Lessons of the Widow’s Mite for Small Membership Churches

How many times have you and your small membership church bemoaned that you are insignificant because you are so small? You hear stories about the large church in the suburbs giving so much that we feel our church doesn’t matter.

Many small churches begin to play the “Poor Me Card.” We believe that if we were playing a game of cards, we would be dealt the worst cards in the deck. Since our cards are so bad, we decide to give up and stop being the church.

However, when we play the “Poor Me Card,” we forget the story of the Widow’s Mite in the Gospels. Many of us learned this story in Sunday School growing up. The story is about a widow with very little who comes and gives two measly coins. Unfortunately, before she comes to offer her gifts, a very wealthy person comes and offers a gift, and everyone notices.

In the story of Widow’s Mite, only one person noticed. Most likely, the widow never even knew she would be seen by Jesus and become an example to millions of people as an example of giving.

As small churches, we forget that very few people will ever see what we do and what we share but how important we are to those who come our way.

When we gather food, take a trunk load of groceries to the local food bank, and see the larger church bringing a pickup load, we may think our gifts are unimportant. However, a family will notice because we have shared that they will not go hungry.

When we raise money to send one child or youth to camp and hear of the church in the county seat town sending a dozen children to camp, we may think our gift is not that important. However, for the one child we help to go to camp, our help is very important.

When people wearing ragged clothes come to our small church because they feel they would not be good enough to go to the large church with beautiful windows, elegant chandeliers, and wall-to-wall carpet, we are important for those persons because we have seen beyond the clothes and help them feel valued and loved.

There is a place for large churches. However, there is also a place for small membership churches when, like the widow, we give all we have and stop playing the “Poor Me Card.”

Because we know Jesus sees what we do and cares, there is someone who, because of our small gift, has a meal to eat, the opportunity to go to camp, or a place where they discover God loves them.

Yes, we are the small membership church, and because of our sharing, we are the heart, hands, and voice of God’s love.