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Small Church Ministry

A Consideration of Various Ministry Opportunities and Challenges That Exist in Small Churches

Curated by Colton Moore
In partnership with Bethlehem College & Seminary
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Small Church: A Unique Opportunity

This lecture by Gregg Heinsch focuses primarily on the opportunities afforded to small churches and the means by which a small church can take advantage of these opportunities.


About Gregg Heinsch

Gregg Heinsch is the Lead Pastor at Celebration Community Church in Celebration, Florida. He graduated from Bethel University (college and seminary) in St. Paul, Minnesota where he enjoyed a four-year mentorship under John Piper. Gregg married his wife, Heidi, in 1981 and planted their first church together in Hudson, Wisconsin in 1984. They moved to Florida in 2005. Gregg and Heidi have three children: Luke, Leah, and Taylor.


Reflection Questions
  1. What percentage of churches does Heinsch determine are smaller churches?
  2. Which of the advantages that Heinsch provides are most meaningful to you?
  3. Which disadvantage have you encountered in small churches most frequently?
  4. How does Heinsch connect theology and mission? Have you ever observed churches that had good theology but lacked mission? What about churches that had a strong bent toward mission but lacked strong theology?
  5. In what ways does Heinsch use the discipline of prayer that is unique to a small church?
  6. What is ministry capacity?
  7. What are Heinsch’s four systems? Which one do you need to work on the most?
  8. Heinsch states “You don’t have to be any bigger to plant a daughter church.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
Quoted Resources
  • A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian LifeJ. I. Packer

    There is no doubt that evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of evangelism, the teaching of holiness, the building up of local church life, the pastor’s dealing with souls and the exercise of discipline, there is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with things as they are and of equally widespread uncertainty as to the road ahead. This is a complex phenomenon, to which many factors have contributed; but, if we go to the root of the matter, we shall find that these perplexities are all ultimately due to our having lost our grip on the biblical gospel. Without realizing it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. Why?

    We would suggest that the reason lies in its own character and content. It fails to make men God-centered in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be ‘helpful’ to man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel was ‘helpful’, too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak) incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a proclamation of divine sovereignty in mercy and judgement, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not. Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach people to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and his ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed. (125–126)

    There is no doubt that evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of evangelism, the teaching of holiness, the building up of local church life, the pastor’s dealing with souls and the exercise of discipline, there is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with things as they are and of equally widespread uncertainty as to the road ahead. This is a complex phenomenon, to which many factors have contributed; but, if we go to the root of the matter, we shall find that these perplexities are all ultimately due to our having lost our grip on the biblical gospel. Without realizing it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. Why?

    We would suggest that the reason lies in its own character and content. It fails to make men God-centered in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be ‘helpful’ to man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel was ‘helpful’, too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak) incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a proclamation of divine sovereignty in mercy and judgement, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not. Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach people to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and his ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed. (125–126)


  • Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of RenewalRichard F. Lovelace

    Enculturation is the net result of the church’s failure to understand and appropriate the primary and secondary elements of renewal which define the meaning of fullness of life in Christ. It almost inevitably appears over a period of time in which any of these dynamics is substantially missing in the church. It is a kind of rust which forms on the surface of the church’s witness and clouds the glory which ought to shine out from it to illuminate the nations. At its worst, it destroys the church’s life. At best, it freezes the form of the church and produces a sanctified out-of-dateness which the world can easily learn to ignore. In periods of awakening, the church is all growth and movement as new and creative expressions of the gospel are shaped to communicate to the surrounding culture. With the onset of spiritual decline, the church’s expression ceases to be creative and becomes mere rehearsal of the forms that once expressed life and spoke to the world with arresting power.

    Despite their weaknesses, the religious language and hymnody of the Moody era came out of such a vital movement of the Holy Spirit. But their continued dominance in many sectors of the Evangelical church life a hundred years later is not a testimony to their spiritual power but to the deadness of twentieth-century Evangelicalism. The church ought to be like a mobile sculpture in which fixed forms of truth and fellowship are constantly shifting their relationship to harmonize with the décor of the social and cultural environment. Enculturation freezes the form of the mobile until it becomes a static monument, a reminder of the past which appears to have no relevance for the present. (197–198)

    Enculturation is the net result of the church’s failure to understand and appropriate the primary and secondary elements of renewal which define the meaning of fullness of life in Christ. It almost inevitably appears over a period of time in which any of these dynamics is substantially missing in the church. It is a kind of rust which forms on the surface of the church’s witness and clouds the glory which ought to shine out from it to illuminate the nations. At its worst, it destroys the church’s life. At best, it freezes the form of the church and produces a sanctified out-of-dateness which the world can easily learn to ignore. In periods of awakening, the church is all growth and movement as new and creative expressions of the gospel are shaped to communicate to the surrounding culture. With the onset of spiritual decline, the church’s expression ceases to be creative and becomes mere rehearsal of the forms that once expressed life and spoke to the world with arresting power.

    Despite their weaknesses, the religious language and hymnody of the Moody era came out of such a vital movement of the Holy Spirit. But their continued dominance in many sectors of the Evangelical church life a hundred years later is not a testimony to their spiritual power but to the deadness of twentieth-century Evangelicalism. The church ought to be like a mobile sculpture in which fixed forms of truth and fellowship are constantly shifting their relationship to harmonize with the décor of the social and cultural environment. Enculturation freezes the form of the mobile until it becomes a static monument, a reminder of the past which appears to have no relevance for the present. (197–198)




Resources prepared by Colton Moore from Bethlehem College & Seminary.

Small Church: A Unique Challenge

In the following video, Jordan Thomas tackles the challenges unique to pastors of smaller churches–churches that are far more similar to New Testament churches than we often think.


About Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas (MDiv Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Memphis, TN) is one of the pastors of Grace Church, Memphis, which he helped plant in 2006. Grace Church is part of the Treasuring Christ Together Church Planting Network, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention. Jordan and his wife, Tracy, have been married for 17 years and have six children; four daughters and two sons.


Reflection Questions
  1. What does Thomas argue is the purpose of gospel ministry? How does that goal affect how we approach the challenges of small church ministry?
  2. What are Thomas’ two categories of challenges?
  3. Why does Thomas suggest that “problem people” seek out smaller churches?
  4. How much of a role does prayer play in your ministry life? How many people in your church have you prayed for this year? How many have you not prayed for?
  5. Have you struggled with loneliness? How have you oriented your life and worship to find hope in times of loneliness?

Small Church: A Rural Reality

What are the challenges and blessings of church planting in a rural environments? John Hindley gives perspective on rural ministry in the UK.


In the following videos, the recent push toward planting in rural and smaller environments is highlighted, multiple valid directions of calling are affirmed, and the need for churches in multiple contexts (including rural areas) is presented. Reflect on the observations  in the following videos and consider purchasing one of the books below to investigate the need of rural and smaller cities further.