Micro Churches: Is Smaller Better?
When hearing the word church, most people would probably think of an organization characterized by…
- A physical building…
- Programming for kindergarten through seniors, often led by a...
- Theologically trained staff, supported financially through weekly offerings.
But what if I were to tell you that there’s a thriving movement of churches around the world that defy these conventional norms?
These are micro churches, and let me tell you, they’re redefining (or rediscovering) what it means to be the church.
This movement is made up of these micro churches, but don’t let that name fool you because this smaller expression of the church packs quite a missional punch.
What Is a Micro Church?
Micro churches come in all shapes and sizes.
Some gather in living rooms while others find their meeting place in local coffee shops.
They might consist of colleagues in a corporate setting or students on a college campus.
Some micro churches exist solely to care for victims of abuse and others may look a little more traditional in their liturgy.
No two micro churches look the same, yet they usually share these 5 common threads:
- Decentralized leadership: Instead of relying on a full-time senior pastor, leadership responsibilities are shared among a team, lightening the load and fostering collaboration and cooperation. Their ecclesiology is simple and organic. The Protestant doctrine of "priesthood of all believers" is a major emphasis in these local communities.
- Deemphasized Sunday Service: While they may gather on Sundays, they don’t always. In fact, Sundays aren’t even the focus. Instead, the focus extends outside of the traditional service times and their priority lies in making disciples outside of the gathering.
- Minimal Programming: You won’t find extensive youth groups, women’s/men’s ministries, or kid’s choirs here. Instead, resources are channeled into mission projects and church planting. Everything is about making new disciples.
- Missional: Every decision revolves around mission and discipleship. From their interactions within the community to their outreach efforts, microchurches are driven by a design to reach the lost.
- Focused on Multiplication: Because they are small, microchurches prioritize raising new leaders and reproducing new churches, spreading their impact across their cities and beyond.
What Is the Micro Church Movement?
The churches in the hardest places around the world have found great benefit in the simplicity of this model of church.
Initially flourishing in the most challenging places around the world, the micro church model has gained traction in Western contexts in recent years.
All over North America, movements like the Underground Network in Tampa (and Kansas City), Greenhouse Church in Gainesville, 1Body Church, We Are Church in San Francisco, and many others have made more disciples and planted more churches than they can count!
The Growth of Micro Churches
Brian Sanders' story is just one example of how a small house church can quickly turn into a movement.
Sanders started the Underground Network in Tampa, FL in 2006 and now has over 100 microchurches in the Tampa Bay area and 15 separate sister city movements with similar numbers.
The movement is spreading like wildfire because people long for an authentic community centered around the simplicity of the gospel message. People are seeking true community centered around the scriptures and focused on worshipping the God of the Bible.
The Philosophy of Micro Churches
The philosophy of these movements is that there is ultimately one church in any given city but that city needs an expression of the church in each of its multifaceted contexts.
Maybe the best way to reach the artists in your city is to start a church to reach artists.
Maybe the best way to reach your apartment complex is to start a church in your apartment building.
Here’s the question microchurches pose to all of us:
Are Micro Churches Biblical?
Yes! If you were to ask the average participants of a micro church this question, they would tell you that all they are trying to do is do church as the early Christians did during the time of the New Testament.
Biblical examples of micro churches
- Acts 2:42-45 - Highlighting the intimate gatherings and shared resources, resonate deeply with the ethos of microchurches
- 1 Corinthians 16:19 - The church met in the house of Aquila and Priscilla
- Colossians 4:15 - The church met in the home of Nympha
- Philemon 2 - The church met in the home of Philemon
What Are the Benefits of a Micro Church?
Many benefits come with employing a simple ecclesiology like we see in the micro church movement.
The three most obvious benefits would be its cost-efficiency, scalability and reproducibility, and missional effectiveness.
- Cost-Efficiency: By prioritizing simplicity, micro churches sidestep the financial burdens associated with traditional church structures, channeling resources directly into missional endeavors.
- Scalability and Reproducibility: One of the most striking benefits of micro churches lies in their inherent scalability and ease of reproduction. The simplicity of the model facilitates quick and efficient replication, allowing the movement to grow organically and adapt to diverse communities with minimal barriers.
- Missional Effectiveness: Micro churches excel in their ability to stay focused on their mission. With simplified structures, these communities can agilely respond to the unique needs of their congregants and communities. The emphasis on mission-driven activities ensures a purposeful and impactful presence in the wider context.
The Challenges of Micro Church
Without a doubt, microchurches have their fair share of challenges. Here are the common ones:
Leadership Development and Accountability
Shared leadership is a must. Without a dedicated team of leaders collaborating, the micro church risks not surviving. There is a heavy emphasis on APEST profiles/gifting so that there are leaders who are gifted in different areas of ministry. A leader of a micro church needs to establish ties with other leaders to share the responsibility of ministry.
Burnout and a Failed Launch
Because a pastor of a microchurch is usually bivocational (not a full-time pastor), they will not have time to maintain a church on his own while providing for their family. This is why the challenge of leadership development must be overcome.
Limited Resources and Finances
Due to their scale, a mircrochurch doesn't typically have the resources and finances of larger ministries. They heavily rely on every person to have a high level of buy in to accomplish their mission.
Lack of Children's Ministry
Micro churches often do not have children's ministries primarily due to their smaller congregation sizes, which can limit the number of children present and the resources available to run separate programs.
My Own Experience with the Micro Church
I first encountered the Micro Church Movement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Charleston, SC. My family was in a new town on a job assignment and we had not yet settled into a new church home.
With so many churches closing their doors during this time, I didn’t know what to do. God introduced me to a pastor who was planting two micro churches to form a network to reach Charleston, SC with the Gospel.
I really loved my time with this community of believers and what was most evident to me from this experience is that mission is central in this movement.
This is also what made me fall in love with the micro church. Mission is important to Jesus so it must be important to us.
Making Disciples with the Simple Gospel Message
Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to the Great Commission.
All we are called to do is make disciples so we must resist the temptation to overcomplicate the mission with things not prescribed in the New Testament. Let us share the good news of Jesus with all who will hear it while pursuing the Christianity of the early church.
In a complicated world filled with so much noise, the simplicity of the micro church could be the remedy many people seek.