Pastors often look for the right formula to help their small church grow.
Bill Easum once wrote a great article titled How to Grow a Small Church.
His research found that growth in small congregations rarely comes from programs or new strategies.
It happens when pastors intentionally build relationships with people who don’t yet know Christ.
“It’s a pastor who has one-on-one conversations with non-Christians that leads to their conversion to Christ.”
After serving for years in small congregations and new church developments, I’ve found that Easum’s insight rings true.
Small church growth doesn’t begin with a new system. It begins with relationships—and pastors who intentionally make space outside the office for meaningful conversations with people who are far from God.
For more practical ideas, read 3 Areas of Focus to Grow a Small Church.
Serving in Small Churches
Most of my ministry in a local church has been in small churches—some with fewer than 100 people, others as new church developments starting from scratch.
Each church had different personalities, but one common thread: they grew when evangelism and hospitality became part of the culture, not simply a program.
I modeled that by bringing real-life conversations into my sermons, Sunday school lessons, and casual conversations. I would ask church members about their own faith conversations and celebrate when they shared stories.
Over time, people began to imitate what they saw. They realized that evangelism wasn’t something for the “gifted few.” It was simply part of ordinary Christian life.
Coffee Shop Evangelism: Trusting the Holy Spirit’s Pace
One of my favorite examples comes from those years in a small church when I met with a man started attending our Bible study only to quiet his friend’s invitations. His body language and tone made it clear—he wanted to argue, not listen.
That evening, as I prayed quietly for those visiting, I sensed the Holy Spirit gave me a question to ask the group.
“If God would answer one question for you, what would you ask?”
When I read his anonymous note later, it said, “Why do your people behave the way they do?” That question exposed the wound behind his anger—it wasn’t intellectual doubt; it was disappointment with how Christians had treated him. (By the way – how did I know it was his note? I was the group pastor and knew well most everyone on my group).
I invited him to talk more at a coffee shop. Over the next two years, we met often. He vented, and I listened. I prayed silently, trusting the Spirit to guide the next step.
Eventually, I asked, “Do you think you can forgive those who hurt you? Do you think God could help you do that?”
He paused and said, “Perhaps.”
That small word became a doorway for God’s work. Months later, he told me he had forgiven the church and was ready to talk more about faith.
I moved away before seeing how his story ended, but I trust the Holy Spirit continued the process. That friendship reminded me that evangelism isn’t about speed. It’s about presence, patience, and prayer.
Read more lessons I learned from this story: Evangelism In the Coffee Shop
Small Church Evangelism Happens in Everyday Life
Pastoring a small church requires time spent outside the office.
Another season of life taught me the same lesson on a walking path instead of a coffee shop.
For exercise, I walked about five kilometers each day. One day, a neighbor started joining me. He was open about not being a believer and had plenty of strong opinions about Christians.
Week after week, we walked, talked, and laughed. I prayed for opportunities to share my faith naturally—not as a project, but as a friend.
As trust grew, so did the depth of our conversations. He began asking about the Bible, about Jesus, about faith. I didn’t push; I simply answered his questions and kept praying for spiritual thirst. I did not fall into the common mistake in personal evangelism of being pushy.
Before I moved out of the area where our lives interstected, he had placed a personal faith in Christ and began to attend the church I was serving.
I’ve learned that’s where evangelism lives—in the rhythms of daily life, in honest relationships that grow over time.
Read more about My Habits of Lifestyle Evangelism.
Shaping a Culture, Not a Program
Small churches grow when pastors and members alike carry this kind of faith into ordinary spaces.
You don’t need another committee to start evangelism. You need people who see every conversation as sacred ground.
When pastors model relational evangelism, people notice.
When they share stories of what God is doing, others catch the vision.
Evangelism becomes normal, joyful, and contagious. And as people begin to talk about their faith, relationships form, guests visit, and lives start to change.
That’s how small churches grow: relationally, one conversation and relationship at a time.
Coaching Corner
If you’re looking for evangelism ideas for small churches, start with relationships.
- Who in your circle of influence might God be nudging you toward today?
- What would it look like to step out of the office and meet someone for coffee this week?
- What ordinary rhythms—school events, hobbies, errands—could become spaces for faith conversations?
- How can you help your congregation move from “we have to share” to “we get to share”?
Listen to these two related podcasts:
Do you want help in Personal Evangelism?
Start here with this MP3 Download on Evangelism Training from the store to help you see where you need to grow.
In this 70-minute MP3 AUDIO recording on personal evangelism you will learn:
- How church invitations are part of evangelism
- How to discover and share your own journey to faith
- What you can say about the gospel message.
- How to personally lead someone to faith in Christ.
It’s a 70-minute audio file that takes just a few minutes to download, but it may help you answer the question:
What can you do in the next 90 days to grow in your evangelism skills?
Editor’s Note:
Originally published as one of the very first articles on EvangelismCoach.org in 2007, updated in 2013, and once again in 2025 to fill out how I lived this small church growth principle that Bill Easum oberved a long time ago. I’ve lived this through serving in a small church, and being a part of four new church developments in the course of my career.
14 Bible Verses on Welcoming the Stranger
I find this infomation to be powerful@can u send this info to my email address thank u,evang.brinkley