Small Church Ministry

A low moan penetrated Merrill’s illness-and-antihistamine-befogged dreams, pulling her from a deep sleep. Squinting through sleep-glazed eyes at the unfamiliar room, she recalled where she was. The bedroom walls of her new home seemed to be vibrating with the deep bellow of a fog-horn. When high-pitched whines and squeals followed the low rumble, she blinked and sat up in alarm. Small town secrets can lead to big trouble. When Reverend Merrillanne Bishop accepts leadership of the First Baptist church in the picturesque seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, she doesn’t know what to ...

A theological evaluation of the important role that "cell" or "small" groups play as a branch of the "mother church" from which they are birthed - with an emphasis on how they impact the surrounding community. Four main topics are explored as they relate to small group ministry in our postmodern society - prophetically glimpsing at its impact on the rest of the 21st century.