CommunityNewsPeopleRon Baker

What We Miss About the Small Church

By Ron Baker

As some of you know, I enjoy doing interviews and podcasts. Here in Kindersley there is the Kevin and Ron show. That is just fun – and I hope fun for you.

Another podcast I do fairly regularly since 2021 is the “This is Us: Canadian Small Churches in Action”. The podcast includes people from across Canada – small church pastors and leaders, denominational executives and academics. At the writing of this editorial I have just completed my 46th podcast. Working with some students at Eston College, Matt Cunningham and Nate Stacheruk, we have compiled information on the COVID years’ interviews. We hope to have that published soon.

How did I get involved in this? I direct the Canadian Small Church Ministry Centre (www.cscmc.ca) sponsored out of Small Church Connections (www.SmallChurchConnections.com). Small Churches are on my heart. This editorial will pick on my passion and give you a few insights that are freshly up on the Canadian Small Church Ministry Centre website podcasts. Check out www.cscmc.ca under the podcast tab to see and hear these interviews.

So what are some of the quotes that might interest you? I’ve included the name of the interviewee, the episode # and the point where you can find the quote in the podcast. Enjoy!

Ron Johnston/ ep. 1 – “One of the things that small churches struggle with a lot is self esteem. And I would love to see it that small churches saw themselves in the way that God sees them as an incredibly important part of, of the church in Canada.” (21:53)

Dave Witt/ ep. 2 –“God’s intention for the church in a city is for there to be relationship across differences. And that part of the vibrancy of the gospel in a place is when Christians can relate to each other across their differences, and find ways to point to Jesus, despite the ways that they might do some things differently.” (10:54)

Kevin Driver/ ep. 8 – “The snapshot of the church today is not necessarily going to look much like a snapshot of a church next year.” (8:51)

Glen Wooden/ ep. 18 –“So in a small church context, I think we need to stop doing that which is hard. We need to stop counting, we need to stop comparing. What we need to be focusing on is: Who do we have? and What has God gifted the people we have to do?” (20:15)

Shaila Visser/ ep. 29  “Evangelism is joining a conversation the Holy Spirit is already having with another person.”

David Guretski/ ep. 35  “I really think they [pastors] should become attuned to theology of the land, theology of economy, some of those types of issues that really do impact their congregations and their people. And focus, specialize, on their issues that actually present themselves to the people who you are ministering to, rather than worrying about keeping up with the trends. (26:05)

Karen Stiller/ ep. 40 – “I am saddened when people leave this difficult, messy, uncomfortable body that is the church. And so for me, showing up matters. ” (27:40)

Rod Wilson/ ep 42 – “I think pastors often pastor in a way that they think others should say Thank You to them, and others should say, I’m Sorry, and others should say, Tell Me More. And because they’re a little higher up in the pecking order, they sort of feel like this should come up to them. And I think the Jesus way, the upside down Kingdom, is what pastors need to be thinking about – who can I say thank you to, who can I say I’m sorry, to whom can I say, tell me more to. And so when you recognize you’re in a position of power, one of the things that happens is a subtle entitlement. ” (28:54)

Margaret Cottle/ ep 46 – “I asked my friend whose dad died when he was only 50. . . What’s the most important thing that somebody could have done for your family, and she said, the dishes.” (45:57)

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