Some Quotations

I'd like to share a few formative quotations that I have run across during the sabbatical. They summarize some of where I am coming from, both in terms of new learning and in the affirmation of existing thoughts.

On the uniqueness and value of the small church:

"Small Churches are not errors to be corrected, but intentional choices of members who put a priority on human relationships.” 
(Carl S. Dudley, Effective Small Churches in the Twenty-first Century, page 11).

On leadership in the small church:

"We need leaders who will have a long-term perspective, who realize that, while change may be slow, it is possible. We need leaders who will love the existing congregants and lead them at a pace that will not divide the church. We need leaders who will love and live among the church members. We need leaders who will live and love in the community." (Thom Rainer from here)

On being missional:

"One of the things about the missional renaissance is that it makes the old pecking order based on size of attractional crowd really irrelevant to missional effectiveness. I work with congregations from weekly worship attendance of less than three dozen to churches running over 10,000. The issue is not the size of the crowd, but the impact on the community. “Small” attendance congregations have been beaten up for decades now in the old church growth scorecard. Getting out of that game can let them be winners in a missional measure. I think this is very hopeful for small congregations who really don’t want to consume all the energy to “grow” but to release their congregations to be missionaries.” (Reggie McNeal from here)

On success in the small church:

"God measures success according to our faithfulness. Remember that verse about “well done, my good and faithful servant”? Do we do what He has given us to do, regardless of the outcome? Are we obedient to all that He commands? Do we pray without ceasing? Do we show our faith with our works? In a word: Are we faithful? If so, that’s success.

Isaiah saw few converts, if any, but he was faithful to God’s commission. Was he a success or a failure? What about Jeremiah? Ezekiel? All three men were faithful in all that they had been given to do, in the face of insurmountable opposition, opposition that God promised would be there. No one in his right mind would call them unsuccessful prophets. Yet, I’m afraid, not one of them would be invited to our conferences to speak on church growth or to preach in our chapels. Thus, by implication, we tell others that these men, and thousands like them, weren’t truly successful. That’s to our shame.

A church’s success ought to also be measured by its ability to make disciples. Making disciples is about more than getting them into the baptistry. Discipleship doesn’t end there; discipleship begins in the baptistry and ends at the grave. According to the Great Commission, discipleship includes teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded — in other words, teaching them to be faithful.

The successful church is faithfully teaching her people. If your numbers are low but the depth of your people’s knowledge and the expression of their faith is growing, isn’t that a success? Isn’t there something to be admired in the pastor who dedicates his life to the discipleship of the little flock that God has given him? Doesn’t he who teaches others have something that he can teach all of us? If so, why don’t we let him? Again, we let numbers tell us that success is in the numbers and those that don’t have them have little success. (Peter Beck from here)