Small churches, big impact

What difference does a church of 50 members make? A big one, it turns out.

At its November meeting, the session of Villisca Presbyterian Church in Iowa found themselves asking a familiar question: Why do small churches feel like they’re too small to make a difference?

Image

“We’ve always had the attitude of ‘whatever we have, we can share,’” said the Rev. Sandy Wainwright Rossander, pastor of Villisca Presbyterian Church. “A small gift is just as significant as a large one.”

Rossander, who once served as moderator of the Presbytery of Missouri River Valley, has seen firsthand how many congregations underestimate their ability to make an impact. But for her and the Villisca church, located in a town of just 1,500 people, smallness has never been a limitation.

“Even in our smallness, we can still make a difference in the mission of the church,” she said. That conviction has become central to the church’s identity.

For more than 10 years, churches, mid councils and individuals have been turning to the Presbyterian Giving Catalog — available in English both in print and online — as a tangible way to provide real and positive impact around the world.

But this congregation in Villisca, Iowa, had generosity in their hearts before the catalog was in their hands.

Image

More than 20 years ago, Villisca Presbyterian Church created the Blessing Box — an invitation for members to share blessings during worship announcements. Each time someone shared, they added a dollar to the box. Some Sundays brought only a dollar or two. Other times — like when a member turned 80 — the box gained $80. When a need arose in the community, the congregation gave the contents of the Blessing Box to help: a new parent, a teacher new to town, a neighbor in need. To date, they’ve shared more than $3,000 in blessings.

The spirit of giving extends to the children, too. Sunday school students have been collecting nickels and dimes for years, pooling their coins for meaningful gifts. When the Presbyterian Giving Catalog was introduced, those small gifts took on even greater purpose.

“For just $10, the kids could give farming tools,” Rossander remembered. “It was exciting for them to see what they could do for someone else with just their coins.”

The idea that many small gifts can make a big difference soon inspired the entire congregation. Now, the church occasionally takes a coins-only offering during worship so everyone can join in the fun of choosing items from the Giving Catalog. One favorite is the Family of Chickens — a reminder of how a single gift can multiply into food, income, and opportunity through eggs, feathers and fertilizer.

This year’s 2025-2026 Presbyterian Giving Catalog, released in October,  has been reorganized around a new purpose-based model, reflecting action taken by the 226th General Assembly (2024).

Image

“The new Giving Catalog highlights four cause areas: Provide Clean Water, End Hunger, Sustain Communities, and Support Education,” said the Rev. Wilson Kennedy, associate director for Stewardship and Funds Development for the PC(USA). “The tagline, ‘Give with a Purpose,’ boldly featured on the cover, is an invitation for each of us — and all of us — to help transform lives, together.”

Available soon in Spanish and Korean, the 2025-2026 Catalog features 44 giving opportunities designed to fit every mission interest and every budget.

For Villisca Presbyterian Church, the Blessing Box helped members and friends bless their neighborhood. The Presbyterian Giving Catalog invites them to bless the world — together with Presbyterians near and far.

“Some of the most inspiring stories we hear come from small congregations,” said Teresa Mader, Manager of the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. “When a handful of people pool their gifts — whether it’s a few dollars, a handful of coins, or a special offering — those gifts join thousands of others to create real, lasting change. The size of the church doesn’t determine the size of the impact.”

“We don’t ever run out of ideas!” Rossander laughed. The Giving Catalog, she said, makes it easy for everyone — every church, every individual — to find a way to participate in mission. When small churches see that $10 can provide tools or $25 can supply clean water, it reminds them that generosity isn’t about how much congregations have, but about what congregations choose to share.

Villisca Presbyterian Church’s generosity captures the heart of the Giving Catalog. Their coins, stories, and shared blessings reflect exactly what the Giving Catalog aims to do: help communities of faith discover joy in giving together, knowing that small gifts really do join in a larger purpose.

The Giving Catalog is a reminder that gifts of any size can make a difference, and that, as Rossander herself observed, small gifts are just as significant as large ones, and — together — add up to big things. 

Instead of trying to do everything, Villisca Presbyterian Church says it focuses on what members can do — and this holiday season, they’re choosing to give with a purpose to those in need around the world.

Join Villisca Presbyterian Church in sharing blessings near and far. Discover how you, too, can share the good news and tangible resources through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Click here to get started.