Christian Unity
![5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor 5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/76816.jpg?h=168&w=300)
Small church pastors want to hear and use the best ideas, advice, wisdom and counsel we can find.
So we look for it everywhere. From books, blogs, podcasts, conferences, mentors and more.
But many of my fellow small church pastors have stopped looking and asking for help.
It’s ...
![Embracing Church Unity And Variety (Change The Seasoning, Keep The Chicken) Embracing Church Unity And Variety (Change The Seasoning, Keep The Chicken)](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/76769.jpg?h=168&w=300)
When someone says a restaurant serves the best chicken in town, it’s never about the chicken.
Every properly-cooked chicken tastes the same.
What’s different is the flavoring.
It’s the same with churches.
So many of the arguments we have about the right way to ...
![When You Feel Like A Failure (A Good Friday Reflection) When You Feel Like A Failure (A Good Friday Reflection)](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/76486.jpg?h=168&w=300)
The gospel was built on failure.
What we now know as good news started as very bad news.
It was never supposed to work.
For a long time, it looked like it never would.
It started with a young, pregnant, single girl in a backwater town too small to be mentioned in most ancient records. ...
![The Most Important Lesson Older and Younger Ministers Can Learn from Each Other The Most Important Lesson Older and Younger Ministers Can Learn from Each Other](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/76320.jpg?h=168&w=300)
I'm not as old as I used to be.
I just turned 57. A mere 25 years ago, when the average pastor's age was 44, my current age would have made me an older minister.
Today, with the average pastor being 54, I'm in middle age.
In recent years as I’ve traveled and spoken ...
![Why Doesn’t God Answer My Non-Stupid Prayers? Why Doesn’t God Answer My Non-Stupid Prayers?](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/76102.jpg?h=168&w=300)
This should be the shortest blog post I’ve ever written.
Because the answer to the question posed in the title takes just three words.
I
Don’t
Know
A Response to the Hurting
In my previous post ‘Why Doesn’t God Answer All My Prayers? Because Some of Them are ...
![Supporting Small Churches Does Not Mean Bashing Big Churches Supporting Small Churches Does Not Mean Bashing Big Churches](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/75164.jpg?h=168&w=300)
I like big- and megachurches. I wish there were more of them.
I like small churches even more. I wish there were a lot more of them.
As I continue to write and speak about the value of small churches, I’m noticing a disturbing mini-trend that I want to opt out of. It’s ...
![5+ Churchy Things I'm Thankful For – Even If I Don't Like Them 5+ Churchy Things I'm Thankful For – Even If I Don't Like Them](https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/74220.jpg?h=168&w=300)
I hate opera. And Brussels sprouts. And spiders.
But I'm glad they exist. Because they all serve important functions.
Saying I don't like something is not the same as saying it's bad.
Opera isn't bad. In fact, it's artistically important and brings joy to many ...
Ninety percent of the churches on earth are under 200 people. Eighty percent are under 100. There may be no segment of the church that is more normative. But they may also be the most misunderstood.
Here are six truths about small churches that I wish every church leader knew ...
I’m going to say something stupid soon.
So will you.
When it happens, I hope people will give both of us the benefit of the doubt and assume the best of us, instead of the worst.
Since I hope to be the beneficiary of such grace, I try to live my life by giving the same grace ...
Oh, the worship wars.
Just when you think they’re gone for good, they pop up again.
The debate is no longer raging, but it's not over. Probably never will be.
- Old music v new
- Hymns v choruses
- Choirs v worship teams
- Organs and pianos v guitars and drums
The subject came up ...
Read More from Karl
![Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of under 250 Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of under 250](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AU9uOZQAL._SL500_.jpg)