Recent surveys tell us that 65% of US churches have an attendance of less than 100 people. Most often, the mega-church ministries and their “larger-than-life” leaders dominate the airways and digital and print media. Moreover, for those who serve in these often rural or small-town fellowships, there is an unspoken rule that you are to personally “stay in your lane.”  In the meantime, these smaller faith communities tend to struggle endlessly with finances and participation even while over 1 in 4 pastors in the USA…estimates in the 1 million range, have the added weight of being bi-vocational. Some estimates are as high as 50% to 80% of all US churches. When all the modern pressures are added, 63% are willing to acknowledge that stress is taking its toll. It is no wonder that as of March 2022, 42% of pastors considered quitting.

Perhaps you are standing at that river today, pining for “promised land,” yet fully aware that there are “giants in the land.” You are simply in survival mode. It's better to wander in the wilderness than risk running into a mega-church bully who could kick you to the curb, right? Hey, manna’s not so bad. So you hunker down for the long haul and hope for the best.

The author of this book is a nobody. No accolades or large speaking engagements. I am just a pastor of a small midwestern church in a small town. I never set out to be a mega-church, and I have greatly succeeded! I’m just a spiritual “street fighter” who once was told, “You look like a man who would go places he ought not to go.” When they handed me the keys to the church here, I promised my heavenly boss: I would never compromise. If it were God’s church, then the “gates of hell would not prevail against us.” I promised to “push the envelope” as far as possible. 35 years later I’m still standing. We are still standing. Moreover, by many yardsticks, we are thriving. I believe you can too. However, you must decide whether you are a Caleb or want to play it safe. I can help put you on the right path as a church, but I can’t make you brave. Only you can do that.

…except Caleb…He will see this land because he has followed the LORD completely.” (Dt 1:36)