Cornerstone Church Plant suported By Four Churches On Palm Sunday, 1998, 105 attended the opening service of Cornerstone Church of the Nazarene in Auburn, Massachusetts. Pastor Ted and Susan MacNeil, after nearly two years of preparation, started with a core group of six persons. The church averaged 41 for its first few months of existence; it averaged 70 in October, 65 in November and 72 in December. Pastor MacNeil reports that only four persons among their regular attenders have come from other churches; all the others are new believers. Worchester church, led by Pastor Ken and Sally Balch, served as the sponsoring church with additional assistance from Uxbridge, Marlborough, and Springfield. In January 1998, suitable rental space was located in a strip shopping mall. The church's opening was preceded by 3,000 telemarketing survey calls, 8,000 pieces of direct mail, and a four-week newspaper ad campaign. When asked to describe this church's force and ministry, MacNeil replied: "Cornerstone Community is a new church whose primary distinction is that of taking the Christian message and presenting it in creatively fresh ways-relevant to the unchurched of Central Massachusetts. Thus far, our conviction that God has prompted this vision has been rewarded with significant, life-changing spiritual growth for many in just a matter of months." Mother Church Expands Ministry Across District Pastors Juan E. and Rebecca Rivera started their ministry to the Lowell, Massachusetts, Hispanic church in 1989 when annual worship and Sunday School attendance were both 64. Last year, worship attendance climbed to 152, and the Sunday School grew to an attendance of 208. Church membership has tripled during the same time period from 33 to 99. But there is much more to the amazing story. Soon after moving to Lowell, the Riveras sought for God's guidance on how to reach beyond their own church walls and beyond their town's city limits. Soon opportunities began to come-the New England District shared the vision through their Church Planting Board, and existing churches and their pastors began to express interest in sharing their facilities. A new Hispanic church was organized at Framingham, 47 miles away, in 1994. Another new church was organized in Worcester, 45 miles away, in 1995. Church type Missions are now holding services in Haverhill, Fitchburg, and Nashua. Weekly worship attendance is now over 250. Often Rev. or Mrs. Rivera conduct the service in each of the Church Type Missions. A long list of potential sites have already been targeted for future planting. The Riveras also offer theology classes in Spanish at the District Training Institute every Saturday morning. They have ten people attending the classes, some of whom are strong candidates for the ministry. When asked about the future, Pastor Rivera said: "In all of our new mission fields, we have the wonderful support from the Anglo church including prayers, finance, and building facilities. With a willingness to share facilities for the new churches, we are put in a position of targeting all the efforts on the ministry of seeking people and working with their pastoral needs." The reports are amazing and wonderful. The level of excitement seems much like it must have been in the early church. And because of increased migrant populations in so many places, a similar spiritual multiplication could be started in many areas of the United States. Wollaston Congregation Plants Chinese Church Historic Wollaston Church of the Nazarene, located on the campus of Eastern Nazarene College, has planted a vigorous Chinese church that also meets in college facilities. Population shifts and new immigrants make the need for such a church pressing. Over the last ten years, 18,000 Asians have moved to Quincy, a city located on the South Shore of Boston. More Chinese now live in North Quincy than in Boston's Chinatown; 9,000 are Cantonese speakers, many from Hong Kong. Pastor Sam Chung, the Chinese ministry coordinator for the denomination and at that time a pastor on the west coast, was invited to be a speaker for 1997 Wollaston church's month-long annual missionary conference. For nearly a year prior to the conference, a small group of Chinese Christians had been using a room at the church for Saturday morning Bible studies. It was natural that Chung should meet his group while he was involved in the conference. In their dialogue that followed there appeared to be a mutual interest in possibly going forward to develop a Chinese congregation. For several years, some of the church members had carried a concern for these new neighbors. Don and Elva Reed, retired ENC faculty, had a number of Chinese students living in their home. Nancy Johnson taught public school classes for Chinese non-English speakers with may positive contacts. And Jim Casler started a Sunday School class for Chinese adults. On Sunday night after