Anthony Pappas, Editor, Inside the Small Church (Harvesting the Learning Series). Alban Institute, 2002.
Referenced in: Small Church Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a collection of short essays by authors and noted practitioners in small church development, many of them from the Five Stones small church newsletter. It is divided into four sections:
- Leading the Small Church
- Loving the Small Church
- Building the Capacity of the Small Church
- The Small Church in Mission
The authors emphasize that effective small church pastors love their churches for what they are, and are content and committed to them long-term, not emphasizing their weaknesses over against larger churches (e.g. limited facilities and resources, inadequate critical mass), but appreciating their unique mission-enhancing features. They show how to capitalize on special small church currencies such as deeper involvement, more intimate community, etc.
The authors deal with many of the same issues that are treated at greater length in other resources. But it is good for a person who has already read some of the more in-depth guides and simply wants additional insight, or for those who need an introductory guide. The articles by Anthony Pappas are especially insightful, as well as the opening chapter from Sherry and Douglas Walrath’s surveys of small church leaders and members, and also Gary Farley’s essay, “The Thirty Mile Church.” The tone of the book is refreshing and affirming of small church uniqueness and hopeful of their potential.
From the Publisher
Even as so-called megachurches capture the attention of many church watchers, small congregations continue to dominate America’s religious landscape in both rural and urban settings. Although sometimes obscured by their larger siblings, these small churches play a prominent role and hold a unique place in both local and national cultures. How can leaders help to keep these often at-risk churches alive and to meet their potential for ministry?
Small-church expert Tony Pappas has gathered a cornucopia of essays into an indispensable book for anyone interested in the rich life of these small but significant congregations. Drawing on classic and updated articles by a variety of writers from his own small-church newsletter The Five Stones; from Alban journals Action Information and Congregations; and adding new pieces developed especially for this volume, Pappas provides timeless ideas on learning to value, pastor, develop, and lead the small church.
In addition to time-honored articles by the editor, other contributors to this volume include Sherry and Douglas Alan Walrath, Gary Farley, Lawrence W. Farris, Loren Mead, Caroline Westerhoff, Steven Burt, Carl Dudley, David Ray, James Lowery, and a host of others known for their work-and love-for the small church. Readers of Inside the Small Church will come away with a renewed love and appreciation for these vital congregations as well as with new skills for ministry.
About the Author
Anthony G. Pappas is area minister for the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and the editor of The Five Stones, a newsletter on small church ministry.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Other Resources on Small Churches:
See Other Resources on Church Leadership and Renewal:
- Church Leadership and Renewal, Index
- Church Leadership, Theological Foundations, Ecclesiology
- Church Leadership, Philosophical Foundations – e.g. Church Growth, Missional, Emergent, and Other Missionally Responsive Trajectories
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Church Dynamics and Research
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Congregational Culture, Church Identity
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Size Dynamics, Size Transitions
- Church Leadership, Practical Foundations – Research and Case Studies on Effective Churches
- Church Leadership, Special Situations – Small Church Development
- Church Leadership, Strategies for Renewal
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: