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I know what you are thinking. Boast? That feels wrong. It feels like something we are not supposed to do.
Most of us grew up hearing that humility is a virtue. We were taught that bragging is ugly. We learned to keep our heads down, do good work, and let it speak for itself.
So when something good happens at our church, we hesitate to talk about it. We share it with a few close friends, maybe. But put it on Facebook? Mention it in an email? That feels different. That feels like boasting.
And boasting feels like a sin.
But I spent some time with a pastor named Ruth recently, and she changed how I think about this.
Why Small Churches Are Afraid To Share Their Wins
Ruth’s church started something called the Really Free Marketplace. It grew from a simple garage sale into a ministry that serves their whole community. People come to shop. Volunteers show up to help. Donations keep pouring in. It is good. Really good.
But when Ruth talks about it, she notices something about churches like ours. We are afraid to share our wins. She put words to something I have felt for years. Small churches in particular are terrified of coming across like they are boasting.
She is right. We are.
We worry that if we talk about what is going well, people will think we are full of ourselves. We are afraid someone will roll their eyes and think, “There they go again.” So we stay quiet. We keep the good news to ourselves. And the community never finds out what God is doing right in their midst.
But here is what I learned from her. That fear might be holding us back more than we realize.
What Happens When You Share Your Church’s Story
Ruth did not keep her ministry a secret. She talked about it. She shared what was happening. And because she shared, more people got involved.
She told me something I have not stopped thinking about. When you tell people what you are doing, you never know what the Holy Spirit might do with what you have shared. You never know who might be inspired. You never know what God might do with your story.
Think about that for a minute.
When you share your story, you are not just talking about yourself. You are putting something out there that can grow in ways you cannot imagine. You are planting a seed.
How One Shared Post Can Change Everything
Here is something that gave me chills. The whole idea for Ruth’s marketplace started because someone shared what their church was doing in a Facebook group. Just a simple post. Nothing fancy. Just a church saying they tried a free garage sale, and it went well.
Ruth saw that post. She read it. And she thought, “Maybe we could try that.”
That one post, shared by someone who was not afraid to talk about their church’s good work, led to everything that came after. The garage sales. The marketplace. The hundreds of people served. The volunteers who found a place to belong. The community that now knows this church loves them.
If that church had been too afraid to share, none of this would have happened.
Your story could be that for someone else.
The Difference Between Boasting And Witnessing
Here is what helps me with this. When I share a story about something good happening at a church, I am not talking about myself. I am not even really talking about the church. I am talking about what God is doing. I am giving people a glimpse of his goodness. I am inviting them to be part of something bigger than themselves.
That is not boasting. That is witnessing.
Think about the parables Jesus told. He was always talking about the Kingdom, describing what it looked like, giving people pictures of God’s goodness. He was not boasting. He was revealing. He was inviting people in.
When you share what God is doing in your church, you are doing the same thing. You are giving people a glimpse of the Kingdom. You are showing them that God is alive and active right here, right now.
Why Sharing Your Story Builds Community
Near the end of our time together, Ruth said something I come back to often. She talked about being courageous. Taking risks. Speaking about what we are doing, what we are looking at, where we are going. She said this is how we build community.
I believe she is right.
When you share, you are not just putting information out there. You are inviting people in. You are saying, “This is what we are doing, and you are welcome to be part of it.” You are opening a door. You are extending an invitation.
That is not boasting. That is belonging.
Think about the alternative. When you stay quiet, when you keep everything inside your four walls, you are unintentionally sending a different message. You are saying, “This is for us, not for you.” You are building walls instead of bridges.
Sharing tears down those walls. It lets people know they are welcome. It invites them to be part of something beautiful.
Simple Ways To Share Your Church’s Good Work
If this still feels uncomfortable, start small. You do not have to launch a big media campaign. You do not have to hire a PR person. Just start with one small thing.
Maybe this week, you share a photo from your food pantry. Nothing fancy. Just a picture of volunteers smiling and a simple caption.
Maybe you send an email to your congregation with a story about someone whose life was touched by your ministry. Just a paragraph. Just a glimpse.
Maybe you post in a local Facebook group about something your church is trying, just in case it sparks an idea for someone else. You never know who might see it.
It does not have to be big. It does not have to be polished. It just has to be shared.
What Happens When You Start Sharing
Ruth’s marketplace grew because people shared it. Word of mouth. One person telling another. Someone sees what is happening and tells a friend. That friend tells another friend. Before you know it, the whole community knows.
She put it simply. It grew because people shared it.
It was not a marketing campaign. It was not a big strategy with a budget and a timeline. It was just people talking about something good. And that is exactly how it should work.
When you do good work, people want to know about it. They want to be part of it. They want to tell others. But they cannot do any of that if they do not know it is happening.
Start Sharing Your Church’s Story Today
I understand if this still feels uncomfortable. It takes practice. We have spent so many years being quiet that sharing feels wrong, even when it is not.
Start with one person. Share something good with a friend or family member outside your church. See how it feels. See what happens.
Ruth’s church started with a garage sale. Someone shared an idea in a Facebook group. That one post led to all of this.
You never know what might come from what you share. So here is what I want to say to you today.
If your church is doing good work, do not hide it. Do not keep it to yourself. Share it.
Not because you need attention. Not because you want to look good. Not because you are trying to compete with anyone.
Share it because someone out there needs to see it. Someone needs to know that good things are possible. Someone needs to be invited in. Someone needs to know that God is still at work in this world.
Share it because your story might be the spark that ignites something in another church. Share it because your courage might give someone else permission to be courageous too.
Be courageous. Take the risk. Speak about what God is doing.
This is how we build community. This is how we encourage each other. This is how the Kingdom grows.
If you are not already in our Small Church Ministry Facebook group, come join us. It is a place where small church leaders and volunteers can be honest about the struggles and celebrate the wins together. You will find other people who are sharing their stories and learning from each other.
We would love to have you.
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