While we can rejoice in all that God is doing through big churches — and we have an article about large Anglican congregations in this [December] issue — many Christians involved in smaller churches need encouragement.
In a world dominated by the idea that only what is big is worthy of attention, we often need to remind ourselves that we have a God who delights to choose the weak, the lowly and the despised things to shame the huge and glamorous (1 Corinthians 1.27, 28). Where would you start if you planned to begin a way of salvation which would span all of history and reach a fallen world? God decided to begin with one old man and one old woman — Abraham and Sarah. God’s strategy often takes us by surprise. It has lots to do with faith and the Holy Spirit, and little to do with numbers and state of the art equipment. So the truth is that God can and does use small churches, small services and small evangelistic events.
Evangelism
Perhaps you need to bear that in mind in the run up to Christmas. Is there a small church that is thinking to itself, ‘We are too insignificant to make any real impact for Christ. We are no good at evangelism. There is not much point in inviting anyone to our Christmas Carol service or whatever’? Do not be so hasty in running yourself down. How was C.H. Spurgeon saved? The answer is, on a snowy day in Colchester in a chapel with an inexperienced preacher and just ‘a dozen or 15 people’ in the congregation. ‘Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few’ (1 Samuel 14.6).
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …