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By Lyle E Schaller
There are many questions that leaders of small-membership congregations ask themselves approximately their church's destiny. Lyle Schaller means that specifically should still upward thrust to the head of the checklist. First, what is the correct dimension of for a church? Is the small congregation averaging or 3 dozen humans at worship a valid order of God's production? You guess it's, says Schaller. moment, should still those congregations make their plans at the foundation of few assets and less thoughts, or may still they see themselves as possessed of swimming pools of expertise and increasing percentages? while you're confident that the previous is right, then this e-book isn't for you.
If, although, you're between those that think that small-membership church buildings are unique areas of Christian witness and repair, spreading the gospel and residing in carrier to the area in ways in which different, higher church buildings should not, then this ebook is for you. In it you'll find the precise inquiries to ask as you search to guide a small-membership congregation, and sturdy, functional assistance for doing so.
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Extra resources for Small Congregation, Big Potential: Ministry in the Small Membership Church
Example text
Today, land-use regulations and building codes influence the location, size, design, and pace of construction for houses of worship. This is not a plea to return to the political and economic marketplace of 1880 or 1955! It is a plea, however, to recognize that the actions and policies of government may have a huge impact on designing a ministry plan for your congregation for the 21st century. Do you plan to expand the size of your meeting place? Will that mean the entire building will have to meet the requirements of the current building code?
For most of American history, hospitals, colleges, homes for children, and similar charitable and philanthropic ventures were created, financed, and administered by the churches. Today, for every penny American Christian churches collect for operating hospitals, children's homes, and educational institutions, the federal government provides several dollars. State and local governments add more dollars to the funding. Religious organizations such as Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, and Lutheran Social Services collect billions of dollars annually from the federal government.
It was about to have its 80year-old meeting place displaced by a new highway. The state paid the congregation $485,000 for the property. The members contributed an additional $450,000 over three years, and one family gave a seven-acre parcel of land at an excellent location for a new church site. One result was that seven years later the congregation was meeting in a new 15,000-square-foot building, the debt had been reduced to $120,000, a committee was busy preparing plans for construction of a new second unit, and the average attendance at worship was 135.