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Table of Contents
In Praise of 7-11 Congregations
A column devoted to ministry in the smaller congregation
By Greg Asimakoupoulos
| Small churches can't afford to be too picky. As a result, those who attend are not content to simply sit. |
As a 9-year-old, I pointed my Kodak Brownie camera at a half-built Space Needle. That black-and-white photograph is the first picture I remember taking. What would become the symbol of the Century 21 World’s Fair was still several months away from its 1962 completion.
We are now living in the 21st century. In the four decades that have passed since that exposition of futuristic imaginations, science fiction has become science fact—color TVs, VCRs, fax machines, laptops, hand-held computers, cellular phones, the Internet, CD players, color photocopy machines, pay-at-the-pump gas stations, and satellite-navigation systems for cars. The information super highway now winds its way through communities that were once 100 miles from the nearest interstate. Megamalls and megachurches aren’t uncommon in even midsize communities.
There are two vestiges of my childhood that still remain—the corner grocery store and the neighborhood church. Curiously, in our sophisticated and technologically complex world, both have not only survived, they remain central to our lives.
Not far from where the Space Needle was being built, I grew up in a small town in Washington State. First Assembly of God (where my dad pastored) was down the street from Straight’s market. I have many happy memories of pedaling my Schwinn bike between these two landmarks. My spiritual needs were met at one; my physical needs at the other. Even in simpler times, there was something about the personal touch you felt in a neighborhood establishment that beckoned you back with frequency. You felt welcomed. You felt safe. You felt you were among family.
It is true that smaller churches (once the norm) have become overshadowed by bigger, newer ones. But smaller churches refuse to go away. A commonly accepted statistic is hard to ignore. Even though 95 percent of Americans attend churches with more than 1,000 in attendance, 90 percent of the churches in North America have less than 150 members.
It is also true that the mom-and-pop convenience stores no longer resemble Straight’s market. The familiar storefronts of the 40s and 50s changed to hi-tech looking 7-11s, Circle Ks, White Hens, and gas station mini-marts. But the inherent concept of a convenient place to pick up a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, and a carton of eggs remains its genius.
As a pastor for nearly 20 years, I’ve reflected on what the corner market and the smaller church have in common. The similarities are not only worth pondering; they serve to encourage those of us who shepherd flocks in places where pews are few.
CONVENIENT PROXIMITY
The nearby convenience store is (as its name suggests) a convenient option. When you discover in the middle of the night you’re out of cough syrup, it’s a great relief to know you don’t need to drive a distance to find a supermarket. The same is true of a local church. Your church is within a 5-minute walk (or drive) to people in your community who rest assured knowing you are there. The size of your building or Sunday morning attendance matters little. What counts is the fact life-changing ministry takes place inside. Obviously, many who live near your building don’t attend. But when a need arises in their lives that prompts spiritual curiosity, chances are—like the local 7-11—you represent a place where help can be sought out. It is also likely that many who attend your church do so because it is within easy reach. In a complicated world where so much is a stretch (logistically and technologically), near is a definite strength.
OPPORTUNITY FOR RELATIONSHIPS
Mr. Straight was a friend of our family. Even though I was an elementary-aged kid, I greeted him or his wife when I stopped off at their corner market for penny candy or a bottle of pop. I felt safe. There was the feeling of family. He would ask how my folks were, genuinely concerned. More than merchandise was stocked on those old wooden shelves. There was also personal concern.
The cost of Tootsie Rolls and Coke has increased five times in 40 years, but the value of relational connectedness in today’s world is worth far more than that. People leave large churches for smaller ones because there is a desire to know and be known. Having a pastor call you by name is a benefit those who have attended small churches all their lives take for granted. The same is true of having the pastor and his or her family to your home for Sunday dinner. But it extends beyond a personal relationship with the pastor. Members in congregations under 150 look out for one another. They have a built-in support network. They are in many ways an extended family. As with relatives, there are the challenges of getting along with kin. Nonetheless, a virtue of a smaller church is that you know who’s on the platform and in the pew beside you.
BENEFIT OF LIMITED FOCUS
The White Hen store down the street from where I live is open all night. But its selection is limited. To some people that is a minus. But I view that as a plus. Since White Hen store owners know they can’t do it all, they don’t try. Rather, their limited inventory allows them to do what they do with predictable excellence. If I know what they carry, I can count on it to be there when I need it. Obviously, there are times when I need a full-service grocery. But I can understand why many people are content to shop at a smaller place because their tastes are not all that gourmet, nor their expectations all that demanding.
In much the same way, churches with limited funds and members can’t compete with multiple-staff congregations. But what they do, they can do with excellence and predictability so those whose taste in churches is "meat and potatoes" need look no further.
CONSTANT NEW CUSTOMERS
Convenience stores survive because of two factors. First, they have a committed clientele. Every morning on the way to his office, my friend, Marty, stops at the Circle K near his home to get a 16-ounce, to-go cup of coffee. That’s his routine. The cashier at that Circle K can count on him.
Convenience stores stay in business for a second reason. They have a continual influx of new customers who just happen to be driving by when they recognize a need or a hunger.
In a small church, the influx of new attendees will not likely match that of a mini-mart, but visitors should be anticipated. I drive by a small Presbyterian church near my office whose corner sign makes me smile. It says "Visitors Welcome and Expected." The key to a continual flow of visitors is more than a clever sign. It is the word of mouth of satisfied customers who find in a smaller congregation what neighbors, friends, and work colleagues are also hungry for.
INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
My friend, Terry, worked at a 7-11 store after going through a divorce. Because he had a master’s degree and had held a prominent position before losing his marriage, he was reluctant to take the all-night job. He took it, though, because he needed the money and because the store manager was willing to hire him when other opportunities Terry had pursued fell through. Convenience stores are great places to find work because it seems they are always hiring. After-school jobs for students. Part-time jobs for retirees. Even those with limited English are given a chance to build an employment resume with an entry job at a corner store. Similarly, in a small church, opportunities to serve are constant.
In some megachurches, those who want to serve the Lord with an average voice can’t sing special numbers or join the worship team. Smaller settings allow ordinary persons to learn as they go (and grow). Even if spiritual maturity is limited, a willing spirit and availability are the only prerequisites. Ushers, greeters, soloists, keyboardists, choir members, volunteer custodians, and the list goes on. Small churches can’t afford to be too picky. As a result, those who attend are not content to simply sit.
There are undoubtedly more similarities between convenience stores and smaller churches. Both are icons of a simpler past and requirements of an increasingly sophisticated future. In that regard, I find it more than a little interesting there is a trend among Gen-Xers that would tend to support the place of the smaller church in American society. The children of boomers like me are not all that impressed with bigness or eloquence (normally associated with successful churches). They are more concerned with sincerity, integrity, authenticity, and interaction. And where would such qualities be most likely found? In churches like the one you most likely pastor. The world into which they were born may resemble Star Trek, but the values they embrace are more like Leave It to Beaver.
Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former pastor and a freelance writer who lives in Naperville, Illinois.
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