Joining God’s mission through simple, reproducible communities
Church Planting is often imagined as launching a new congregation with a building, programs, and a weekly Sunday service. While those expressions can be fruitful, many leaders are rediscovering what could be called the Smaller Way—simple, relational communities of believers that gather in homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and everyday spaces. These smaller expressions of church do not replace larger congregations; rather, they expand the reach of the gospel and make disciples in places traditional models sometimes struggle to reach.
The pattern of the Smaller Way is deeply biblical. The early church regularly gathered in homes and shared life together in small communities of faith. Scripture describes this rhythm clearly:
“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.”
— Acts 2:46 (NLT)
The early believers gathered publicly and also in smaller settings where discipleship, prayer, and fellowship happened naturally. Church Planting through the Smaller Way follows this same rhythm—large gatherings when possible, but also many smaller communities living out the mission of Jesus in daily life.
Jesus Himself modeled this approach. Rather than building a large institution, He invested deeply in a small group of disciples and sent them out to continue the mission of God. As Jesus said:
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
— Luke 10:2 (NLT)
The Smaller Way helps answer this call by empowering more believers to become workers in God’s harvest. When the church is simple and relational, more people can participate in the mission rather than simply observing it.
Missiologist Brad Brisco often emphasizes that church planters must think beyond starting a weekly service. As he explains, “We need to help church planters think less like pastors starting a Sunday service and more like missionaries engaging a unique context.” This missionary mindset naturally leads toward smaller, flexible communities that can form wherever people live and work.
Similarly, church planter and author Caesar Kalinowski has pointed out that many believers long for something deeper than attending a weekly event. He notes that many Christians are trying to move their faith “from just a weekly Sunday event to a daily, vibrant experience in the normal rhythms of everyday life.” The Smaller Way creates space for that kind of daily discipleship and shared life.
Kalinowski also reflects on the challenge of a church culture where only a few people appear to do the ministry while others watch. He once wondered whether Jesus intended “a few chosen people in a church service to ‘do’ the ministry while pretty much everyone else just sat there.” The SmallerWay addresses this by inviting every believer into active participation in the mission of God.
Ultimately, Church Planting through the Smaller Way reminds us that the strength of the church is not found in buildings or programs but in disciples living out the gospel together. The early church continued to grow because the message of Jesus spread through everyday gatherings and relationships:
“And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: ‘Jesus is the Messiah.’”
— Acts 5:42 (NLT)
When Church Planting embraces the Smaller Way, the church becomes both gathered and scattered, both visible and embedded in everyday life. Small communities multiply, disciples grow, and the mission of Jesus spreads naturally through neighborhoods, families, and friendships.
The Smaller Way is not about making the church smaller—it is about making the mission closer, simpler, and more reproducible so that the gospel can reach every place and every people.
Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)
Church Planting Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association