Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, May 13, 2012,
This is not a post about all of the different online tools available out there. It would take an entire series of articles to cover them all. Rather I want to encourage you to search around and find resources that can make your church experience better. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips. Just Google a term and you are likely to get thousands of responses. I recently searched the term "small church" and was surprised to see my website www.smallchurchtools.com on the ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, April 20, 2012,
All of our
failures are prayer failures and all of our successes are prayer successes.
Everyone
knows that prayer is essential for success in the ministry. Everyone knows we need to pray more than we
do. Every book written on doing well as
a pastor includes a chapter on prayer.
So why don’t we pray more?
Some
pastors don’t pray as they should because of their busy schedule. In small churches the pastor is often called
upon to do so many jobs. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Thursday, March 8, 2012,
One of the greatest problems new pastors have at small churches is trying to do too much too soon. You go to a new congregation and are all gung ho for the new ministry. You are there to accomplish something, to make a difference, to get things done! It seems obvious to you that this little congregation has suffered from a lack of ideas, and you have the answers they are waiting for. After all, you have a degree from Bible college. You have gone to the big c... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, December 4, 2011,
By now most of you have probably heard of the small church in rural Kentucky that voted to ban interracial couples from membership or taking part in singing specials and other forms of public worship. It was a slim vote--only 9 to 6, but passed all the same. Many bloggers have commented and I now throw my hat into the ring. The Bible is clear that it is God who adds to His church, not man. Therefore it is wrong to place any standards for membership other than those set forth in scripture. ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, November 27, 2011,
Holding my newborn granddaughter in my arms this past week gave me pause to think about all that is right with the world. At the same time knowing that her cousin, only a few months old himself, was in a hospital in another city to have major tests run reminded me that many of the things we think are big are actually very small. Alli is so sweet. She has features of both of her parents. Looking at her sleeping peacefully in Papaw's arms, you know that God still smiles on this world. There ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Saturday, November 5, 2011,
Of making of many books there is no end. Thus says Soloman in Ecclesiastes 12:12. So who am I to end the cycle? I just sent the proposal for my new bookSurviving and Thriving in the Small Church to a potential publisher today. It is an uplifting work designed to encourage small church leaders. You see, so many of the books on the market today deal with things going on in big churches. While it is inspiring to read how God blesses these mega congregations, it is hard sometimes to relate th...
Posted by Terry Reed on Saturday, September 3, 2011,
Near the end of Paul's life he stated he had finished the course. That is, he had accomplished all that God meant for him to get done. He did not get distracted, at least not for long. He completed the ministry he had been born to do. I wonder how many of us can say the same thing. My daughter works as cashier at a retail store. She was talking to someone about a certain church. The next customer in line stated that he was a member of that church but wasn't faithful to attend. I ima...
Posted by Terry Reed on Monday, August 1, 2011,
I am currently reading a book that states that Western culture has corrupted the American churches. One of the main tenets of the author is that America's fascination with the individual has been detrimental to the concept of community in the churches. There is some basis for this view. American society is certainly about me, me, me first and everyone else can get in line. "You've got to look out for number one" is definitely a part of our culture's psyche. And can anyone doubt that this has...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, July 24, 2011,
One thing especially needed by small church pastors is patience. It is so easy to try to run ahead of God and the church. We have all of these great ideas that we're itching to put into practice. This is amplified if we are in a congregation that is need of numerical growth and we can see some of the barriers in the way. But all of life is about learning to wait on God's timing. Going into a church as a new pastor and trying to change a lot of things is a certain recipe for conflict and di...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, July 17, 2011,
This week I returned to full time bivocational ministry. I had quit Walmart after 10 1/2 years back in December. I enjoyed the time off from retail but alas, the bills continue to come! So this week I started back in retail at Radio Shack. There are so many parallels to the ministries I have had through the years. Most notably, this business is a good one, but has seen sales slip in the past year. There is a rebuilding process that will require time and effort to bring the profits back ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Tuesday, June 28, 2011,
Everyone needs time off, a vacation, a chance to think about things other than work. This is no less true for the small church pastor than anyone else. Pastor, you need to get away from time to time. Many pastors have trouble with this. After all, we are called of God to this work and He will give us the extra energy we need to function. Our job is not like others--souls hang in the balance and we must be there if we are going to minister to people. We just don;t have time to get away. Some...
Posted by Terry Reed on Saturday, June 11, 2011,
Wow what a title! Long titles are not usually my thing...but sometimes there is no short way to say something. And guess what? There is no short way to bring about change in the small church. Too many pastors go into a small church with the idea that they are going to bring about many changes that will lead the congregation into the new century and remarkable growth. That very seldom happens. Instead, a few years and a lot of tears later, the pastor departs for "greener pastures" and the ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, June 3, 2011,
I recently read a post on a blog about small churches in which the writer said she loved everything about small church except she would hate to give up good Bible preaching. There seems to be a misconception out there that a little congregation must have inferior preaching. Let me assure you that such is not the case. I have been in hundreds of small churches and heard some of the finest preaching to be found. It is true that many mega church pastors have people on staff to do extra res...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, April 1, 2011,
Most of my life I have heard people refer to the church as a hospital for the spiritually ill. It is a good comparison as people who need spiritual healing often seek out the church just as those who need physical healing go to the local hospital.
