Rural Northwest churches are sharing pastors across denominations to cut costs, sustain ministries and keep congregations alive as attendance and clergy numbers decline.
Rural churches are not just “small.” They are profoundly local, relational and vital to the PC(USA)’s witness, writes Phillip Blackburn.
A tiny church faced COVID with an unexpected choice: save itself or give itself away. What happened next reshaped an entire town — and reached across the globe, writes Robert Barrett.
Small churches aren’t inadequate, writes Teri McDowell Ott. When congregations trust their God-given gifts, they rediscover confidence and shine as Christ’s light.
Church decline doesn’t mean faith is disappearing. It means congregations must rethink metrics, mission and community impact, writes Mark Elsdon.
Churches in two small Kansas towns wondered what was missing. Now, a library, an after-school program and a daycare center are making their communities stronger. — Catherine Neelly Burton
Hammonton Presbyterians join with local partners to put their faith in action.
Churches that focus on mission more than maintenance, on abundance more than scarcity, can find new ways to thrive, writes Mark DeVries.
Newell Presbyterian is part of a growing trend of declining congregations with underutilized space, excess land or deteriorating buildings that are selling or leasing some of their land for affordable housing.
As church buildings empty, congregations are finding new ways to align mission with property, transforming sacred space into community-serving hubs.
Small churches rely on a few faithful caregivers. Phillip Blackburn calls us to see the weight they carry and offer them support.
Phillip Blackburn offers a reflection on joy, memory, and the enduring gift of spiritual relationships within the church, even amid burnout, conflict, and change.
Phillip Blackburn shares how a small rural church in Arkansas is making a big impact — and why challenging our assumptions about church size and leadership matters.
What if we structured congregations on members’ time and talents instead of organizational needs, asks Philip Blackburn?
For 20 years, N. Barry Dancy has balanced being a part-time pastor and tractor-trailer driver. He believes dual employment could be key to the future of small churches.
The needs of small congregations took central stage in several conversations, including decisions about ordination, curriculum development and shared ministry.
Blake Brinegar updates on new General Assembly proposals impacting small congregations.
The majority of PC(USA) congregations are small. Phil Blackburn, Daniel Lee and Caroline Dennis talk about important denominational issues from this perspective.
"The missing never ends, nor does that love that reached from my dad to me to my daughter and back," Mary Bird Lanzavecchia.
"This book may help congregations that are far, far away from the sale of their church property avoid this seemingly inevitable fate." — Beth Guzman
"Nothing is wrong with smallness if that smallness is chock-full of faithfulness," writes Whitney Wilkinson Arreche.
"It feels like resurrection." Small church member Beth Bradshaw reflects on the ups and downs of attending a church in a small town.
In each issue of the Outlook, we include a discussion guide to further reflect on the issue. We recommend using this guide in your Bible study, small group or book club. It's our invitation into a faithful conversation.
Myisha Cherry argues that it is more fruitful to view forgiveness as a journey, not a single decision, writes Paul Dornan.
Greg Garrett agrees with Baldwin on the questions that lead from bad faith to one based on wisdom and truth: “Who is God, who am I, what is sacred community, how are we supposed to live, why exercise faith?”
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