Stewardship in the Small Church
I am an upbeat person by nature. Maybe you are too. So, talking about church growth can be depressing.
No matter how much it upsets me, the truth is…church attendance is declining.
The UMC Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference stats make it abundantly clear.
Between the two states, there are 138 churches.
The median church membership is 63 (meaning that half the churches are larger and half are smaller).
The median worship attendance is 29.5 (yessiree, every half person counts). This means that 50% of the churches have less than 29.5 people in worship on a given Sunday.
It makes me want to shout, “Danger, Will Robinson, danger!”
But there are advantages to the small church.
It can provide needed services to the community
It feels like family
There are fewer hoops to jump through to get things done
It may be, especially in rural areas, the one place where people with more open values and liberal theology can gather to worship
Just because you’re small does not mean you’re unhealthy.
All that being said, it still takes money to make mission and ministry happen. If there are only 30 or so people in worship, how can you piece together a budget to ensure you’re fulfilling the purpose of the Gospel and the church?
1. First, follow the adage, “Thank, Tell, Ask.” Chuck Lane wrote a classic called Ask, Thank, Tell. I prefer to mix up his order –
Thank: Thank your people for their generosity. Thank them for their time. Thank them for their witness. Because giving is expected, thanking is often overlooked. Being a disciple of Christ does mean that we should be generous in all things, but a little appreciation and recognition go a long way.
Tell: Tell your story. Tell it again. What are you doing in the community? What is your congregation’s generosity making possible? Who is experiencing the love of Jesus because your building is open to the community?
Ask: Once you’ve thanked and once you’ve told your story, the asking becomes far easier. People can visualize where their gifts are going, and they know that they are appreciated. It’s time to get brave and ask.
2. Secondly, engage in a Bible study or book study. The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving has an excellent resource that is free for you to use, Stewardship in the Small Member Congregation. Written by Clark Hargus, a Disciples of Christ pastor, this booklet outlines a Bible study plus a three-week stewardship program. It’s excellent.
3. Finally, embrace connectionalism. In other words, find out what other churches are doing and ask if you can borrow their materials. This idea came from none other than my own pastor, Ethan Gregory. He rightly said that there was no need for small churches – especially those with few(er) resources – to do their own thing when others have already prepared materials that can be adapted to another context. Don’t re-create the wheel.
The small church has many wonderful qualities. A scarcity mindset is not one of them. By adopting an abundant mindset – and trying some of the ideas here – you might be surprised how much better you’ll view the whole notion of stewardship.
Generosity, no matter the size of the church, can bring people together in a way like no other. Thanks be to God!
Photo credit: RDNE stock @pexels.com
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. You think your church is small? Cesie wants you to check out the smallest churches in the United States.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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