Small churches have been part of our communities for generations. They are places where families have worshiped together, children have grown up, friendships have formed, and people have found support during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
But many of those churches are struggling.
Our article, Are Small Churches Dying?, looks at declining church attendance, the growth of larger churches, and what these changes could mean for smaller congregations and the communities they serve.
Read the full article:
Are Small Churches Dying?
There are plenty of reasons someone might choose a larger church. Larger congregations often have more resources, more programs for children and teenagers, more opportunities to connect, and ministries that smaller churches simply may not have the people or money to provide.
But small churches have something important to offer too.
A small church can know its neighborhood. It can know when someone is sick, when a family needs help, when an elderly neighbor hasn't been seen for a while, or when someone simply needs a place where they are known by name.
So where does that leave the small church?
- Have you watched a small church decline or close in your community?
- Why do you think more people are choosing larger churches?
- What can a small church offer that a larger congregation sometimes cannot?
- How important are children's and youth ministries when families choose a church?
- What could struggling churches do to reconnect with the communities around them?
- Are there small churches in your area that are thriving? What are they doing differently?
- How can large and small churches work together rather than seeing each other as competition?
A healthy church doesn't necessarily have to be a large church. A congregation of 40 or 50 people can still make a tremendous difference in the lives of the people around it.
The question may not simply be whether small churches are dying.
What would it take for them to thrive again?
We'd love to hear what you're seeing in your own church and community.