Teresa J. Stewart

Author, Speaker, Teacher, Consultant

Small congregations are my passion.

Small congregations are not big places in miniature. They work differently. With different challenges and with distinctive strengths not generally available in big settings.

For the past fifteen years, I’ve worked to unleash these small-setting strengths. By reclaiming rich varieties of lay leadership. And by recognizing that ministry today requires more than replicating big-setting successes.

It’s time for small congregations to become local laboratories, indigenous innovators, and good news diagnosticians for the mission of the whole Church—again.

How can I support your ministry with small congregations?

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The Small Church Advantage

Seven powerful worship practices that work best in small settings

The vast majority of congregations in the U.S. are small--with fewer than 100 weekly worshipers. This book introduces a powerful, unexpected set of tools: seven small-setting strengths in offering worship.

It’s designed to start a new conversation and guide a plan among pastors and laity.

7 worship strengths of small congregations
7 short lessons for the whole Church
3 unexpected conversations for small congregations to lead

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Reviews of The Small Church Advantage

Tex Sample

Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Professor Emeritus of Church and Society, Saint Paul School of Theology

“The Small Church Advantage is the best book on the small church I have ever read. It is not only the subtlety of Stewart’s mind or the clarity of her writing, it is the relentless creativity concretely applied to worship in the small church. Working with the difference between the performance aesthetic of the large church and the participation aesthetic of the small church, she has wonderful ideas and practical examples that can revolutionize worship in the small congregation.”

F. Douglas Powe, Jr.

Director of Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary

“Teresa Stewart has faith in the future of small congregations because she has faith in a God who shows up even in small and forgotten places. She believes that small churches are neither deficient nor immature but rather critical learning laboratories as the church navigates a future far too complex for one-size-fits-all patterns of ministry. Stewart’s book offers a hopeful vision and practical resources for vital small church worship that is indigenous and incarnational, hands-on, not hierarchical, participatory rather than performative. It is a poignant reminder that the future God beckons us toward is more like a handful of tiny mustard seeds than a grove of stately sequoia trees.”

Susan Marie Smith

Episcopal Priest, Retired Professor of Worship,
Scholar of Lay Ministry

“The Small Church Advantage belongs in the hands of both clergy and laity. Stewart has refined an easy-to-read, rhythmic writing style that turns serious worship talk into lively kitchen-table conversation. Like the Early Church and our 16th-century reformers, she builds on the idea of worshipers as active participants: worship is the work of all the people, not just a small group of expert leaders. The examples, explanations will fill you with hope and a spirit of adventure.”

E Byron (Ron) Anderson

Styberg Professor of Worship
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

“Teresa Stewart’s passion for and commitment to small congregations is evident on every page of this book. More importantly, she turns the conversation about small congregations away from a focus on their perceived deficiencies and disadvantages and toward their giftedness and advantages. The result is an accessible, creative, and practical resource for the thousands of small congregations across the church.”

Mike Graves

William K. McElvaney Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Worship, Saint Paul School of Theology

“Whereas the Roman Empire was all about grandeur and greatness, Jesus preached about tiny seeds, about having a small amount of faith. ‘Bigger is better’ isn’t just the motto of our culture but, in too many instances, our churches too, especially when it comes to Sunday morning worship. In this remarkable, small book, Stewart demonstrates that smaller churches aren’t inferior; they have an advantage. Plant these ideas in the soil of your congregation and see what happens!”

Allen Stanton

Author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations

“Finally, a book for small churches from someone who understands and appreciates small churches! Teresa Stewart names the oft-overlooked beauty and gifts of small membership churches while providing a practical, theologically rich framework to rediscover and renew their worship. Small churches have something important to teach the wider Church about worship, and Stewart’s book will help them do just that.”

Rebecca Stredney

Pastor, Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church

SmallChurch.org is a free online resource designed specifically for small congregations—both clergy and laity. It offers inspiration, stories from other congregations, practical ideas, theological insights, and periodic seasonal resources.

Visit SmallChurch.org

Worship Series

Lavish worship in small settings does not require pricey resources, high production, and expert performances. Instead, it calls for a different kind of deeply-forming participation. Led by laity and curated with the local gifts of each community.

These thematic series were written and designed specifically for small congregations. Each includes 4-6 weeks of complete, coordinated, hand-off-ready resources for lay leadership.

Currently offered in workshop settings. Coming soon to Amazon Books.

