How Small Churches Can Think Like a Guerrilla (and Why It Works)
If you’re leading a small church, you probably know the tension: resources are limited, volunteers are stretched, and yet the need in your community feels bigger than ever. It’s easy to fall into the trap of pouring your entire budget and energy into one or two big annual events—Christmas, Easter, maybe a fall festival—only to discover that the results don’t match the investment.
So what do you do when the budget isn’t there, the numbers aren’t huge, but you still want your church to make a visible, lasting difference?
I believe the answer is to start thinking like a guerrilla.
No, not the ape—the soldier. Guerrilla fighters are known for being nimble, scrappy, and everywhere at once. They don’t rely on a massive army with endless supplies. Instead, they take advantage of creativity, adaptability, and persistence.
Small churches can do the same. And when they do, the results can be transformative.
Our Story: From Struggling to Strategic
I’ve pastored a small rural church in Alberta, Canada, for over 12 years. Like many small congregations, we had a plan for outreach, but before 2020, community awareness of our church wasn’t very strong. We’d hold the occasional event, but nothing seemed to move the needle in terms of visibility or impact.
Then COVID-19 hit. Suddenly, everything had to change. We couldn’t gather like before, but our community still needed hope, support, and love. So we shifted.
Instead of waiting for people to come to us, we started going out to them—frequently, creatively, and intentionally. What started as small acts of kindness snowballed into a whole new way of operating.
The result? Our local chamber of commerce awarded us with their Best COVID Pivot Award. People in town began saying things like, “Did Abundant Springs Church even exist before COVID?”
Of course, we existed. But for the first time, our presence was being felt outside our four walls. And it didn’t take a pandemic budget to make it happen—it took guerrilla thinking.
Now I want to share with you the five keys we discovered. These are principles any small church can adapt, regardless of budget or location.
1. Take the Low-Hanging Fruit: Blessings & Gratitude
The easiest place to start is often the most effective. Ask yourself: Who are the people in our community who deserve to be appreciated?
It could be:
Teachers
First responders
Hospital staff
Town councillors
Local business owners
Now, think of simple, inexpensive ways to bless them.
Our church has delivered flowers, custom “A+” cookies for teachers, and donuts with coffee. None of these gestures cost much, but the impact was surprising. People felt seen. They felt valued. And in a world where negativity spreads faster than encouragement, even small acts stood out.
Here’s the key: consistency beats extravagance. It’s better to bless five different groups over five weeks than to blow your whole budget on one massive event.
Action step: Make a list of 3–5 groups in your town that you can appreciate in the next month. Pick one idea, budget $20–50, and just start.
2. Leave a Personal, Christ-Centred Touch
A gift is nice. A personal connection is better.
Too often, churches drop off a generic gift with a generic note. That’s polite, but it doesn’t open a door for relationships. What makes the difference is showing up in person and making it clear why you’re doing what you’re doing.
When our church delivered appreciation gifts, we made sure a volunteer or staff member handed them off directly. They would say something like:
“Hi, I’m Judy from Abundant Springs Church. We just wanted to give you these donuts and coffee to lift your spirits. We appreciate you and the work you do for our community. And we want you to know—Jesus loves you, and so do we.”
That small statement turned a free snack into a moment of genuine encouragement.
We also designed custom cards with the message: “God loves you, and we do too.” Inside, we’d handwrite a short note. These cards often got displayed in offices, shared with coworkers, and even saved for later.
Action step: Create a simple card your church can use for every outreach effort. Include your church name, a positive message, and space for a handwritten note. This tiny touch adds huge value.
3. Show and Tell (Yes, Really)
This one can feel uncomfortable. Doesn’t Jesus warn us not to “do your good deeds in front of others to be seen by them”?
Yes—but context matters. Jesus was warning against prideful displays of hollow spirituality. The kind of “look how holy I am” actions meant to puff up the doer, not bless the receiver.
