From the Dance Floor to Discipleship: Chris Small's Journey

Chris grew up in small-town Nebraska, where Sunday mornings meant church—Methodist or Protestant, not Catholic—and faith was something you did once a week before getting on with life. But sitting in a church pew in fifth or sixth grade, something shifted. Among his family, conviction washed over him. He understood his need for a Savior, and right there, he prayed for Christ to come into his life.

That moment sparked a journey through youth groups, Boy Scouts, and camps, though faith remained peripheral through high school. It wasn't until his third college and third change of majors that God redirected everything. He enrolled in youth ministry in Oregon, diving into exegesis, Greek, and Hebrew—building a theological foundation he still draws from today.

But preaching wasn't his calling. He switched to psychology, eventually finding his way to ballroom dance instruction alongside his wife Michelle. For years, dancing consumed his focus while faith took a backseat—until 2012.

The Turning Point

God moved powerfully in 2014. Separately, both Chris and his wife, Michelle recognized they'd never been baptized as young people. The conviction came independently, yet simultaneously—the kind of divine orchestration that would characterize their ministry ahead. In July 2014, they were baptized together in the Clackamas River.

Everything changed after that.

When Faith Meets the Dance Floor

Ballroom dancing revealed unexpected ministry opportunities. A church group of six couples wanted to learn, and Chris assisted Michelle's instruction for two years. The group proved challenging—something felt off, though he couldn't identify why.

When Michelle delegated the class to him after their marriage, the issue crystallized: wives were controlling every move, disparaging their husbands as they tried to learn to lead. The dynamics were broken, and traditional teaching methods weren't working.

God prompted Chris to bring scripture into the conversation. He shared Ephesians 5 about wives submitting to husbands. Silence filled the room as the couples processed a profound truth: submission applies everywhere—even on the dance floor.

The transformation was immediate. When wives understood their role wasn't to control but to follow, trusting their husbands to lead, the entire dynamic shifted. Dance became a living parable of biblical marriage principles.

That experience became the foundation for Followed by Faith, their marriage ministry using ballroom dance as a framework for understanding God's design for relationships.

Leading Through Service

For Chris, leadership has always meant servant leadership—Christ's model of inviting people on a journey rather than dictating direction. "Leading isn't about telling people what to do," he explains. "It's about invitation."

Today, he and Michelle focus full-time on building their ministry, having relocated seventy miles from their previous church. They're navigating the challenge of transitioning from a seventy-person congregation to a four-thousand-member church—a culture shock for people who thrive in intimate community settings.

Daily spiritual disciplines ground them: time in God's Word, prayer, and constant attention to where God is leading. In a culture that demands constant productivity, they're learning to immerse themselves completely in ministry preparation, trusting God's timing over their anxiety.

One Conversation at a Time

Chris carries Romans 1:14 close: "I am a debtor." This conviction shapes how he invests time, talent, and resources. But his most powerful encouragement to other Christian leaders is simpler and bolder: don't hide your faith.

"Don't be afraid to put your faith out there and let God defend you," he urges. "Too often we hide that light under a bushel. Let go of that fear and let God have your back."

He's passionate about changing culture the way Jesus did—one individual at a time. Not through policy changes or organizational mandates, but through personal discipleship.

"That's how Jesus built His ministry," Chris reflects. "We all need to see it that way. One conversation at a time with one individual at a time. That's how we change individuals for Christ."

From a small-town Nebraska church pew to baptism in the Clackamas River to teaching couples God's design for marriage through dance, Chris's journey demonstrates what happens when we stop compartmentalizing faith and business, and instead let God integrate every aspect of our lives.

The world will be renewed in God's timing. Until then, the work is relational, personal, and one couple at a time.