Thinking Big When you’re Small

One of the most often heard “reasons” why churches cannot do something is: “We’re just a small church; that’s beyond our ability.” So, when a church says, “We may not be very large, but let’s do it anyway!” it’s noticeable.

Such is the case with Ebenezer Tabernacle Church of God, attendance of less than a dozen, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. When Pastor Edner Lors called the Inasmuch office to inquire about their small congregation conducting a food packing event and was told it would be necessary to pack at least 20,000 meals at a cost of $6,400 because of the distance and expenses involved in doing the event, he didn’t flinch. Rev. Lors took the matter to his congregation, and they became excited about what they could do, not discouraged about what they could not do.

Ebenezer Tabernacle is located in the Haitian section of Bridgeport, where there are lots of people in need. Their vision was to serve their neighbors by providing free, nutritious food, making it possible for some of those neighbors to re-purpose some of their income elsewhere. Undoubtedly, the needs are greater than this small congregation can meet, but what they have done makes a difference.

What does a small congregation do when they lack the numbers to undertake a large task? They trust God to provide, that’s what! And provide He did! Ebenezer Tabernacle not only raised the funds for the food packing event but surpassed it! Furthermore, simultaneous to those efforts they began the process of purchasing a new building in which to worship.

God also provided more people to help in the packing process. A family of four, not members of the church, came to help. Also, about 10 people from a local Amazon facility gave about 2 hours to help. Had these additional people not come, it would not have been possible to accomplish what was done the day of the event.

As you read this story, you might think this is another small-group-does-big-things kind of story, but there is more to it than that. You see, God favors the small, insignificant, the minority, the unimportant. The Bible is full of examples. Think of the shepherd boy David who became King of Israel. Think of ragamuffin shepherds outside Bethlehem to whom God announced Jesus’ birth. Think of Rahab who God used to provide a way of escape for Jewish spies. And on and on.

If you passed Ebenezer Tabernacle Church of God in Bridgeport, you would likely not even notice it. I wouldn’t be surprised that some of the folk living on the same street don’t know it’s there. But they are! As the people of God in that place, they are behaving like the people of God by taking on tasks that most would say are too big for them. More importantly, they are accomplishing more in serving people in need than churches ten times their size!

To God be the glory!!