But there is a new breed of people in America today. We are now dealing with a generation of folks who were not raised in church. Many adults today have never seen the inside of a church building except for an occasional wedding or funeral. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, February 20, 2011,
I have never run across a church that did not consider itself to be friendly. Ask any active member of any congregation and they will tell you that their congregation is one of the friendliest in town.
The problem is that not every outsider sees it that way. Many a visitor has been turned off by what they felt was a cold attitude at a church they had tried out. So it is obvious that friendliness or at least the perception of it can be measured in different ways.
I submit that a chu... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Tuesday, February 1, 2011,
Small church pastors are called upon to fill many shoes. They are there at weddings, births, and deaths. They go to the hospital to pray with the sick of the church. Sometimes they are the only non-family member some shut ins see. All of this is in addition to the regular duties of teaching, preaching, praying, studying, and witnessing.
And very often they are called upon to serve as counselor. From marital problems to sin issues, he is expected to listen to and have answers for a l... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Tuesday, January 25, 2011,
Many churches and religious organizations have a facebook page. You can follow man ministry leaders on Twitter. Other social networking sites offer a number of Christian ministry choices to view.
But many small church leaders have to be asking “Is it worth the trouble?” Small church pastors tend to be over extended already. Maintaining a facebook site or tweeting your latest theological thoughts seems like a lot to ask for someone with limited time.
You have to consider the bi... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Thursday, January 20, 2011,
Many churches and religious organizations have a facebook page. You can follow man ministry leaders on Twitter. Other social networking sites offer a number of Christian ministry choices to view.
But many small church leaders have to be asking "Is it worth the trouble?" Small church pastors tend to be over extended already. Maintaining a facebook site or tweeting your latest theological thoughts seems like a lot to ask for someone with limited time.
You have to consider the bigge... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Wednesday, December 8, 2010,
In my last post I made some comparisons to the marketing strategy of Mountain Dew and the church sharing the gospel. The main thing to remember from that article is that the soft drink maker changed their marketing but kept their product the same (although someone pointed out that the formula was changed in 1960, but that was long before the time period I dealt with). In the same way some churches may need to update the methods they use to reach a lost and dying world with the saving gosp... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Tuesday, November 16, 2010,
When i was a kid Mt. Dew had a very different marketing strategy than they do today. Back then the soft drink maker used a hillbilly theme. There was a picture of a hillbilly aiming a gun at a fleeing man on the front. On the neck of the bottle was the same hillbilly holding a jug with the cork popping off and putting a hole in his hat. And on the back was the company's profound slogan "It'll tickle your innards" (now how's that for a catchy phrase!). Although this motif had the bevera... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Tuesday, November 9, 2010,
Every small church wants to have children...or so they say. I mean, after all, kids are the future of the church, right? If you don't have them, it is a sign that you are on your way down and one day your congregation will be gone. So it is a foregone conclusion--you want to have children around.
Or is it so certain. You see, having children in your church comes with a price tag attached. Things aren't like they were when you were a kid coming up in church. They aren't even like th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Monday, November 1, 2010,
This is the last article in a series on the book of Ezekiel as it relates to the small church.
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions werelike the vision which I ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Monday, October 25, 2010,
This is part of a series of articles on the book of Ezekiel as it relates to the small church.
1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
4 Again He ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Monday, October 18, 2010,
This is part of a series on the book of Ezekiel as it relates to the small church.
30Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, October 10, 2010,
This is the third article in a series on the book of Ezekiel as it relates to the small church.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.
6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you wil... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, October 1, 2010,
This is the second article in a series on the book of Ezekiel as it relates to the small church.
16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same w... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Monday, September 20, 2010,
This is the first blog in a series taken from the book of Ezekiel as it relates to small churches.
I was trained in the Church Growth school of thought. As I have stated in other places I hold to much of the training and reject part (isn't that what everyone does with what they learn in school?). Much is said about this topic--some embrace it and some bash it. The key is to understand that no system applies to every situation. In the book of Ezekiel we find God giving His opening ins... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, September 10, 2010,
The Beauty of the Small Church: Essays to Encourage and to Equip Small Church Leaders is the new release by Les Puryear. He is the pastor of the Lewisville Baptist Church in Lewisville, NC. This is a congregation on the border between being a small church (less than 200 in average attendance) and a midsized church. His book covers a number of small church issues.
The book is actually a compilation of Puryear’s blogs made into chapter format. This is a very interesting approach and ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, September 5, 2010,
I was trained in the Church Growth field of study. I read almost every major book on the subject and wrote my doctoral dissertation about church growth. This may come as a surprise to some of you seeing that I am a small church advocate. I mean, a guy with a webpage called “Small Church Tools” couldn’t be too much into Church Growth thinking, so what gives.
