I recognize that “small” is relative. In Texas, land of vast distances and megachurches, a congregation of 200 souls may rank as tiny indeed. In Nevada and Montana, a church of that number would be seen as one of the larger congregations.

One thing we know, small congregations fight a never-ending battle for money to pay the pastor a living wage, money to cover the regular bills plus invest in missions, and money to maintain a decent program. Leaders of small churches are forever looking for ways to be more effective with limited resources.

Decision-makers of such congregations might want to take a lesson from the owner of a major league baseball team situated in one of the smaller markets in this country.

Stu Sternberg is principal owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida’s American League baseball team. In the June 30, 2008, issue of “ESPN Magazine,” Sternberg shares “8 things you should know about running a small-market baseball team.”

In his article, we can find clues and insights here for a business or church being dwarfed by the big guys and having to get creative to stay competitive or effective.

1) Timing is everything.

Sternberg says there is no point in his team paying big bucks for a player he cannot afford to keep. So, what he does is watch for windows of opportunity, a moment when a quality player might be available for fewer dollars due to circumstances.

A small church may scrounge enough money to fund an ambitious program one time, but then what will it do? Better to prayerfully find the kinds of ministry suitable to their church, their mission field, their resources. Nothing is more important than seeking in prayer the will of the One who is the Sole Owner of your church.

2) Follow those Marlins.

Sternberg’s team learned from the Florida Marlins, a bigger-market team in his state, but still not in the running with New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. To stay competitive, the Marlins built a farm system which would take young players and prepare them for the majors, added key players for only two years at a time, and learned how to let stars move to other teams when they could no longer afford to keep them.

In most circumstances, a small church will not seek out its pastors or staffers in the “free agent market.” That is, they will not try to entice a minister-on-the-cusp-of-greatness to their church, but will go a different route in building its staff. They might look within their own church for a layperson, find a young minister just starting, or talk to a successful one nearing retirement.

Even large congregations are known to use this system. I sat in Adrian Rogers’ office a few years back and heard this well-known pastor tell how he had brought most of his staff right out of his congregation. I said, “They don’t have seminary?” He laughed, “What do they need Hebrew and Greek for? We teach them how to do ministry!” He had his own farm system.

3) We have to pick well….

Sternberg says a team with little money will find its best future in selecting young players with great potential and investing in them. You take chances, he pointed out, but you have no other choice.

4) …And scout well.

Scouting–for the non-sports fans among us–refers to the process of checking out teams far and wide to find new talent. In major league ball, this often means looking at players in the Caribbean, South America, or Asia.

For the church, it may mean the pastor opening his eyes to great leadership inside his own or a neighboring congregation. A wise minister is always scouting for potential helpers.

5) …Because we can’t pay well.

When a great player comes available as a free agent, even if his team doesn’t have the money to compete with the big boys, Sternberg says they don’t rule out trying to get him, but not with money. They try to find out what else the player is interested in. One pitcher wanted to be a closer and the Rays gave him that opportunity. Another longed to live in central Florida near his home.

A church should not automatically rule out a potential pastor or staff member who may be “priced out of your market.” Some years ago, when the First Baptist Church of Lincolnton, NC, was seeking a pastor, I wrote them with a recommendation. I had preached a revival in that church and had come to an appreciation of their people and that town. Dr. Dixon Free, pastor of a larger church in Charlotte and a former neighbor of mine, would be ideal for Lincolnton, I thought. “However,” I pointed out in the letter, “since his is a larger church, it might not occur to you to consider Dixon as a possibility for your pastor.” I assured them he was a godly man of great character and that the desire of his heart is to do the will of God. “If God calls him to Lincolnton,” I said, “he’ll come.” He did, and stayed with that church some 15 years.

6) We pull for other teams.

Sternberg points out that baseball clubs in small-market teams often need each other’s help to be able to compete with the large, wealthier teams.

Pastors should build networks of friends in the ministry whom they love and respect. Then, when they are looking for an idea, seeking a staff member, or trying to solve a problem, this network will often provide answers and unexpected resources.

7) Small things are big.

“We don’t draw (crowds) like the Yankees,” Sternberg writes, “so we have to give extras.” The Rays’ ballpark, he says, offers free parking, impressive restrooms, and the best hotdogs in the country.

Churches of all sizes would do well to seize their uniqueness and emphasize that in their community. Trying to do everything the big churches do will guarantee only failure and frustration since they don’t have resources to compete. However, every church of any size has strengths in the talents and abilities of its members. Leaders will do well to take advantage of the potential God has built into their congregation and no other.

It might come as a surprise to some people to learn not every creative ministry costs big bucks. The last church I pastored gathered up hundreds of unused Bibles which members had lying around their homes and gave them away on a Saturday morning in front of the church campus. This developed into a twice-a-year ministry of one of the adult Sunday School classes. The members not only gave away Bibles, but bore a gospel witness to people stopping by, made hundreds of new friends, took prayer requests, and ministered to the needy. In the process, it developed a reputation for giving, always a good thing for a church.

We did spend a few dollars on the restrooms, however. Anyone who attends sporting events in stadiums has seen the long lines outside restrooms, particularly the ladies’. When our sanctuary was constructed in the 1980s, money was scarce and the restrooms were built too small. We left the men’s rooms untouched, but knocked out some walls for the ladies’ rooms and enlarged them.

We also have free parking, but never did get around to providing hot dogs.

8) Designate this.

In the American League, teams are allowed to have a player called the Designated Hitter. Almost always, the DH is an older player no longer quick in the field or fast on his feet but still with hitting power at the plate. The DH does not play defense, but merely bats. Sternberg says, “We don’t have the money to pay a player who doesn’t field.” So, the Tampa Bay team does not have a DH.

It’s a wise church leader who decides his congregation does not need every innovation and trapping the big churches in town feel are necessary.

I recognize that some church leaders may be uncomfortable looking at ministries and leadership positions as the owner of a sports team would see the challenges of his particular situation. However, just enough similarities exist between the church and that small-market team to suggest important clues to assist the smaller congregation and its leaders.

I keep thinking of a couple in a town not far from Mississippi State University who became “adoptive parents” for the quarterback of that school’s football team, the MSU Bulldogs. For four years, they welcomed this student athlete into their home for meals and a family atmosphere. In his last year, when the team was excelling and the quarterback had become a star, someone asked my friends how they had managed to “get the big dog.” They answered, “We got him when he was a pup.”

Another clue for the small church looking for great leadership: It’s all around you, just waiting to be recognized and developed.