The beauty of small churches

Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY is a large multi-site church that provides exceptional ministry to that community. When I was pastor of Hebron Baptist Church I went to several area minister gatherings there. I always took one of our lay leaders with me so they could see what a mega-church was like. My wife and I attended their Easter pageant one year. It was a magnificent portrayal of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I have great appreciation for that church and the wonderful ways it ministers to the Louisville area.

At the same time, I have tremendous respect and love for the smaller churches. I have spent much of my life attending, pastoring and serving these churches. I have seen some struggle and close their doors, and I have seen others struggle and continue to serve their communities. Those who serve as pastors of these churches, many of them bivocational, are my heroes. Having been bivocational my entire ministry, I know the price these men and women have paid. Their faithfulness to the calling God has on their lives is an inspiration.

The theme song for the television show Cheers had a line that said it was a place where everyone knew your name. We all need places like that, and the smaller church often provides that. When I was pastor at Hebron I knew the people, many of their family members and much of their history, both good and bad. We knew one another, and we deeply cared for one another.

Many larger churches do that as well, but they have to form small groups for that to happen. Nothing is wrong with small groups, in fact, much is good about such groups. However, smaller churches do not necessarily have to form small groups because they are already a small group! In such churches, everybody knows your name.

I am currently serving as pastor of another smaller church. I can remember when this church was much larger, but after Covid and some issues that arose in the church, it is much smaller today. There is much work to do to bring this church back to where it needs to be, but I love this church. We laugh, we tease one another, but we also pray for one another when folks are going through rough times. Our worship service may not always go as smoothly as I would prefer, but the worship is genuine and, I believe, pleasing to God.

Smaller churches have fewer resources for ministry than larger churches, but it seems God always provides what is needed when it is needed. There is a certain beauty in that as these churches have learned to trust God as their provider and not some endowment that has been left them by previous generations.

Smaller churches rely on volunteers and not paid professionals to lead their ministries. None of the churches in which I was raised had paid staff except for the pastor. Everything else was led by volunteers, and these men and women richly blessed my life through their service.

I have nothing but respect for the mega-churches God has raised up, but I also continue to love the smaller church. Some predict the end of the smaller church. I do not believe that for a minute. There is a beauty found in smaller churches that cannot be duplicated in any other church. Those smaller churches that follow the will of God will continue to flourish, and I will always be in their corner cheering them on. 

A great cloud of witnesses

This past Sunday the ABW at North Madison Baptist Church installed Linda Tilley into their Hall of Fame. It was a very moving service for all who attended. Linda passed away before I began serving the church so I did not know her, but as I heard about her faithful ministry it was easy to see why she was being recognized. Not only was she a wonderful wife to her husband, Jim, she was a faithful and dedicated worker in the church. She had a passion for missionaries and mission work. I was blessed to sit there and hear some of the things she did in the church. The Bible tells us we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and Linda is certainly included in that cloud.

Years ago when I was serving in my first church, we took communion to our shut-ins. One day the wife of one couple asked why we did that. I explained that I had read a lot of the old records of the church, and her name seemed to be on every page. That church was there for us now because of people like her and many others who sacrificed and gave of themselves to ensure that it would be. Just because they were not physically able to attend church, we did not want them to think they were forgotten. They were still a part of this congregation, and bringing communion to them was one way to help stay connected. They are also part of that great cloud of witnesses.

Unless you are serving in a new church, there are people like that in your church's history as well. Men and women who sacrificed, who served, who supported, and who ministered in multiple ways. Some of them were out front while others preferred to serve behind the scenes. Some may have taught or led music while others made sure the flower beds were kept clean and the kitchen was clean after a church dinner. Some may have been bold witnesses who led people to Christ, and others were prayer warriors without anyone knowing. Your church exists today because of those faithful saints. They are part of that great cloud of witnesses.

If the church is there for future generations it will be because of the faithfulness of those in the church today. Today's teachers, today's music leaders, today's prayer warriors will ensure that the church is there for our children and grandchildren and generations beyond. Every Christian is called to serve in some capacity and given the necessary gifts to make that service possible. I often tell my congregation that their baptism was their ordination to minister. Each of us are called to be part of that great cloud of witnesses.

 

A life well lived

I read yesterday where Jack Hayford passed away. I never met the man, but he was one I admired from afar. He wrote over 50 books and more than 600 hymns and choruses. His song Majesty is sung in many churches each week. He was the founding pastor of The Church on the Way where he served as senior pastor for more than 30 years. He also founded The Kings University where he served as chancellor and was active with Promise Keepers. For five years he served as President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

I heard him speak in interviews and on tape a number of times and was always impressed by his gentle spirit. He was a man called of God who recognized that calling and sought to live in that calling to the best of his ability.

