But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called to you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
Tiny Little Churches. The name came to me at a small group’s conference 23 years ago. I was at New Hope Community Church and Dr. Dale Galloway was speaking about their TLC groups and how they had revolutionized not only their church, but churches around the nation. They referred to them as Tender Loving Care groups and my friend Dr. Galloway made a statement that TLC does not stand for Tiny Little Church because we don’t want lay pastors thinking they are ordained clergy. In our constitution and bylaws we have a program of training called Washington Seminary where we actually believe that some lay pastors will become ordained clergy. My wife Jackie and I received much of our training from such a lay pastor in our home church – his name is Dick Sanders. As I listened to the provocative lecture by Dr. Galloway I sat next to Bill and Sally Jo Holmes, Rich and Linda Skinner, Roy and Pam Seymour, Michael Fernandez, Rob and Nancy McJunkin (they were not married yet), David and Carol Gerzsenye (they were not married yet either), and others who you may not have known, Jane Bishop & Emily Boyce. I was surrounded by “miracles” waiting to happen; life long ministries that would incredibly impact the world if they could just catch the vision of Tiny Little Churches.
Last Sunday as I stood at the door, I visited with lifelong friends, Chuck and Mary Loeser, who I’ve known as for the past 20 years. They are Tiny Little Church pastors who have been considering their Sunday school class a Tiny Little Church for a long time. Chuck & Mary have helped people move, brought meals to families in crisis, they pray diligently for the kids in their class, attend their scout awards nights and on and on. As we stood there, children of all ages, one and two at a time came up to give them a hug. These kids said that they are praying for Chuck and Mary. As they spoke, I thought, “I am in the presence of two of the greatest pastors that I have ever met.” My respect for them and their Tiny Little Church was soaring in the sky.
Recently there has been discussion about whether or not we should change our name for these Tiny Little Churches and call them Small Groups. (A name that seems to be more widely used by other churches.) The more I considered that idea the more I thought about that discussion with Chuck and Mary and I thought “no way.” Tiny Little Churches is what they are and we don’t need to change the name, we need to understand the importance of the name. “TLC = Tiny Little Church” and that name communicates a revolutionary, meta church idea; fulfilling the mandate of scripture to insure that lay pastors are recognized and treated with the same respect as professional clergy. It is indeed the priesthood of all believers.
Please help me in honoring the pastors of all the Tiny Little Churches in our midst – Sunday School Classes, Boards, Home Bible Study Groups, Missions Groups, Youth Groups, Small Groups, eGroups, Support Groups, etc. (the list goes on and on.) Thank you God for the wonderful Pastors of the Tiny Little Churches at the heart of our church family.
Last Sunday as I stood at the door, I visited with lifelong friends, Chuck and Mary Loeser, who I’ve known as for the past 20 years. They are Tiny Little Church pastors who have been considering their Sunday school class a Tiny Little Church for a long time. Chuck & Mary have helped people move, brought meals to families in crisis, they pray diligently for the kids in their class, attend their scout awards nights and on and on. As we stood there, children of all ages, one and two at a time came up to give them a hug. These kids said that they are praying for Chuck and Mary. As they spoke, I thought, “I am in the presence of two of the greatest pastors that I have ever met.” My respect for them and their Tiny Little Church was soaring in the sky.
Recently there has been discussion about whether or not we should change our name for these Tiny Little Churches and call them Small Groups. (A name that seems to be more widely used by other churches.) The more I considered that idea the more I thought about that discussion with Chuck and Mary and I thought “no way.” Tiny Little Churches is what they are and we don’t need to change the name, we need to understand the importance of the name. “TLC = Tiny Little Church” and that name communicates a revolutionary, meta church idea; fulfilling the mandate of scripture to insure that lay pastors are recognized and treated with the same respect as professional clergy. It is indeed the priesthood of all believers.
Please help me in honoring the pastors of all the Tiny Little Churches in our midst – Sunday School Classes, Boards, Home Bible Study Groups, Missions Groups, Youth Groups, Small Groups, eGroups, Support Groups, etc. (the list goes on and on.) Thank you God for the wonderful Pastors of the Tiny Little Churches at the heart of our church family.
Tim White
1 comment:
Pastor Tim,
I agree with you 100%. “Tiny Little Churches” is the perfect name. This is where I started on this journey with little groups of believers clustered in homes and restaurants and other meeting places. I remember when you asked me to take the weekly Bible study that I wanted to start and make it into a TLC group. I didn’t understand, but I soon would. The people I would soon meet, and become part of a small family with, were waiting to see who would care and who they could care about. In group after group the message was clear, we care about each other, and then we can go and care about the world that Christ died for. Those years in TLC groups at Washington Cathedral formed my heart and changed me into a person who deeply desires to help others find the small caring community with other Christians that happens in Tiny Little Churches. I pray for God’s continuing blessings for all the Tiny Little Churches of Washington Cathedral. While they are where my heart was formed for TLCs (or small groups, or care groups or whatever other churches may call them), they are also where part of my heart will always remain.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Ron Wilbur
Director of the Small Group Ministry
Saddleback Church
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