That’s not what we’re talking about here. When we “show and tell,” we’re not seeking credit. We’re raising awareness that churches exist to love and serve their community in Jesus’ name.
So when your church does something, document it. Take photos. Ask to grab a selfie with the person receiving the gift. Post about it on your church’s social media accounts. Tag the organization. Encourage your congregation to share it, too.
In a culture that says, “Pics or it didn’t happen,” showing your church’s acts of love isn’t bragging—it’s testifying. It spreads hope, builds trust, and gently points people toward Jesus.
Action step: Assign someone in your church the role of “storyteller.” Every time you bless someone, have them take a photo, write a short post, and share it widely.
4. Mobilize the Army to Work Independently
Here’s the genius of guerrilla strategy: the impact isn’t limited to one central event or leader. Instead, the movement spreads as individuals act independently but with a shared mission.
Your church can operate the same way. Imagine if, instead of just your staff organizing outreach, every person in your congregation became a missionary of kindness in their daily life.
Here’s how to make it happen:
Equip people with tools. Give everyone a few of those custom cards. Encourage them to use the cards whenever they bless someone—a coworker, a neighbour, even a stranger.
Cast vision. Share stories from church-wide outreaches and inspire your people to do the same in their own circles.
Provide ideas. Hand out a list of simple ways to bless others: mowing lawns, shovelling snow, free babysitting, buying coffee for the person behind you, and hosting a backyard BBQ.
Celebrate wins. At our church, we placed a balloon on stage for every person blessed each week. Watching the stage fill with balloons created energy and excitement.
Over time, the culture shifted. Outreach stopped being a program and started being who we were as a church.
Action step: Pick one Sunday to launch this vision. Hand out cards, share stories, and encourage people to report back. Celebrate every effort—no matter how small.
5. Always Invite the Next Step
Outreach without connection is a dead end. The goal isn’t just to do good deeds—it’s to guide people toward Jesus.
That doesn’t mean making a gospel pitch every time you hand someone a donut. It means creating natural bridges.
For example:
Bless families? Invite them to your next family-friendly event.
Host a community event? Share information about your kids club.
Run a kids club? Point parents to a sermon series that speaks to family life.
Each step moves people closer to relationships—with your church, and ultimately with Christ.
Think of it as a funnel: small acts of blessing lead to larger community connections, which lead to deeper spiritual opportunities.
Action step: For every outreach your church does, ask: “What’s the next step we want to invite them into?” Then prepare simple invitations for the next step.
Why Guerrilla Thinking Works
When we shifted from occasional big events to frequent, smaller acts of love, everything changed. Our community noticed us. Our church culture came alive. And our people discovered the joy of everyday mission.
Thinking like a guerrilla works because:
It’s sustainable—you don’t burn out your budget or volunteers.
It’s relational—people connect with real humans, not faceless institutions.
It’s visible—small acts, shared consistently, create big awareness.
It’s scalable—whether you have 20 people or 200, everyone can play a part.
Final Thoughts
Being a small church doesn’t mean making a small impact. If anything, your size gives you an advantage: flexibility, closeness, and the ability to adapt quickly.
By thinking like a guerrilla—small, frequent, Christ-centred acts of love—you can saturate your community with the presence of Jesus. Over time, your town won’t just know that your church exists. They’ll know that your church loves them.
And when people know they’re loved, they become open to hearing about the One whose love never fails.
So go ahead. Stop waiting for the “big event.” Start blessing in small ways, often. Mobilize your people. Tell the story. And always invite the next step.
Who knows? The next time someone asks, “Did that church even exist before?” the whole community may already know the answer.
Based on the video “Grow Your Church’s Reach Without Breaking The Bank” from ChurchPro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Vek40twWM
Stephen Valcourt ministers with his wife, Embree, in the small rural town of Pincher Creek, AB, at Abundant Springs Community Church. They have four children and a passion not only for ministry in their town but also for other small and rural church pastors. After over twelve years of rural ministry experience, they love to share what they've learned from the trenches to empower others to reach their communities with the Gospel.