Big Lessons From Little Places: Faithfulness And the Future In Small Congregations by Kay Mclaughlin

KAY COLLIER MCLAUGHLIN Churchwide discussions on structure and growth tend to focus on the importance of increasing "butts in the pews and bucks in the plates." Suggestions have been made on merging smaller dioceses to create larger ones and closing the doors of congregations which do not have Sunday attendance of at least 200. This is a model of scarcity without consideration of the value and abundance to be found in small churches. Discover the roles, possibilities, promise, and potential of being a small church! Travel with Kay Collier McLauglin as she takes the back roads and byways of the United States, visiting small churches that are making a difference in their community. Each chapter tells a story about an example of faithfulness in the life of a small congregation and relates that story to the essentials of faithful living and being church. The book challenges the decision-makers in the Episcopal Church to think beyond traditional measures and short-term economic fixes to discover the life-giving opportunities and models presented by the smallest congregations. Soft Cover. 144 pages Kay Collier McLaughlin is a church professional of forty years standing, presently serving as the Deputy for Leadership Development and Transition Ministries in the Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky). She travels extensively throughout the Episcopal Church (and beyond) giving workshops and consultations. Her previous book, Becoming the Transformative Church: Beyond Sacred Cows, Fantasies and Fears (Morehouse) is a best seller. She lives in Carlisle, Kentucky.