the conference closed, around fellowship in the Reed home, Pastor and Mrs. Russell Metcalfe, Sam and Winna Chung, and Don and Elva Reed shared their concerns for the Chinese population. They dreamed as they tried to determine the will of God. Then they joined hands and prayed that God's will be done. Sam said quietly after the prayer, "If you call us, we will come." Soon Metcalfe presented it to the church board, and they agreed to "do whatever was necessary." On July 1, 1997, the Chungs arrived to start the work. The generous providences of God have been amazing. A faculty couple, going on sabbatical, offered the use of their home to the Chungs for a year. The church gave $46,000 to the Chinese work in the first year, nearly ten percent of the sponsoring church's budget. Alabaster funds helped with the purchase of a parsonage. And the college has provided meeting facilities. The church has been averaging 40 in worship attendance and had 400 plus at the official opening. One Sunday last fall, when the two congregations shared an evening service, 18 adults joined the church as a result of this ministry. GROW salutes Wollaston for its visionary commitment to share the good news with its Chinese neighbors. Mission keeps coming home to America. What new, nearby mission field is God giving to you? Christ, the Great Head of the Church, keeps bringing new gospel opportunities to our doorsteps. And NewStart is helping lots of church maximize their opportunities. Willette Has Vision to Plant 60 Rural Churches A vision to plant 60 rural churches anywhere at any time seems bigger than life-visionary, idealistic, utopian-something beyond reason. But you begin to believe it could happen when you talk for a few minutes with Pastor Paul Willette of North Haverhill Trinity Church. Willette loves to plant churches and believes rural New Hampshire/Vermont is a great place to do it. His vision is based mainly on human need and sparsity of churches. Many areas in his part of the country do not have a church of any kind, seldom an evangelical church, and almost never a holiness church. In addition to this church shortage, old-line churches are abandoning the area because of lack of pastors and decreased attendance. Meanwhile, only 20 to 25 percent of the population claim any church relationship; that means 75 to 80 percent of the people have no church connection. North Haverhill, New Hampshire, Trinity Church, located in Grafton country, has an attendance of 100 and provides an active ministry to its community. Though they are building a community center, they believe the next town and neighboring rural areas are their mission fields. North Haverhill church is busy planting three new congregations with their hearts set on many other locations. Waits River church is a CTM (Church Type Mission) that started in April 1998; it meets in the Grange Hall. Pastor Diane Golschneider reports: "What started as an April Vacation Bible School has grown to three Sunday School classes, a full Sunday morning service, a mid-week Bible study, and a rapidly growing Friday night teen group. We have seen souls saved and lives transformed; we have also discovered the greatest purpose in our lives is bringing Christ to others." Upper Valley/Hanover church has been meeting as a Church Type Mission at the Hampton Inn. Their attendance runs about 20. Rev. Peter and Sue Heilemann serve as pastors of this growing congregation. Lisbon church was organized in August 1994. They meet in Lisbon High School with an attendance of 40. This church is served by Pastor Tracy M. Davis. Lisbon is the hub for four smaller towns with a total population of 5,000. Thirty people have come to Christ as a result of this church's ministry in the five years of its existence. Key factors in their growth have been Vacation Bible School, personal contacts, small groups, and evangelizing social networks. When asked to share more details about his dream of planting many rural churches, Pastor Paul Willette said; "The mainline churches in those 60 or so towns are closing, leaving communities with 7,000 inhabitants or smaller because they do not have clergy to fill the churches. In many of these towns, the one mainline church was the only church. Thus, when they close, the people are without any kind of church. Meanwhile, the population is fairly stable and some areas are even growing with the entrance of new businesses. It's a sad fact, but the spiritual needs of these people have not been addressed. If people want to go to church, they must drive many miles-some of our people drive 25 miles to church." When asked what was the greatest hindrance to fulfilling the dream of 60 new rural churches, Willette replied, "If I had this moment more people of faith, courage, and fervor, there could be ten new church plants immediately. Anyone interested, please apply."
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