The Man from Galilee Jesus spent something like 70% of his ministry in Galilee, not in Jerusalem or in some other major city. One of the first questions asked about him was whether anything good could come out of Nazareth, a town of no more than 2000. Well, now that that question has been satisfactorally answered, we can ask, “Can any good thing go into Nazareth?”  Mission Strategy We often hear how Paul’s missionary strategy concentrated his work in the population centers around the Mediteranean. Some of the cities were quite large and some would, by today’s standards, be considered small towns. We can certainly affirm the importance of reaching our cities while, at the same time, asserting the value of reaching our small towns. 

The Small Town Opportunity Growing up in a small town you’re more likely to play, maybe even start, on a sports team. You will develop confidence and learn the lessons in team play, overcoming adversity, and leadership… which will help you the rest of your life. You will have more opportunities in more ways. They speak to you in the store. When you grow up in a small town, you are from there; it’s not just a name on a list of places you’ve lived.  Small Town Churches Small town churches have a way of punching above their weight class. They seem to produce a disproportinate share of our ministers and missionaries. They are not mega-churches, but they may be reaching a larger percentage of their towns than many mega-churches do in their cities. 

Traditional

Baptist Church

SMALL TOWN, AMERICA This site is a library of free articles, booklets, and audio about ministering in a small town, preaching, and leading worship. In this town, it’s DQ, not Panera Bread; Dollar General, not Target; Hardee’s coffee, not Starbucks. You serve a traditional church (more or less) in a small town. Such churches present their pastors with unique challenges, but also unique opportunities. 