Shout Out to the Little Ones

Yesterday, I had the rare privilege of partnering in worship with a much larger church of a different denomination. When they received the news that our small congregation was displaced due to Hurricane Harvey,  they invited us to have service together on their property to bring unity and hope to the whole community. To be honest, I was a little hesitant to accept the offer...

I reflected on some of my past experiences instead of seeing the opportunity for us to come together. I thought about how we would be perceived because of our size and the doctrinal differences of our denominations. Everything that fear could create, I thought about it. But those fears left as quickly as they came. As we worshiped together, you could see the power of love and compassion fill everyone’s face. We were not the little UMC church, but another part of God’s Church coming together. Inside the sanctuary there were people of every walk of life singing, laughing, and sharing. After service, I took some time to reflect on the possibilities if other Mega churches and small churches really came together as One and supported each other’s work. I began to ask myself what could a small church offer a Mega church? Is the small Church relevant today?  

Now normally you hear of all these large churches doing amazing things for the community and I, like others, celebrate their efforts and thank God for their generosity during times of trouble. Houston is certainly the home of some great Mega churches and our media has been gracious in highlighting the millions of dollars they are receiving for the work ahead. There is however another H-Town reality. Amid and sometimes in the forgotten shadows of the Mega churches, there are so many more physically small churches with hearts as huge as the God we serve sacrificially giving of their resources in areas that never make the news. Just the other day, I got word about a very small ageing church in the Trinity-Garden area of Houston sharing hot meals with the community. I have been blessed to know this church and know the sacrifices they continue to make for their community. Then there is our small church in Missouri City. With no building, and very little resources, the people have committed to making sure students in their Community receive supplies they desperately need for the upcoming school year. There are hundreds of stories just like these where the physically small are doing gigantic acts of service for others. So here is a simple note of Thanks from all of us to the Little Ones who may never receive the applause, media coverage, or honorable mention for their efforts. Please know that what you do may never be noticed, but it is always very much needed.