Farnsworth, All Churches Great and Small

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Kirk and Rose Farnsworth, All Churches Great and Small: 60 Ideas for Improving Your Church’s Ministry.. Judson Press, 2005.

Referenced in: Small Church Leadership

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

This is one of several volumes published by Judson Press designed for small church development. Judson also produces the Small Church in Action Series. It elevates the place of small churches as the preferred model for missional effectiveness. Based on solid research, they make numerous suggestions on how to capitalize on the advantages of small congregations in areas such as shepherding, gathering, covenanting, ministering, studying, worshiping, praying, giving, living in the Spirit, and witnessing. A key to small church development is to steer away from trying to be a large church in miniature, seeking large church results without large church characteristics or resources. Effective small churches learn how to confidently clarify, affirm, and embrace the advantages of their identity.

From the Publisher

In All Churches Great and Small, the authors make a compelling case that smaller is better when it comes to the church’s ability to accomplish its mission. The authors cite research of church members that reveals that, when it comes to the vital qualities of strong churches’ qualities such as growing spiritually, participating in the congregation, and having a sense of belonging, small churches have a decided advantage over larger churches.

The authors explore the ingredients of faithful, healthy churches, offering some 60 ideas for small churches that want to increase effectiveness in key areas such as worship, caring, praying, studying, giving, and witnessing. Featured is the Small Church Advantages Index, which lists five vital qualities of strong churches and seven essential qualities of healthy churches.

Editorial Reviews

“This book will be helpful for leadership teams in any church, with an abundance of thoughtful follow-up suggestions for implementation. Innovative and thought-provoking ideas abound.” – Baptist Standard, May 2006

“In All Churches Great and Small many of the ideas suggested in these pages would be useful for small, medium, and large churches alike.” – Congregations, Spring 2006

“While the book focuses on small churches, it is a good self-evaluation tool for churches of any size.”Baptists Today, May 2006.


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