It is really very simple. I took away the things that were true and useful and discarded the rest. Isn’t that what ever... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, August 29, 2010,
Discouragement is one of the greatest problems facing pastors of small churches. There are many things that happen that can get a leader down. Unrealized expectations, you know, when you think something big is going to happen and it doesn’t. Another cause is unkind and unappreciative church members who don’t always treat you the way they should. Sometimes financial problems rear their ugly head and with no relief in sight, can really be discouraging.
The list goes on and on. Let... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, August 22, 2010,
A couple of nights ago we were in town at a local restaurant celebrating our oldest son’s 25th birthday. When we left my wife checked her cell phone and saw a missed call. It was one of her daycare parents (my wife runs a Christian daycare) so she called back expecting some news about one of the kids. The message she got was stunning—our friend had seen fire trucks out in the country and went to see what was up and our place was on fire! It wasn’t our house, we were assured but th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, August 15, 2010,
In one small church I pastored there was an elderly man who loved for people to visit the church but who also loved his seat. Occasionally a visitor would get there before him and sit in his favored spot. When he came in he would go over and shake hands and introduce himself. He would then say “That’s my seat. Don’t move, you can sit there today, but that’s my seat.”
Most people saw the humor—I mean he was an older guy and he was trying so hard to be friendly. He just co... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, August 8, 2010,
I love John Wayne movies. From the earliest black and whites to the final blockbusters before he died, the Duke was a masterful actor. Although he played plenty of different roles, most of his movies were westerns and that’s how we tend to remember him.
My favorite of the older ones is Fort Apache. In this film, Wayne’s character is a captain in Apache territory serving under a colonel (played by Henry Fonda) who needs to be somewhere else because he doesn’t understand the nati... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, August 1, 2010,
“Ask and it shall be given unto you.” Those are the words of Jesus. A promise with amazing implications. Limitless resources available not because we work so hard, but because we ask. It couldn’t get any better.
So if all of that is true, why don’t our churches pray? Many churches advertise a midweek prayer meeting but when you get there they take prayer requests, say one prayer over them, and then go on to other things. Prayer is supposed to be a priority, but it is talked... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Sunday, July 25, 2010,
Talk to a fisherman about the best place to get a good lure and you will get various responses according to the turn of the angler. Some will tell you to go to Bass Pro Shop because they have such a huge selection—everything you could ask for your fishing experience as well as a bunch of stuff you hadn’t even thought about needing before you walked in the door.
Others would tell you to go to Walmart. They have a decent selection of lures for many different kinds of fishing. And of c... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Thursday, July 8, 2010,
More and more small churches are unable to provide their pastor with a full time salary. This has meant that many ministers are entering the secular work place in greater numbers than ever. Is this a bad thing? Or can it actually be good for the church?
First of all let me point out that the goal of a small church being able to have a full time pastor is actually a fairly recent phenomena. When I was a kid in the sixties, many churches could not afford to pay a pastor enough for the... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Wednesday, June 30, 2010,
To reach people they have to hear and they cannot hear without a preacher. So if we want our churches to be effective in touching a lost world for Jesus, what is the most effective kind of preaching?
A deacon friend of mine told me he received a call from a member of another church. The person was inquiring about a preacher my friend knew and was a candidate for pastor at the caller’s church. One of the main questions asked was: “Is he a preacher preacher or a teacher preacher?”... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Thursday, June 24, 2010,
Three Tips for Dealing with Hard to Handle Church Members
Every pastor enjoys working with the people in his congregation that are full of joy and cooperative. There is great pleasure in working together to get a task completed. But every pastor also knows that not all church members are this way. Some are down right hard to handle. Below are three tips to help deal with these difficult situations.
1. Never let them see you sweat. This was the advertising slogan for a major deod... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Saturday, June 19, 2010,
One of the best tools to help a small church grow is already in place in 99% of all churches. That means much less stress on the folks set in their ways than in bringing in a whole new program. It also means a minimal outlay of funding which is often an important consideration, especially in churches running less than 50.
So what is this tool for growth? Don’t tune me out til you’ve heard what I have to say. The tool is Sunday school. I know, I know, you’ve heard this before... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, June 18, 2010,
THE Missions Strategy of the 21st Century
The most effective mission strategy that could possibly be adopted for this new century is the multiplication of small churches. Americans have been taught that bigger is better. A super size burger must be better than a regular size. A mega church should be the goal of a missions minded church planter.
But the facts beg to differ. The majority of churches in this country run fewer than 100 people in attendance. People as a whole apparent... Continue reading ...
Posted by Terry Reed on Friday, June 18, 2010,
Small Churches are Unique
Small churches are unique institutions. They are not mini versions of big congregations. They are a special breed of their own. This is why many churches fail to grow when trying to put into practice the latest program used in the mega churches. Those plans are wonderful and work in the right environment. But all too often trying to put them to use in the small church meets with dismal results.
Small churches have their own identity. They have a differe... Continue reading ...
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About Me
Terry Reed
Wynne, Arkansas
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