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The Small Church Advantage
The Center for Leadership Excellence presents a Day of Learning with Teresa Stewart…
March 3 @ 9:30 am – 3:00 pm
*Doors open at 9am
includes lunch, a book for each team member, and two follow-up Zoom sessions with Teresa
- March 18, 12pm–1pm ET
- April 15, 12pm–1pm ET
About the Day
Small congregations are not big places in miniature. They work differently. They come with different resources, dynamics, and challenges. But they also come with distinctive strengths–ones that are powerfully forming and not generally available in big settings.
Ministry requires more than trying to replicate big-setting successes. It requires unleashing this great variety of small-setting strengths. Like reclaiming lay rather than expert leadership. Or “going local” rather than chasing after a one-size-fits-most program. Or returning to practices of participation rather than performance.
The result is not a “fix” for small congregations. It’s a hope for all congregations led by the small ones. We need you to work differently. To become local laboratories, indigenous innovators, and good news diagnosticians for the mission of the whole Church.
Grace doesn’t get hung up on expertise, efficiency, or numbers. It chases after lone lambs, changes plans for an interrupting beggar, and works like a ridiculously tiny mustard seed.
For the love of God, you can too.
Who Should Come
- Worship planning teams—It’s important to engage in this Day of Learning as a team! Teresa will lead your team through exploratory planning during the day and continue to support you in two Zoom sessions.
- Small church leaders interested in re-imagining worship—again, come with your team!
About Teresa Stewart
Teresa J. Stewart is a writer, teacher, and creator in love with small congregations. For nearly 20 years she has written worship resources for them, studied their strengths, shared their successes, and offered workshops designed for their challenges and advantages.
Her work starts with this simple truth: small churches are different from big ones. And small churches have superpowers and distinctive gifts unavailable in big settings.
Teresa lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Scott. You may contact her at Teresa@SmallChurch.org.
