Approximately two-thirds of all churches in the United States average 100 people or fewer on Sundays. More than 100,000 churches average 50 people or fewer in their Sunday morning attendance. (13)

The temptation for the small church is to despair. (If only we had more resources, then we could [fill in the blank].) Dennis Bickers believes that “God still uses small churches in big ways. They’re important to the kingdom of God because of the impact they can have on the people surrounding them” (18). In The Healthy Small Church, Bickers gives small church leaders the tools needed to diagnose common problems and realize their mission.

The topics addressed are expected:

• Vision
• Worship
• Finances
• Change
• Leadership
• Missions

What makes Bicker’s approach unique is the way he contextualizes these issues for the small church. As an area minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky, along with an earlier 20 year bivocational pastorate, Bickers has the experience needed to back up his claims.

Unfortunately, contextualization is a double-edged sword which limits the value of this book in at least two ways.

1. Time. It’s remarkable how much the church world has changed in the last decade. This thirteen year-old book is showing its age.
2. Geography. There’s a big difference between Kentucky and Muskoka. Many of the conflicts Bickers walks the reader through are non-starters outside the Bible Belt.

One more problem. Despite chapters on “A Sense of Community,” “Mission-Mindedness,” and “Involvement in Outreach,” Bickers never addresses the unique ways the small church can demonstrate Christ’s love through social involvement. Evangelism, for Bickers, is primarily a verbal endeavour.

The Healthy Small Church was a great resource in its time and place. For something more current, small church leaders might want to check out Karl Vader’s blog, New Small Church instead.

Bickers, Dennis. The Healthy Small Church: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Big Issues. Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 2005.