I’ll post some letters here over the next several weeks. These were originally written & posted to my WAG & personal FB pages. I decided to share them in this format so readers could make comments and we could have some conversations about their content, if desired. So Here Goes…

Letter #1

Dear Small Church Pastor,

Stop trying to do “everything” other congregations are doing. You are not the pastor of the larger church that has several times more folks on Sundays. You don’t have the same resources, the same members, the same calling. Your calling is to your group of people and their community. Stop trying to do what everyone else is doing.

Please allow me to share a nugget of wisdom I received years ago from a cousin who has been a pastor of churches of all sizes. Seek the mind and will of God for your unique congregation, and determine what the Holy Spirit is leading them to achieve, and then become experts at accomplishing that one thing.

Your congregation is made up of people who all have different gift(s) and callings on their individual lives. It takes all those differing people to achieve what God wants that unique group to do for His kingdom. The same concept holds true for the overall body of Christ. Each unique congregation as a whole has a special calling on its corporate life. Find out what that calling is and build on it. Help your congregation become famous for doing that one thing well.

You will become frustrated, physically fatigued and feel like a failure if you try to do “everything.” Your enemy wants you to think you have to be constantly busy doing stuff for God’s kingdom. If you give in to the temptation to do “everything,” you will find yourself doing nothing well. Find one focal point for your congregation and do that excellently. If the Holy Spirit leads you to a second calling for your congregation, become expert at that, too. (Notice that word “IF!”)

Assemble your people regularly for worship. Train them to be disciples of Christ. Commission them to go spread the gospel. Then unite with them in ministry as you all fulfill God’s call on each life. As you do these things, have enough faith in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to believe He will help you discover the calling for your congregation. Stop trying to imitate others.

Sincerely,

A Small Church Pastor