One of the things that impressed me so much about Jack Hayford was his approach to ministry and to life. He was never flamboyant or excessive in his approach to either. The various positions he held could have made him arrogant, a problem some mega-church pastors and denominational leaders seem unable to avoid. I always felt I could sit down with Jack Hayford and talk about anything and be heard and come away with practical advice that addressed my questions.

Hayford is now in eternity with the One he worshiped so well. No doubt he has heard the wonderful words we all seek to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant...." He truly lived life well.

We could do worse than follow the example Jack Hayford set before us. He was a pastor to thousands, a founder of an important university, a writer, a song writer, and yet I believe if you asked him he would respond that he was simply doing what God called him to do. Far more than his successes, he was faithful to the work God set before him. This should be the goal of all of us called into ministry.

One of the things I find most attractive in Christian leaders is faithfulness. I own a print of George Younce and Glenn Payne, founding members of The Cathedrals, that is on the wall in front of my desk. Their faithfulness in carrying out God's call on their lives has always been an inspiration to me. I see that picture numerous times a day when I working in my study to encourage me to that same faithfulness. Jack Hayford inspires the same desire to be faithful to God's call on my life. I care not about the world's acclaim. I only want to hear God's affirmation of my life and ministry when I stand before Him. I encourage you to seek the same.

Is the church no longer essential?

All across the nation governors have decided what essential businesses could remain open during this pandemic. They have decided that churches are not essential and banned Christians from gathering together for worship. At the same time, abortion clinics remained open as did liquor stores, pet supply stores, supermarkets and big box stores. As restrictions are beginning to be lifted, it's interesting that barber shops, tattoo parlors and other similar businesses will be allowed to reopen before churches.

Churches have responded to these restrictions in various ways. Many began airing their worship services on social media and YouTube while others held drive in worship services. In some locations, local officials even tried to ban the drive in services. The mayor of Louisville tried to stop drive in services on Easter but was overruled by a federal judge who ruled the ban was "beyond all reason, unconstitutional." Legal battles have also been held in other states.

When times get challenging people often turn to their faith for support and hope. It happens during war times, depressions, and other catastrophic events. After 9/11 many churches were filled with anxious people. However, in this pandemic the government has made every effort to keep people from looking to the church. Rather, they want people to look to the government for the answers to their concerns and fears. Every day governors and the president gets on TV to give the latest statistics and tell people what they are doing to protect them. Likewise, every day the politicians point fingers at one another blaming each other for problems they've encountered in this pandemic. At the same time, they have restricted the voice of the church. The message is clear: The government will save you; church is irrelevant.

I've been encouraged by how churches have responded. Many had never aired a worship service online before, but they quickly learned how to do so and now send their services into homes throughout the nation. Churches have developed food banks where people can drive by and pick up needed groceries and have church members leave boxes of food on their front porch. Leaders of children's ministries are ministering to children online. Small groups and Sunday school classes have learned to use social media to meet and continue their studies while supporting one another.

For years, critics of the church have declared that we are irrelevant to today's culture. Government  decided we are non-essential, but we still find millions of people are looking to the church for hope and for answers to the situation in which we find ourselves. Throughout history, many people discounted the church and governments tried to shut them down. Each of these governments failed, many have fallen, and the church lived on. Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. Long after the politicians are out of office, the church will remain triumphant! Long after the critic's voices are still, the church will be standing tall!

Pastors, church leaders, keep up the good work. While some may consider you to be non-essential, the Lord is watching your faithfulness and is pleased.

The lives we touch

There is a story about a king who wanted to set aside a special day to recognize the greatest person in his kingdom. Four finalists were being considered. One was a philanthropist who had given most of his wealth to help the poor. The second was a doctor who had dedicated his life to healing the sick. The third person was a judge who was known for his wisdom and fairness. The fourth was an old woman. She was the one the king chose to be celebrated. When people asked why he had selected her when the others had contributed so much to the good of the people of the kingdom the king responded, "She was their teacher."

Each of us influence others for either good or bad. As our lives touch the lives of other people we are both changed in some measure. I think back many years ago, in the mid-1950s, to a little church in a very small community with no stop lights. Every Sunday our family attended that little church. We moved from that community when I was in the second grade, but on occasion the pastor would ask me to read his text. There are pictures of me standing beside the pulpit with a Bible in my hand reading to the congregation. I had to stand beside the pulpit because if I had stood behind it no one could see me. The pastor was Rev. Brainard Lee. Years later I asked him to speak at my ordination service because of the influence he had on my life. He was the first of many whose impact on my life would eventually lead me into the ministry. A number of his grandsons are in the ministry today because of him.

