The Year of the Dog

My wife and I visited a small bivocational church yesterday and had a wonderful time.  As soon as you walked in the building there was a sense of excitement.  When I visit churches I like to hear a "buzz" in the building that comes as people are talking and interacting with one another, and this church had the "buzz."  Some churches sound like a funeral home when you walk in, but this one did not.

In his message the pastor reminded the congregation that he had earlier challenged them that this year would be the year of the dog.  He reminded them of his own little dog that stands only a few inches tall.  It's a small dog, but it doesn't know it's small.  He told of a time when the dog ran outside to run another animal out of their yard.  The pastor said it sounded like his was the biggest dog in the neighborhood when it was challenging the intruder.  He acknowledged that they were a small church, but there was no reason to act small or think small.  He reminded them of the song "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and said that they were letting the dogs out as each person went into their community, their circle of relationships, and shared what Christ was doing in their lives.  It was a clever message and one the congregation was living out.  Their program listed several ministry opportunities in the church all being led by volunteers.

Contrast that to many small churches I talk with and visit.  They have a common complaint and reason why they just can't do anything.  They're too small.  Their resources are too limited.  No one wants to be involved in ministry.  They give a steady litany of reasons why they can't grow and why they no longer have any impact on their community.  To such churches and leaders I would remind them that as long as they keep thinking they're too small, they will always be too small.  If they continue to remind themselves of all the reasons why they cannot do more as a church, they will never accomplish anything for the Kingdom of God.  More times than I care of remember I have been told that their church is just trying to hold on and survive.  Why?  Since when is survival a spiritual goal?

I am often amazed at the wonderful ministries I encounter in small churches.  Each of these churches share something in common.  They don't know they are small and shouldn't be able to something significant for God.  LIke that little dog, they act much bigger than they really are.  They share a vision that is not limited by the size of their church but by what they believe God has called them as a church to do.  Rather than looking for excuses why they can't do something, they just do it.  And lives are changed forever.

What challenges do you have that are greater than your apparent abilities?  What are you tackling that appear to be bigger than you are?  What is your church doing that, when it is accomplished, you will have to say, "That was a God-thing because we could never have done that by ourselves."?  I'd like to hear your answers.