Small Church, Big Encouragement

 Have you ever envied the big church on the other side of town?  You know, the church in the suburb or the one in the big city?  The one with fifteen paid staff members, the one with the first-class tech team, the one with the huge youth group, the one with the coffee shop built into the lobby.  And here you are.  You're serving in a small church.  Your church building doesn't even have a lobby.  Your pastor is bi-vocational and you're the youth volunteer who works 50 hours week at your real job and has four kids at home.

There are times when we look at what the other congregation has and what we don't have and, quite frankly, we feel like quitting or at least like God's going to need to perform a miracle for your church's ministry to make a difference for the Kingdom.

In these moments we don't need a bigger budget or role of members.  In these moments we need good theology.

That might not sound encouraging, but let me assure you that it is.  Let me introduce you to the word "y'all".  Some of you even north of the Mason-Dixon don't need an introduction, but y'all is the great word that means "all of you guys" to you northern folks.  If there's one southern word that the NIV, ESV, NRSV or KJV could use it is "y'all".

In the passage below let me show you a taste of "Y'all Theology" that is sure to be a big encouragement to small churches.  I will simply replace a you (meant to be plural and not singular) with "y'all" to help you see something great.

"To the church of God that is in Corinth (or place your community here), to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to y'all and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for y'all because of the grace of God that was given y'all in Christ Jesus, that in every way y'all were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge--- even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among y'all --- so that y'all are not lacking in any gift, as y'all wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain y'all to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by who y'all were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:2-9. Matt's Southern English Standard Version

Did you catch the encouragement for your small church?

Verse 5 and 6 tell us that y'all in Janesville or Waverly or Holden or Smithtown or Springville or wherever you are, have all you need. "... in every way y'all were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge... so that y'll are not lacking in any gift..."

You personally do not have every spiritual gift you need to complete the task of converting dead souls and sustaining souls to the end guiltless.  But your local church body has all y'all need.

This is amazing!  God has given y'all every spiritual gift you need.  God gave the megachurch all the spiritual gifts they need, too.  Your church has the people in leadership, staff and volunteer roles that in the grace of God through Jesus Christ y'all need.  Read 1 Corinthians 1:2-9 again to see it for yourself.  Paul confirmed this truth to a rather messed up body of believers in Corinth and it is without a doubt true for your small church today.

This doesn't mean we aren't to grow and develop our gifts or to even hire more staff people.  No, this means that for the tasks your local church has in front of it today the grace to fulfill those tasks is right within y'all because of Christ.

So, the next time you're tempted, like I am, to envy the bigger church done the road remember this passage.  Thank God for the way He's enriched that big church.  Pray for their ministry to be even more fruitful and God-honoring.  Then thank God for all the ways He's blessed and enriched your local body and ask Him to reveal how y'all can use your perfectly placed gifts to serve, defend and expand the Kingdom of your God today.