MinistryPlace exists for one reason: small and rural churches deserve the same quality of ministry resources that large churches take for granted. Most of the pastors we serve are bi-vocational. Most of their churches have no budget for professional training materials. Everything on this site is free or low-cost because of people like you.
If MinistryPlace has helped your church, your ministry, or your walk with God, consider giving back. Your support keeps the site running, funds new content, and helps us reach more small church leaders who have nowhere else to turn.
Want to know exactly where your gift goes? Read: What You Support When You Give to MinistryPlace.
Choose Your Gift Level
Every gift, at any level, helps MinistryPlace continue providing free resources for small and rural church leaders. Give once at whatever level feels right.
Want to give a different amount? Contact Brent directly and we will work something out.
Where Your Gift Goes
No subscriptions. No email gates. Most resources on this site are completely free to read and use. Your gift is what makes it possible to keep it that way.
Your gift covers server hosting, security, and the time it takes to write resources that are actually useful to a bi-vocational pastor who is doing his sermon prep over lunch breaks and whatever hours he can find between two jobs.
Why Small Churches?
The median American congregation has 70 people in weekly attendance. Seven out of ten churches in the United States have 100 or fewer (Faith Communities Today, 2025). These are not struggling outliers. They are the normal American church.
Nearly half of all evangelical pastors work a second job while leading their congregation. 47 percent, up from 28 percent in 2001 (Lifeway Research, 2025). That pastor is preaching on Sunday, working on Monday, and writing their sermon on whatever hours are left in between.
At the same time, the top 9 percent of congregations contain roughly half of all churchgoers and most of the professional ministry resources (National Survey of Religious Leaders, 2025). The money, the staff, the training, and the tools follow the large church. The small church pastor figures it out alone.
That is the gap MinistryPlace exists to close.
Small churches are not failing. Research consistently shows they have higher rates of per-capita giving, stronger volunteer participation, and deeper member commitment than larger congregations (National Congregations Study). They are faithful. They just need better tools, and they need them to be free.
Your gift keeps those tools available to the pastor who has no budget for professional resources, no staff to delegate to, and no time to waste.
Questions About Giving
Is my gift tax-deductible?
No. MinistryPlace is not a 501(c)(3) organization. Your gift is not tax-deductible. We are transparent about this because you deserve to know before you give.
Questions about my gift?
Gifts are processed securely through our store. If you have any questions about your transaction, contact us directly.
Can I give a different amount?
Yes. For the one-time gift option, adjust the quantity at checkout (each unit = $25). For a custom monthly amount, contact us and we will set it up manually.
Who runs MinistryPlace?
Brent Lacy runs MinistryPlace. He is a pastor and ministry leader with a heart for small and rural churches. Every resource on this site is written to serve the pastor who is doing it all with limited time, limited budget, and unlimited calling. Learn more about Brent and MinistryPlace.
Whether you give $5 or $60, your support matters. You are investing in the small church, and the small church is worth investing in.