Reviews of Worship Series & Workshops

Rev. Ashlee Alley Crawford

“Teresa Stewart’s worship series on Call not only provides a pastor and worship team with excellent resources, but also invites both preacher and congregation into deeper discipleship. She presents a solid theological, spiritual, and biblical foundation for understanding Call and provides tools that will help create a robust worship experience, drawing people into an understanding of how they might live more fully into God’s call in their lives. I whole-heartedly recommend it to churches of all size.”

Rev. Cyd Stein

“Teresa Stewart is a breath of fresh air for the worshiping community. She empowers pastors to appropriately experiment in “lavish” worship for congregations of any size and budget. Teresa is gifted in organically creating ways for congregations to engage in worship by engaging their senses. Her passion for crafting worship honors God’s word and cultivates joy for pastor and community. Spot on suggestions for children’s time has grown into a spirited call and response between the generations at Hoxie UMC. Now, I begin my sermon prep by first designing a children’s time which narrows the spiritual need. Thanks Teresa for sharing your gift to so many!”

Rev. Jason Collier

“Teresa Stewart is an amazing instructor. She gives her heart and soul freely to her class and each and every student. Never before have I had a class that was taught in a way that you could feel what she was describing. She was expressive and intentional about helping each of us understand exactly what she was teaching. During my class time I had no doubt that Teresa genuinely cared about each one of us and our ministries. During one-on-one time Teresa was incredible to talk to a wonderful listener. Teresa was able to key in on places of struggle in my ministry was struggling. She helped me see what was happening and provided excellent insights that years later are still affecting my ministry today. I feel like I could call her at any moment because of the amount of care and passion she brings to the classroom. I thank God for our time together and I know that my life has been blessed by her valuable input.”

Rev. Mickie McCorkle

“Teresa Stewart weaves a solid theological foundation into every worship experience she creates. Her teaching skills are a great asset to all in small churches. Not only does she know her subject matter well, she transmits it with exuberance and passion, engaging all who encounter her. Both laity and clergy alike left our conference encouraged and filled with hope because of the ideas Ms. Stewart shared and the worship experiences she created with small church congregants in mind. I recommend Teresa and her skills to all conferences, judicatories, presbyteries and churches who want to design and implement excellent, meaningful worship without having to go to a lot of expense.”

Annie Gahn

“I had the privilege of working with and learning from Teresa during her time as curator of weekly chapel services at Saint Paul School of Theology. Teresa has an amazing gift for listening to people's hearts and ideas while being attentive to the movement of the Spirit in the creative process of designing worship. Teresa comes to her work with a deep spirituality, tremendous scriptural insight, and a heart for social justice. She has the ability to weave together just the right words to bring ancient traditions into conversation with present day life with intentional space for God to speak. She communicates with words, music, image, movement, textures, silence, and drama to invite people into the beauty and complexity of worship that nurtures, challenges, and transforms the people of God.

With Teresa's spiritual guidance and encouragement I have been able to cultivate my worship leadership presence and voice. Through my work with her I have developed a rich understanding of the process of worship planning as spiritual practice, and can see the potential for designing contextual worship that is creative, relevant, and authentic to the life of the community.”

Dr. Mike Graves

“I had the privilege of working with and learning from Teresa during her time as curator of weekly chapel services at Saint Paul School of Theology. Teresa has an amazing gift for listening to people's hearts and ideas while being attentive to the movement of the Spirit in the creative process of designing worship. Teresa comes to her work with a deep spirituality, tremendous scriptural insight, and a heart for social justice. She has the ability to weave together just the right words to bring ancient traditions into conversation with present day life with intentional space for God to speak. She communicates with words, music, image, movement, textures, silence, and drama to invite people into the beauty and complexity of worship that nurtures, challenges, and transforms the people of God.

With Teresa's spiritual guidance and encouragement I have been able to cultivate my worship leadership presence and voice. Through my work with her I have developed a rich understanding of the process of worship planning as spiritual practice, and can see the potential for designing contextual worship that is creative, relevant, and authentic to the life of the community.”

Worshiping, Led by a Child

A Distinctive Approach to Children in Worship

Good news: Children are neither worship watchers nor distractions. They are nothing less than precious worship collaborators and leaders.

In Worshiping, Led by a Child, Teresa teaches twelve adaptable models for worshiping with children—and letting them lead the work of the people.

Learn More

Currently offered in workshop and webinar settings.

For more information, contact Teresa at Teresa@SmallChurch.org.
She delights in offering these resources for conferences, workshops, and webinars.
Note that all teaching and speaking engagements should include laity; they are essential participants.

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