I pastor a small multi-cultural church in Sacramento, California. When I came to this church over four years ago I found an existing ethos of openness and flexibility in respect to cultures. They had already been saying “Yes!” to anyone who walks through the church doors, primarily because God said “Yes!” to them first.

Since that time we also have discovered something else. We say “Yes!” to God when it seems like we should be saying “No.” We are small, but God’s Word says, “he will bless those who fear the LORD--small and great alike” (Ps. 115:13). The Apostle Paul also wrote, ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”’ (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God has worked with His church here in remarkable ways. Perhaps that remarkable way began when we moved from a feeling-sorry-for-ourselves-because-we-are-so-small-a-church to something wonderful and new—a small, strong congregation.

I am convinced that small congregations (multi-cultural or not) can be and are powerful places of ministry. But then we got a hold of two books that helped us shape our self-understanding in monumental ways. If you are in a church of under 100 (or as in our case, under 50) you need to read two books: Small, Strong Congregations : Creating Strengths and Health for Your Congregation by Kennon L. Callahan (Jossey-Bass, 2000), and In The Shadow of The Steeple: The Vital Role of the Smaller Church In A Mega-Church World by Gene Williams (Beacon Hill Press, 2005) In these books we were directed to look at what we do best, and then do that really, really well. We could get distracted and try to do what bigger churches around us were doing. We could float in despair because our finances are not prospering or we’re not experiencing the Acts 2:41explosion.

Or we could say “Yes!” again to God even when we felt like we should say “No”. God had something else in mind for us—something entirely creative. We were already multi-cultural. So God asked us to look beyond our self-imposed limitations, look forward into our role as a multi-cultural congregation and see what else could be done with, in and through Him. And He wanted us to help birth ethnic congregations!

The D.S. asked us if we would be willing to host a Spanish speaking congregation. We said “Yes!”, because we could offer building space and moral support. A Korean congregation, already renting from us, asked if they could become Nazarene. We said “Yes!”, because we could welcome them into our theological family and provide prayer support and buildings in which they could thrive. We were asked if we would help to start an Iu-Mien congregation—a young and willing Iu-Mien pastor and family were ready to launch a work. We said “Yes!”, because we could offer building space, moral support and mentoring.

We didn’t say “Yes!” because we had lots of money. We didn’t say “Yes!” because we had lots of support personnel. We didn’t say “Yes!” because we had more time. We didn’t say “Yes!” because we would get public attention or accolade. We said “Yes!” because God said “Yes!” to us.

My hope and prayer is that each church would say “Yes!” to God when they might feel like saying “No”. Say “Yes!” to people from different cultures and backgrounds. Say “Yes!” to people who might just need a place to worship in their language of origin. Say “Yes!” to people who could expand your fellowship in non-traditional and vision-broadening ways. Say “Yes!” to God when it seems like you really should be saying “No”.

If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this:

by Rev. M. ReeAnn Hyde