Where 20 or 30 are Gathered – Leading Worship in the Small Church
By Peter Bush and Christine O’Reilly
The Alban Institute
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is a denomination of small membership churches. Approximately 40 per cent of our congregations have fewer than 50 at worship. The future of the church depends on these congregations, on their health, spiritual development and ability to function. This book is an insightful look at the joys and challenges of small church life. The authors are passionate advocates of the importance of training and equipping lay people to plan and lead worship.
The book is written in a lively style that uses stories to illustrate key points. Bush and O'Reilly walk the reader step by step through the components of a Presbyterian worship service. They describe the best worship practices of small churches in a variety of locations — rural, small town and city.
Ministry in smaller membership churches is very different from that of a larger church, and this book demonstrates a thorough understanding of the nature and personality of the smaller church. Where 20 or 30 are Gathered will help smaller congregations to understand their uniqueness and strengths and contains excellent suggestions for ways to minister with their members and their communities.
This book is ideal for clergy and for lay people who lead worship. It deals with worship leadership and with ministry concerns when a church is without a settled minister. The issues that arise when a church is part of a multi-point charge are also addressed. The authors provide a model for the small church of the future largely based on training gifted lay people.
