The Little Church That Could
What is the best way to measure the health of a congregation? Are the demographics of a church what makes it healthy? Or perhaps there is a clear connection between the size of the congregation and its spiritual health. Certainly there are benefits in having a congregation that is diverse, full of youthful energy and the maturity of age. No doubt there are benefits to having a large congregation that is able to support both itself and others. However, I believe that a better metric by which to judge the health of a congregation is to evaluate the stewardship of the resources which have been given it.This December, I had the privilege to work with the Central Church of Christ in Harriman, TN, a small church of about 10-15 members. Despite their small number and limited resources, this church decided to do the best with what they were given. They decided to take part in the development of new ministers. Each service they bring in men from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences and allow themselves to be the "guinea pigs" of some very green preachers. I am sure that it has not always been easy to sit through countless young preachers over the years, but Central has shown a great amount of patience and encouragement towards them. And their efforts have paid off. Throughout the years numerous men have better equipped themselves for their ministries with the skills they learned from this small country church.I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 10:42. Not every church is capable of hosting a lectureship. Not every church is capable of independently supporting a missionary abroad. What matters is that we do good whenever and wherever we can. If we are perpetually looking forward towards the big, flashy, and eye-catching acts of service, we might be losing sight of the small everyday opportunities that are right before our eyes.There is a lesson to be learned from this little church out in the country of Tennessee. Do good with what you have been given, wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself. If a cup of water is all that you can give, then we shall not lose our reward.
