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The Advantages Of Pastoring A Smaller Membership Church Most of the churches across the Southern Baptist Convention are not large. When you look for a definition of a smaller membership church, you will find several different opinions. For the BSCLN, we have chosen to use two distinguishing traits: Those churches whose pastor is considered fully-funded or who does not have a secondary source of income. Those churches which average 125 or less in Sunday School. While these pastors face many challenges, a list of advantages can easily be identified. The pastor will know the names of all his members. The pastor is aware of what is going on in the lives of most of his members. He gets to witness the spiritual development of the children, youth and adults in his church. He can be involved in the major events in the families in his church. He has time to cultivate potential leaders in his church. He gets to know the community around his church. He has time for sermon preparation and counseling. There is less pressure to impress and more freedom to be himself. He has more flexibility in the use of his time than the bivo pastor or the pastor of a large church. He can be involved in the work of the major committees in his church. There are many more advantages that could be named. If you are the pastor of a smaller membership church, thank God for where He has placed you. In our next article, I will address some of the challenges of pastoring a smaller membership church. Blessings. Ray Gilder National Coordinator Ray Gilder Bivocational Ministries Tennessee Baptist Convention email: rgilder@tnbaptist.org office: 615-371-7907 cell: 931-607-3146 Would you like to reply to this Word from Ray ? just CLICK HERE to send that reply: office: 615-371-7907 cell: 931-607-3146

Check out the Web site Home Page Article by Ray Gilder "WHO IS GOING TO CHECK ON THE CHURCHES?" It's a great article . . . represents much of what we are about. Also on the Home Page and/or in the Side Bar Menu under State News is a new MAP of the United States. If you CLCIK ON a state, it will take you to a page for events, news, announcements, or just about anything someone would want to have posted about their state. Try it . . . most staes are blank (under construction). Shannon requested this and I think it's a great idea. The only thing lacking is the information to be posted. Send information to: wgm@bivocational.org and we'll post it right away. Shannon Smith and Gary Mitchell

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