Let's get small.....

For the past 15 years we have lived in one of the fastest growing counties, not only in Missouri, but in the country, and for nine of those years, we lived in one of the fastest growing towns in that county. During those years the church we attended more than doubled in size.
Today, Regina started her new position as the pastor of the Golden City United Methodist Church, in Golden City Mo, which is in Barton County, just a few miles from Kansas. There were 37 in attendance, but it was church, because it still is true, "where two or three are gathered....". We have made a circle in life, 21 years ago when we began this journey, the church we left was just a little bit bigger than that. At that time, we had ideas of getting in a bigger church where "ministry" was many more things than it was in our little hometown, family church.
Now, here we are, worshiping with 35 other believers on July 4th weekend. But, it was church and there is ministry to be done.
In this new situation, the average age ( I'm guessing avg. is upper 60's to low 70's, with many of the active leaders in their 80's) of the congregation gives a sense of urgency to growth. In 10 or fewer years the number could be 17 or 7 . There are not a lot of young people moving to Barton county or Golden City, but there are people who don't know about God. Pray for Regina in leading this group of believers to find what God has in store for them.
Regina nor I believes that God has sent us here just to mark time until something better comes along. And just now writing that, I wonder if that's not what I have been doing for quite some time, looking for something better. What we have now may just be that.
"Let's Get Small." was an album and a routine that Steve Martin did way back. It was about being on drugs, drugs that would make you actually smaller, and because of that, the tests for sobriety would be different, and you would have to be in a different jail cell, because if you were small you could walk right out between the bars.
Getting small in the Church also gives a different perspective, one I hope we can use to promote the kingdom in totally different small ways.
Peace