesus makes.

Keep fighting the good fight and running that race Pastor Steve. We are praying for you and the members of your congregation. You all can and will make a difference to God's glory.

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    Pastor Steve Vera
    at King of Kings
    Lutheran Church
    ​in Mountain Lakes, NJ

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King of Kings Lutheran Church
145 Route 46
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
​973-334-8333 Church

Email: admin@kofkluther.com
​973-334-4085 Preschool
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  • HOME
  • WORSHIP SERVICES
  • SERMONS
  • COVID GUIDELINES
  • ABOUT
    • CONTACT US
    • MEMBERSHIP INFO
    • MISSION & BELIEFS
    • PASTOR STEVE VERA
    • MEET OUR CONGREGATION
  • PASTOR'S BLOG
  • PRESCHOOL
    • PLAYGROUND PICTURES
  • MINISTRIES
    • CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
    • MISSIONARIES
    • FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS
    • PRAYER REQUESTS
  • GIVE
    • GIVE HELP
  • EVENTS
    • Live Nativity 2022
    • Live Nativity (past photos)