Mission Possible for the Small Church: Simplifying leadership, structure, and ministries in the small church

PLEASE NOTE: A NEWER VERSION OF MISSION POSSIBLE IS AVAILABLE APRIL 22, 2026.

The majority of churches in America are small churches. In fact, 70 percent of all congregations have memberships of less than a hundred people, and many are getting smaller. The median attendance has declined every year for the last two decades. It’s now less than half of what it was twenty years ago. A 2020 Faith Communities Today (FACT) study shows that half of US congregations have sixty-five people or fewer.

Small churches have an amazing capacity to bounce back over and over again. They are resilient. Since they often have less than a full-time pastor, there is a strong laity leadership preference ready to step in and do what it takes. Small churches also have what we refer to as a superpower that large churches can’t touch: the ability to be highly relational from the get-go. Small churches that have discovered and know how to leverage this superpower are vital, healthy churches having God-sized impact in their communities.

Too often, small churches concentrate on what they can’t do. We offer this resource to lift up what small churches can do! For example, smaller churches have greater percentages of participation, giving, and engaged members than larger churches, according to the 2020 FACT study. Unfortunately, many resources for churches and church leaders are created for larger churches. This resource has been created specifically for the small church.

What Readers are Saying About Mission Possible for the Small Church

Kay Kotan and Blake Bradford hit the bullseye in sharing how small congregations can simplify their leadership approaches and maximize their capacity for ministry. The authors tailor a ministry approach for small congregations that enables them to be more effective and efficient. All small congregations will benefit from their eight principles for simple ministry planning. If you are a small congregation, this book is a game-changer.

F. Douglas Powe, Jr., Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Ministry tools are not one-size-fits-all. So, thank God Kay and Blake offer a toolbox perfectly fitted to the big work of small congregations. This book provides insightful examples, practical solutions, and detailed plans. It also shines with a love for small settings in the mission possible of the whole Church.

Teresa Stewart, Author of The Small Church Advantage

Kotan and Bradford have done it again! This book is an outstanding resource for small worship attendance churches moving towards a Simplified, Accountable Structure. But it is so much more. There is wisdom here for all churches of all sizes and types. Get a copy for yourself and one for each leadership team member.

Ken Willard, West Virginia Annual Conference

Anyone working with small churches will recognize this engaging resource’s metaphors, characters, and truths. Chapter 4’s lessons on context are invaluable, delineating some critical differences among small-town, rural, and urban small churches. The book includes terrific questions to prompt leadership discussions and help churches find those all-important signature ministries. It will definitely be on my recommended reading list when I do workshops with smaller congregations.

Emily Reece, Missioninsite & Ministry Advancement

The small church is a beautiful and wonderfully unique entity. Mission Possible for the Small Church gives a solid foundation and practical guidance for smaller churches that need to streamline structures in missionally effective ways. This book is an excellent resource for any local church pastor, seminary student, district superintendent, or lay leader seeking alternative ways to lead the small church.

Jaye Johnson, Iowa Annual Conference