Small Church America
When it comes to intimacy, small churches have an edge, transforming the landscape of the American church. Larger, established churches are tending toward decline, losing by some estimates 2 percent per year, while young churches are surging—the American Church Research Project estimates 7 percent per year. It is telling that alert megachurch leaders are striving to capture the mojo of the small church experience.
Nimble and adaptable, intimate and connected, missional and, of necessity perhaps, innovative—the best of small church America is setting the pace for churches of all sizes. It’s not a uniformly rosy picture, of course, still churches may weaken and close. But out of the ashes, new churches rise. And they are thriving.
It is this irrepressible life we celebrate in the 4th annual Small Church America special issue.
Don’t Miss
Small Church, Big Impact
Community involvement, collaborative ministry and personal connections—here’s how America’s smaller congregations are making a difference.
Thriving Small
Pray, find your niche, mobilize volunteers and celebrate your victories: 4 Proven insights for making a difference as a small church
Plant the Church
9 leaders in the American church planting movement on what we’re doing right and what we must do better.
Eugene Cho: The Outreach Interview
The question isn’t the size of your church, it’s the depth of your impact. A candid conversation with Eugene Cho.
PLUS: Beyond Lonely Leadership, 20 Small Church Outreach Ideas, What I’ve Learned as a Small Church Pastor, and more.
Plus, In Each Issue
PULSE: We take the pulse of outreach today as we report on what churches are doing to connect with their communities.
IDEAS: Church-tested ideas for seasonal and targeted ministries for any church, any size
VOICES: Trends and commentary on culture, faith and thought
COLUMNS: Perspective on outreach from Ed Stetzer, Dan Kimball, Bobby Greunwald, Brad Powell and Mark DeYmaz.
