Part of the syllabus in my Pastoral Ministry class has a section on the small church and it was...well, I'll let you read a brief excerpt and tell me if it isn't characteristic of Harvest.
(1)Understanding the Small Church
(150 people or less)
(a)The small church is tough (hard to kill) *Harvest can testify to this*.
(b)Usually built around a ministry of the laity (lay
runned)
(c)The small church is a volunteer organization
(d)The small church cares more for people than for
performance
(e)The small church rewards generalists, and does not
emphasize or hire specialists. You’ll [Pastor] be the jack of all trades.
(f)The grapevine is an asset in the small church
(g)The small church has a different system for the
financial support of the congregation.It responds to needs, and not a storehouse fund. [You gotta’ ask.]
(h)The small church is intergenerational.
(i)The small church
is relational. People orientated and not task orientated.
(j)The small church
uses an internal clock [people just know when things start/finish]
(k)The small church follows a different calendar
(l)The small church
has a place for everyone
(m)Kinfolk
ties are more important in the
small church
(n)Individuals, not
committees, often do the work in the small church (Pastor’s must graciously put
the committees to rest)
(o)The small church is a participatory democracy
(p)Social meetings dominate the agenda in the small
church (if you aren’t into social activity, then you’ll have a hard time at the
church)
(q)The small church is easier to comprehend
(r)A majority of small churches are subsidized (may
require you to work part time, operate a business, “tent-making”, and other
sources of income). (cf. Village Missions)
(s)The small church tends to rely on an “attraction”
model in new member recruitment instead of an out-going evangelistic model (“Come
Visit Us!” rather than “We go to them!”; Attraction model is a slow death).
(t)The piano/guitar often is the central musical
instrument in the small church (most likely the guitar now)
As we went over this section, I was cracking up because I thought it accurately described Harvest. It's comforting in some sense because I know that the growing pains and the struggles are not something that just happens to us, but a lot of small churches. For example, some of the struggles of the small church are:
(1)Major Concerns of the Small Church
(a)Morale
(b)Money
(c)Members
(d)Ministerial leadership
(e)Sunday school
(f)Youth work
Yeah. I responded to this with a mixture of sadness and a sly grin. I don't think we suffer from all of these issues, but at one point, we've had concerns over these issues (some of them are ongoing!). Again, it's good to know that we aren't the only ones that suffer or have these concerns. There's hope.
So, where do we go? How do we grow the church? Here are some suggestions:
(1)How to Grow a Small Church
(a)Alter the mindset.
(b)Change to aggressive outgoing evangelism
(c)Find ways to incorporate new members
(d)Commit to long term ministry
(e)Train lay people for ministry
(f)Hire additional staff
(g)Plan and delegate
Isn't that neat? Isn't it providential how we, Harvest, have been slowly changing? I think we're headed toward big and exciting things. It seems like we've been doing these things subtly and it's been a huge blessing. I'm excited to do more training and to get new members to serve.
Four years ago, we didn't have a pastor. Praise the Lord because Pastor Jeff came in and honestly, upon reflection, I think he handled us very well. Obviously, there were some mishaps or things he wished (as well as Core) could've done differently, but overall, he's done a fine job in guiding us. Is there room for all of us to grow? Certainly. Let's embrace that challenge and we can all grow. Pastor Jeff as a shepherd, we as sheep and all of us as Christians.
It's about dating and why there is a general decline in dating due to men being more comfortable classifying it as "hanging out." It was very thought-provoking and funny. I may not agree with everything, but it certainly does garner a read. Especially if you're bored.
I'll leave you with an excerpt:
"2. The internet has retarded Generation Y’s social skills. Instead
of telling a person directly that they’re interested in them by asking
them on a date, Generation Y sends Crush alerts on Facebook. While the
internet has made connecting with people easier, it has also made us
lazier at establishing meaningful relationships. If you’re over 18 and
you’re still using Facebook applications to let someone know you’re
interested in them, you need to be punched in the face." (emphasis mine)
I came across this article, written by a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I think it offers a clear and no-frills account of Todd Bentley's ministry in Florida. It captivates your attention and it gives you a closer look into these types of ministries.
I think the saddest part of the story is explaining the results to your children. Again, I think it is cruel what these "faith-healers" do to honest men and women who are sick and in pain.
