Is your church ordinary? Small? Well, my Christian friend, if it is preaching the gospel and endeavoring to help others to know and follow Jesus then it is not insignificant. It is powerfully important and surpassingly glorious. And, you should praise God for it–even as you get to work in it!

In the grand scheme of things, how important is your church?

Let’s think together about church, and in particular the church where you are a member. If it is like most churches today it is not very large (probably less than 200 people). You may be tempted to think that your church in its modest size is rather insignificant. When I talk to people about their churches I almost sense a little embarrassment about the size and perceived scope of their church. Apologetic words like small and ordinary come out. I would argue that these words are not bad at all—and perhaps even quite accurate—but it is the sentiment behind them that is concerning, especially in light of what the church is and does.

When you read that word ordinary, what do you think of? Common synonyms include unimpressive, typical, normal, and common. As soon as you attach these synonyms to a noun, you will draw conclusions: My day was typical. The movie was unimpressive. The book was average. When we think about the church in general and our church in particular, we might be a bit embarrassed to call it “ordinary.” But what if you don’t have thousands of members, a massive building, or the reputation for being the “cool church?” What if you are just a church? What if you are an ordinary ministry? Is this OK?

Here is the bottom-line reality: the church is the most important organization on the planet. Its importance and inherent value is not dependent upon size but substance.

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