"This book is written," says Lyle E. Schaller, "from a perspective that assumes the small membership church is consistent with the natural order of creation..... The large church is not an enlarged version of the small congregation, and the small membership church is not a miniature replica of the big church."

So the small church is different. But in what ways? Schaller points to the small church's emphasis on people and kinship ties, its tendency to be intergenerational, and its unique methods of financing itself. Because these churches are born small and remain small, the author addresses the many advantages of this size rather than considering it as a problem that needs to be remedied.

Schaller looks at the four major areas of concern affecting small churches: their self-esteem, youth ministries, the "special appeals" nature of fund raising they often employ, and their various strategies for growth. He then looks at the ways the small church can be adequately staffed, and discusses the key role of the Sunday church school in the small church's affairs. Rounding out this important book is an analysis of the various trends in the small church and its hopes for the future.