Churches of All Sizes Are Impacting Cities For Christ

Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

I am thankful for churches of all sizes, small, medium, big and mega. I served on staff  at a mega-church in Virginia that had over 8,000 in worship. I have also been the pastor of a mountain village church in Vermont that only had 20 people in worship when I became their pastor. I've served on staff, and also been the pastor, of churches that were medium sized. This gives me a great appreciation for churches of all sizes. They all have a part to play in reaching our nation for Christ, including our big cities.

But I must confess, sometimes I grow weary of the narrative that is common right now in Christendom. That narrative is that only mega-churches have the resources to impact cities for Christ. We must realize that small churches are not waiting for "big churches" to reach their cities for Christ. Small churches are already doing it. Every week small churches in urban areas (and in rural ones) will worship the Lord while ministering to broken families, helping addicts, passing out food to the hungry and clothing those in need. The leaders of those churches, most often bivocational pastors and overworked deacons, will pray with people, hear their stories and share Christ's love with those on the margins of society. Their stories will never be on the cover of Outreach magazine, but that does not lessen the impact of their ministry. Thank God for these unsung heroes of the faith!

Because of this false narrative that only mega-churches can impact cities, far too many people are waiting for the knight in shining armor to show up and solve their city's problems. They do not realize that the King of Kings has already deployed his army, the church. And that churches are all sizes are already hard at work solving those very problems in Jesus's name.

I'm thankful for mega-churches willing to invest their significant resources in changing a city for Christ, But they are not the only ones in the trenches. Good leaders from good churches have been doing it for decades. While small church leaders welcome reinforcements, don't think they are hiding in the basement of their small churches waiting for a hero to come rescue them. Those leaders of small churches are the heroes and they are getting the job done, but they sure would like some help. Let's help them instead of supplanting them. Let's partner with them, instead of pushing them aside because their buildings are not fancy and their brochures are not on glossy paper.

Today, instead of waiting for famous some TV preacher to start some new urban initiative, go find a church (one of ANY size) and get to work. Become part of the solution! Stop waiting for a hero, become the hero.

Lord, help each of us to be the light in the darkness for those who need You. Keep us from waiting for someone else to do it. Help us to be the one who goes in Your name. Amen.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY