Jesse Reimers

As a small church pastor, it can be easy to feel overlooked—by people, by platforms, and sometimes, if we're honest, even by God. You may be pouring out your heart week after week, shepherding faithfully with limited resources and little recognition, and quietly wondering: If God doesn’t show favoritism, why does it seem like others get more influence, more opportunity, or more intimacy with Him? Even in Scripture, Jesus had inner circles—three disciples at the Transfiguration, twelve in His closest community, and the multitudes beyond them. So how do we reconcile this with a God who is said to love all equally? Let’s look deeper into this tension and find clarity, encouragement, and purpose in the way Jesus modeled relationships and leadership. This is a profound and often wrestled-with question in both theological study and personal discipleship: If God doesn’t show favoritism (Romans 2:11), then why did Jesus seem to operate with different levels of closeness and access among H...

 You didn’t get into ministry to become a statistic. But if you’re a church leader in 2025, the numbers aren’t easy to read—and you might feel them in your bones. According to the 2025 Church Trends report by Carey Nieuwhof: One-third of pastors seriously considered quitting ministry in the past year. Eighteen percent of pastors have considered suicide or self-harm. Only 7% of pastors under 45 say they’re flourishing in life and ministry. Let’s stop right here. If you’re a small church pastor who feels tired, discouraged, burned out, emotionally numb, or spiritually dry—you are not weak. You are not a failure. You are not faithless. You’re a human being doing sacred work in a broken world. And God sees you. The Weight Few Understand Ministry has always been hard—but in recent years, it’s become relentless . It’s not just preaching and praying anymore. It’s: Managing finances. Dealing with political polarization. Navigating burnout in volunteers. Coun...

 If you've been in ministry for more than a few months, you've probably felt the pressure: Make your church more modern, more exciting, more relevant. Maybe you've asked yourself: Do we need better lighting? Should I change my preaching style? Is our worship too old-school? Are we behind because we don’t have a full creative team or slick social media? Carey Nieuwhof’s 2025 Church Trends report calls this out directly. He points to the growing fatigue with “just-add-water” church models—the kind where every church looks, sounds, and feels exactly the same. A modern worship band. Three Hillsong or Maverick City songs. A cool logo. An upbeat sermon. Coffee. Kids check-in. Go home. There was a time when this formula “worked.” But in today’s spiritual landscape—especially among Gen Z and Millennials—it’s wearing thin. People aren’t looking for a copy of culture. They’re looking for an alternative to it . Enter: The rise of the non-derivative church. What Is a...

You don’t need a seminary degree to see that churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate. In 2025, Carey Nieuwhof’s Church Trends report estimates that church closures in the U.S. outpace new church plants by a ratio of 3-to-1 . In raw numbers, that’s potentially 7,000 churches disappearing every year. Many of these are small churches. Churches like yours. Maybe you’ve seen it firsthand. That neighboring congregation who sold their building. The pastor friend who quietly stepped away. The older church a few blocks down that once thrived but now barely keeps the lights on. And perhaps—if we’re honest—you’ve wondered: How long can we hold on? If these stats make you feel like the odds are against you, you’re not alone. But before despair creeps in, let’s pause and remember: God is not surprised. He is not panicked. And He is not powerless. He still builds His Church. This Is Not the First Time the Church Has Faced Crisis Jesus didn’t promise His followers that church growt...

In an age of streaming sermons, viral TikTok testimonies, and AI-generated devotionals, it might seem like evangelism has never had more reach. And yet, according to recent research, evangelism in the local church is on life support. Carey Nieuwhof’s 2025 Church Trends report reveals a sobering statistic: only 1% of pastors believe their church is very effective at reaching unchurched people. That’s not a typo— 99% of churches aren’t seeing much fruit when it comes to introducing people to Jesus. Even churches on national “fastest-growing” lists are often growing through transfer growth —not conversion growth . People are switching churches, not finding faith. And in some denominations, nearly half of churches report zero baptisms in a full calendar year. Let’s pause and let that sink in: a growing number of churches in America are not leading a single person to Christ each year. For Small Churches, This Can Feel Defeating If you’re leading a small church, these trends can sound...