Being Very Serious (Part 52)

The average size of a traditional church in America is about 75-80 people including children. We all hear of the great, big, mega churches, but most churches in America are small churches pastored by one individual with a possible part-time member on staff. It's the little churches that make up the backbone of our society today. The ladies and gentlemen who pastor these size churches don't have the greatest facilities or massive budgets. In fact most of them struggle to get by financially, but do so with a heart filled with expectancy that God will supply their needs. I remember I was 12 before my dad got a self-supporting church. He always went where he was needed regardless of the size of the church. While it is reported and known that many smaller cities and towns are loosing people to urban areas right and left, the small churches in those areas are still vitally important.

I started pastoring in one of those average churches. After years as an associate minister in 3 large churches with unlimited resources I started pastoring my first church with 32 in attendance, a $200 a week salary, no benefits, and a 6 week old baby. Yet some of the fondest memories of my ministry were created at that little church. When we left there 5 years later we were running well over a 100 in attendance and had remodeled the church and facilities. Those were very prosperous years of learning because I did not despise a small beginning, but accepted the challenge and did what I could for the glory of God.

It is a blessing and cursing at the same time to walk into a prosperous ministry or pastorate. Those who assume the pastorate of a larger church are blessed because numerically and financially they don't have too many struggles materially. Yet they never understand the word sacrifice like the pastors who start off with a very small church. I am not jealous one bit if somebody gets a huge break, but I'm thankful again for those who labor faithfully and diligently in places that few people wanted to go to,  but were called by the Lord to those harvest fields to labor. It's those men and women in small towns, communities, and in the country that do what they can to minister to whomever God puts in their path.

So often the things they do seem as a pastor seem so small. They don't get a lot of recognition or usually serve on a board or committee, however, every single one of them is important in the eyes of God because they obeyed His call on their life and did what many would not do.  Isn't that what the call to preach is all about? God told us to carry the gospel to every creature, so you could sum up the goals of our mission in 3 statements:

-Do what you can then to make this world a better place. Touch the area you are placed in with the love of God and make it better than it was before because of Him.

-Do what you can to share the love of God within you.  It can be as simple as a prayer, a hug, a few dollars offered to help another, or a kind word, a smile, or a wave. 

-Do what you can to win souls for Christ. You might not have the biggest church in town or the nicest building, but people will know you because you share the love of Christ.

In the eyes of Heaven the pastors of average churches are all priceless, with a powerful and eternal message. In the eyes of God they are all beacons of the light to the souls in their communities and they show the love of God in their hearts. Thank you brothers and sisters for our sacrifice.