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Episode 30: The Challenges of a Small Church (with Matt Henslee)

Ben and Lynley welcome Matt Henslee to the podcast today to chat about some of the unique challenges of the small church. Matt spent several years leading a small church in Mayhill, New Mexico, and has recently taken a denominational role, where is he serving churches and pastors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

In this conversation, Matt breaks down some myths about small churches, and Ben and Lynley share an insightful but surprising statistic about how many churches are in the small church category. 

Got feedback, questions, or ideas for a future episode? Email us at president@lifeway.com.

Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Quotes:

“When living in a parsonage, it might be the middle of the night that people were banging on the door needing the food pantry. Or maybe even drunk or high. We would have to take care of that and sometimes you’re not in the most Christian state of mind.”

“The tyranny of the trivial is something you have to figure out pretty quick in a small church.  Have your phone set on ‘do not disturb’ sometimes.  Be okay with picking it up tomorrow instead of the middle of the dining room table or the middle of a date night.”

“Don’t forget that some people are serving in such high capacity roles, that even though they aren’t on staff, they are essentially serving as a ministry leader.”

“The expectations on a pastor, in a small church, to pastor every single person are really heavy.  In a large church setting, those expectations are not as high and are able to be carried by other church staff.”

“To the small church pastor, you are seen and known today. Your success is not in your Twitter reach or how many are in the pews. Your worth is tied up in who Christ is and what He’s done for you.”

Show Credits:

Produced and Edited by: Angie Elkins Media
Original Music by: Robert Elkins
Sound Engineering by: Dale Sandberg
Art Work by: Cameron Spooner

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