Don't Close the Doors — Open New Ones: A Call to Small Churches
- Sam Peters
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
How Embracing the Ecclesial Minimum Can Ignite New Church Plants
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19, NIV
As I work with smaller churches, I often get called in when they are desperate because closing their church is looming on the horizon. They kept hoping that if they were faithful doing what they always had done, people would come back and their pews would once again be full of joyful praise and worship. In a recent article, Carey Nieuwhof commented that church closures were outpacing new church starts 3:1[1]. I have sadly driven around many small towns and passed small quaint churches that were once a foundational element in their community only to be boarded up and sold to be something else. The struggle facing many smaller congregations is very real. But what if God’s call is not about survival, but multiplication? If you are in a small church that is concerned about your declining attendance and aging congregation, can I invite you to dream about being church planters, not just survivors? Read on to find out how you can turn the tide and find new vitality when it seems the only future is closure.
Seeing Through God’s Lens of Abundance
One of the greatest struggles small churches face is the temptation to view themselves through a lens of scarcity.
We find ourselves saying things like, "We don’t have enough money, people, resources, energy, or young families.” We glance across town at larger churches with bustling programs and full parking lots, and the comparison can feel crushing. In our discouragement, we may even start to rationalize our smallness — convincing ourselves that bigger churches must be compromising the Gospel — or worse, we quietly resign ourselves to an inevitable decline.
But listen carefully: This does not have to be your story.
God calls us not to view our circumstances through human limitation, but through His abundant provision.
Scripture reminds us that “The cattle on a thousand hills” belong to Him (Psalm 50:10) — and if that's not enough, so do the hills themselves! God is never short on resources. He delights in doing the miraculous through what the world considers small and insignificant.
Remember: Jesus didn't need an army to change history — He called twelve ordinary people, poured His life into them, and through their faithfulness, turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).The question isn't, “Do we have enough?” The real question is, “Are we willing to believe again? To pray, to dream, and to envision a future that only God could make possible?”
Your church — no matter the size — is packed with Kingdom potential.
When a handful of believers say "yes" to God's vision, there is no limit to what He can do. Imagine your church not as one struggling to survive, but as one poised to plant, to multiply, and to ignite new expressions of the Gospel in places that need it most.
It’s time to stop seeing what you lack — and start seeing who you have.
With God, small is never insignificant; small is the beginning of something extraordinary.
Let me share Four Big Ideas for Small Churches to Dream About.
1. Multiply Mission, Not Programs
As Karl Vaters said in his book “De-Sizing the Church”, discipleship fixes everything. Rethink the way you do everything. You have my permission to stop doing everything that doesn’t fit your church’s One Excellent Mission. Instead of the annual bean dinner and ice cream social, focus on simple, mission driven efforts rather than small inwardly focused events. Consider a revamp of your full Sunday service model. How could a small group of faith-minded people worship out in the community? The Ecclesial Minimum of church is Mission, Worship and Community. Where those three overlap, church is happening. It doesn’t have to happen at a set time on Sunday morning inside a mostly empty sanctuary.
How could a home Bible study, dinner church or community service effort help you reach the unchurched of your neighborhood?
2. Equip Everyday Disciples as Church Planters
What if every member had permission to try something new instead of waiting on the pastor to start it or tell them what to do? This can breathe new life into long-time members. Do some disciple-making training. Create some leadership huddles to mentor new leaders. Start a house church of people that would like to learn more about how to start a house church.
Remember that the Ecclesial Minimum removes all the barriers of a structured Sunday morning worship service in a building. Use this freedom to create new expressions of church where you live.
3. Trust God’s Economy: Abundance Over Scarcity
When we take the time to carefully review the assets God has provided, we learn quickly that we have enough to make a difference in our community for Christ. Stop focusing on what you don’t have and go with what you’ve got trusting God for the rest.
Remember how Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude. We are serving the same miracle working Lord today! When you are tempted to complain about what you don’t have, praise God for what you do have and trust Him.
4. Launch Micro First, Then Multiply
Micro-churches are small groups of people drawn together by affinity or need that worship Christ and follow Him. A group of 6-10 people can change a neighborhood.
Micro-churches are flexible, low-cost, and very relational. This is ideal for the current culture we find in North America. Do you have a couple of great bakers in your church? What if they held a weekly baking class for younger women and men that want to learn the old ways of baking? When the church began they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching, prayer, fellowship and the breaking of bread. What a great premise to start a micro-church. While the bread or cakes are baking, someone could share a short devotion or a hymn, followed by testimonies of how God is meeting their needs on a daily basis. At the end of the class the group could join in eating the great treats that were made in the class.
There are so many great ideas you could come up with based on the giftedness of your congregation. Start one, then begin another.
Practical First Steps to Begin Dreaming
The most powerful thing you can do is to pray. Begin praying as a church: “Lord, where would you have us plant?”
Identify 2-3 people that are committed to creating a micro-church plant. Get some training on how to begin a micro-church. I am available to help if you need it.
Start a pilot micro-church inside your congregation to practice before you plant outward in the community.
Find another small church to partner with to encourage one another.
Dream Again, Plant Again
God specializes in breathing new life into dry bones (Ezekiel 37). If you think your church is dying, think again. Small churches are perfectly positioned for Kingdom multiplication. Small is nimble. You can find new life and vitality by dreaming new dreams.
Instead of closing doors, open new ones!
Conclusion: Dream Bigger, Start Smaller, Trust God’s Abundance
The days of small churches quietly fading away do not have to be the final chapter.
God is inviting you to dream bigger, start smaller, and trust His abundance. You have everything you need — not to simply survive, but to multiply in powerful, Kingdom-impacting ways.
If your church is ready to step out in faith and explore what it means to plant a new micro-church expression, I want to personally invite you to consider a unique opportunity.
I am currently looking for the ideal small church to serve as a pilot program.
I will work alongside your leaders — at no cost — to help you:
Identify your One Excellent Mission
Train and equip leaders
Launch a new micro-church within a 12-month period
If you sense God stirring your heart and would like to be considered for this pilot program, please reach out. I would love to talk with you about how your church could become a model of faithful, life-giving multiplication in your community.
Contact me today and let's start dreaming — and planting — together.