Jesse Reimers

Week 7 of the Small Church Guys series: Healthy Things Grow—A Biblical and Global Approach to Natural Church Development Pastors live with a tension that can become exhausting.  On one hand, Scripture is clear: God alone produces spiritual life.  On the other hand, Scripture is equally clear: pastors and churches still have work to do. We are called to preach,  Teach,  Pray,  Disciple,  Equip,  Organize,  Serve,  Evangelize,  Develop leaders,  Care for people,  Evaluate fruit, a nd sometimes make difficult changes.  So which is it?  Do we trust God to grow His Church?  Or do we work intentionally to make the church healthier? The biblical answer is both . Paul captured this tension beautifully: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” —1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul did not say: “I planted, Apollos watered, and together we figured out how to make the church grow.” Neither did he say: “God gives ...

There is nothing wrong with learning from other churches. In fact, wise pastors do it all the time. They read books. They attend conferences. They listen to sermons. They observe healthy ministries. They ask questions. They take notes. They pay attention to what seems fruitful and effective. That kind of humility can be a gift. No pastor knows everything, and no church has nothing to learn. But there is a difference between learning and losing yourself. That is where many small church pastors quietly struggle. You may look at another church and admire its clarity, warmth, systems, leadership, outreach, or energy. And that can be helpful. But somewhere along the way, admiration can turn into pressure. Pressure can turn into comparison. And comparison can turn into imitation. Before long, a pastor is no longer simply learning from another church. He is starting to feel like his church should become a version of it. That rarely ends well. Pastors often ask: How do I know what t...