Sometimes we think that only the powerful, the wealthy, the famous can impact the lives of others. That is not what I have found. Rev. Lee was none of those things. He was simply a faithful pastor who lived out his calling the best he could. Yet, there are people in the ministry today because of that faithfulness. There are people whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life because of that faithfulness.

This faithfulness is what each of us are called to live out. We may think we serve in some obscure ministry or task, but we do not know how our lives are influencing the lives of others. It does not matter if you are a minister or lay person in your church, you will impact the lives of other people. It may come from a comment we make to someone that encourages them when they are feeling down. It might come from an act of kindness that we consider to be rather minor, but to someone else might feel like a lifesaver. That impact might come as we preach a sermon or teach a Sunday school class, or it might occur as we are pulling weeds from a flower garden.

Our legacy will not be found in the size of our bank accounts or the amount of material things we accumulate over our lifetimes. It will be found in the lives we touch and in the way our lives impact the lives of others. If we are faithful to live out whatever God has called us to do we can be sure that our legacy will be a good one.

Don't forsake your calling

This week I came across a powerful statement that I had to highlight in the book I was reading. I normally read with a highlighter in one hand, but the significance of this is that, although I am over half done reading this book, this is the first thing I've marked.

 The statement is this: "We all exchange each day of life for something, and it is a prostitution of life to exchange it for something unworthy of our potential and our calling."

How many people do you know drifting through life living far below their potential? How often have you felt you were doing the same thing? I know I've felt that way at times. When leaders drift, the organizations they lead drift as well. When pastors drift so do their churches.

Each of us have been given gifts to be used in serving others. Each of us have a calling on our lives. So often we think of a calling as something that just applies to ministers and missionaries, but the truth is that every person has a God-given calling. As God told Jeremiah, even before Jeremiah was born God had a purpose for his life. The same is true for you and me.

Every day we get to make choices. Among those choices is whether or not we are going to live into that God-given purpose or drift along doing something far less.

I've retired twice now, and my wife likes to point out that neither of them really took. The problem is that I see too much that I can still do and enjoy doing. I know the gifts God has given me, and when I see opportunities to use those gifts I have to do so.

I enjoy playing golf, and in fact I am playing golf later this week with a couple of friends. I enjoy fishing and have owned a couple of bass boats in the past.  I dearly love sitting on the beach and watching the waves. But, the thought of doing nothing but playing golf and fishing and sitting on the beach makes me tremble. It may sound wonderful, but that is not God's calling on my life.

We each have a set number of days on this earth. Only God knows that number. You may be like me and have more years behind you than before you. Or, you may be a young person really just getting started out in life. Determine to live every day to your full potential and in a way that honors God. The best way to honor God with your life is to fulfill the calling He has for you.

A faithful ministry

On the wall directly across from my desk is a picture of George Younce and Glen Payne, two of the founding members of the Cathedral Quartet. For those readers not familiar with Southern Gospel music, the Cathredrals were one of the major quartets in that genre. While some members of the group came and went, George and Glen remained the heart and soul of the Cathredrals. For over 30 years they toured the nation singing in churches and quartet conventions. As they were preparing to retire, Glen Payne became ill and passed away, and the group did retire at the end of that year.

There is a reason their picture is on my wall. My wife and I had permanent seats at the National Southern Gospel Quartet Convention, a week long event held annually, for many years. The last year the Cathredrals were to perform there Glen Payne was absent from the stage. During their set, he was connected to the auditorium by telephone from his hospital bed. He thanked everyone for their support over the years, asked for their prayers, and sang a powerful song over the phone. Of course, we had no way of knowing at the time, but a few weeks later he passed away.

When they finished their set, I never heard the next group that came on the stage. I felt the Lord telling me that he wanted the same level of faithfulness from me that the Cathredrals had demonstrated throughout their long ministry. Like any other music genre, there are some in Southern Gospel music whose conduct has been less than Christian. I do not know of a single accusation that was ever lodged against the Cathredrals. They seemed to have been held in high esteem by both their fans and their peers. They were never involved in a scandal and were true ambassadors of Christ. That, I felt that night, was what God was saying he wanted from me.

The next year at the convention it was announced that a painting had been done of George and Glen and prints were available that night. George and Glen's widow would autograph them. I immediately left my seat and went to the sales area and got in line. I paid more that night for a print than I had ever paid for one in my life, but I wanted to hang it where I would be reminded every day of the faithfulness God was asking of me.

We often measure success by numbers, and numbers are important, but true success in life and ministry is found in remaining faithful to the task God has given us. We won't always have the biggest church, write a best selling book, be invited to speak at national gatherings, or be a household name, but that's OK. What God wants from each of us is simply to be faithful to the work he has given us, to use the gifts he has given us, and to be faithful in word and deed to the cause of Christ.