I’m entering some new territory and I’m quite excited about it. I was originally recruited into ministry by a church planter who wanted to do a “Willow Creek,” so I cut my teeth in ministry with a view toward the giant, mega church. Willow Creek, Saddleback and similar churches have seemed to get most of the publicity for the past 25-30 years. Who are the speakers at all the big conference? Mega-church pastors. Who write and sell lots of books? Mega-church pastors. What have many of us aspired to be? Mega-church pastors. A few years ago I saw a drama team do a spoof on church growth referring in their dialogue to a “giga-church.” It was hilarious and painful at the same time.
OK – enough about that. God can raise up and use mega-churches as He will, but most of us will not be leaders in such churches but will lead in small churches, and collectively, the conglomerate of small churches in any given area could accomplish more that the mega church. Really!
One of the groups I’m working with is launching a new small church initiative. What defines the small church? Size – right? Not really – small churches might be defined as churches in which a single pastor will be the personal pastor of all who are in the congregation. This, of course, will limit the church as to how large it can grow, but is that a bad thing? No – it’s a choice, or even a calling. I have been a little late to the party in terms of really getting to the heart of what the small church can do that the large or mega-church can’t. Providential things are happening.
Get this – one day a colleague made me aware of a pastor who is enthusiastically promoting the ministry of the small church. His name is Karl Vaters and the website is www.newsmallchurch.com. He has a book out titled, The Grasshopper Myth. He writes interesting post like Small Churches are the Next Big Thing. So, I’m thinking this might be someone I should get to know and perhaps bring into my world to do some training or inspirational speaking.
In looking at the website I tracked down the address of the church he pastors. Turns out it’s in Fountain Valley, CA, about fifteen minutes from my son’s house in Huntington Beach. I’m going to be in southern California in a few weeks, visiting my son, connecting with a variety of ministry colleagues for various reasons – and I will be meeting with Karl Vaters. We’ll see where this leads. Cool!
