An Interview with Pastor John Marra GROW interviewed Pastor John Marra at the celebration dinner that followed the March 15 service. Q. What is your vision for Living Hope? A. The whole concept of new churches causes people to be spiritually creative and have many ideas of what a church is supposed to be. As a result, we want to ensure in these early days that the purpose of our church is absolutely clear. We do this by having core group meetings to explore the purposes God has for our new church. It is clear from these discussions that we want to be a sending church. Q. What does one of these meetings look like? A. We strive for what is called "agenda harmony." We want to ensure that everyone is on the same page as far as the direction of our church is concerned. These meetings provide opportunities to work out issues. I reinforce our purpose in core group worship through Bible study. These studies give us a biblical foundation for what we are doing. Q. What are some of the long-range goals for Living Hope? A. We will need to think about acquiring property, and then we are dreaming of planting another church. Maybe that will come even before we have our own building. We want to be a sending church. The idea of sending people out should be so ingrained in who we are that starting new works will flow naturally from who we are as the people of God. Q. What were some essential ingredients that made Living Hope happen? A. Having a strong parent church is essential. They opened up all of their resources to us. They allowed me to preach to the congregation about this vision. They provided opportunities for informational meetings. The parent congregation continually supported our efforts to become a new church. Pastor Warrick's vision for church planting was crucial. Without it, the channel for church planting would not have been there. Q. How did people become part of the Living Hope concept? A. I prepared a biographical sketch of who I am. Then, at the informational meeting, core value questionnaires were distributed as well as spiritual gift inventories. I also told those who attended the informational meetings what my core values are. These methods allowed God to provide the right people for Living Hope. Q. How important was it for Olathe College Church to identify you as a staff member? A. Very important. That connection made me a part of what was going on at College Church. This gave a great deal of validity to what was happening. It helped do away with the idea that I was coming to steal members. The church was able to say through my position as a staff member that they were for this and were supporting my efforts: "He is not taking, but College Church is sending out!" Q. What kind of advice would you give to another pastor who feels led to do something like this? A. First, gain clarity through prayer. There is nothing more on the cutting edge than stepping out to plant a new church. Second, utilize the energy that prayer creates. It is exciting to see the energy that the Holy Spirit creates with a new start. You should embrace that energy and not be afraid to be part of something that is so much bigger than yourself. Q. Tell us in summary fashion what we need to know about the current situation at Living Hope. A. Living Hope is looking to find a permanent home in southern Johnson County where a great deal of growth is taking place. We celebrated our grand opening on Palm Sunday with 208 in attendance. We have started a new program called Care Ministry to follow up on visitors. Four teams of volunteers move through the congregation on Sunday mornings and gather information, learn about needs, and follow up during the week. It is exciting to see how our people are recognizing the needs of others and care for them. It is clear that God is doing a mighty work through our congregation, and much more is to come. --Submitted by Eric McHugh Newstart Launced at Olathe College Church NewStart, the innovative, growing denomination-wide passion for starting strong new churches in the right way, has already been modeled by Olathe (Kansas) College Church. Sunday, March 15, 1997, marked a pivotal day in the life of two Nazarene churches. Olathe College Church, one of the largest Nazarene churches in the world, sent out a new church, Living Hope Church of the Nazarene. The NewStart culminated two years of vision, planning, and hard work. In his sermon that Sunday, Pastor J. K. Warrick, senior pastor of College Church, reminded his congregation that "planting a new church at this time may not seem to be the best time for us, but it is God's time." Though Warrick has a heart and record for church planting--he was responsible for planting several churches while he served other pastorates--he did not envision a new church being planted so soon at Olathe. However, as evidence of Providence began to come together, it became obvious that now was God's timing. Originally, District Superintendent Keith Wright desired to plant a new church in Topeka. He called John Marra, who was pastoring in Texas, to discuss the idea. Sensing a burden to start a new church, John decided to explore the idea with Dr. Wright. Marra and Wright drove together to Topeka to gather demographic data about that city. On the way back, both men felt that God was directing them to a different setting. John wondered out loud to Dr. Wright if God might be working through Olathe College Church because of the growth taking place in South Johnson County. They talked about whether or not College Church might consider starting a new church, given its location and resources. Dr. Wright liked the idea and approached Pastor Warrick with the concept. After prayer and discussion, all three men--Wright, Warrick, and Marra--agreed that God seemed to be moving College Church to sponsor a new church. Soon Olathe College Church brought John Marra on as an associate pastor of evangelism and church planting. It was in this capacity that he was able to share the dream of Living Hope with College Church, the people who could help make the dream a reality. College Church provided John Marra and the new congregation with many essential resources. First, they provided people; over one hundred committed to become a part of Living Hope. Information was distributed and Pastor Marra was asked to preach about the dream of planting Living Hope, which allowed the entire congregation to understand the idea better. Second, College Church provided him with full salary during the gathering state. Third, College Church provided Marra with an office, which was the base for his activities. They also provided other, though less obvious, resources that are necessary for cultivating and implementing the vision of a new church. In the final moments of the March 15 worship service, District Superintendent Keith Wright prayed God's blessing on the one hundred plus people that gathered at the front of the church in the sending service. Then Wright exclaimed: "Thank you, Pastor Marra, for dreaming a big dream. Thank you, Living Hope, for dreaming a big dream. Thank you, Olathe College Church, for your obedience; it will make a difference. God will send more people to both churches because you have followed His guidance." At the conclusion of the service, the church choir sang a moving challenge to Living Hope based on Isaiah 6: "Who shall I send--here am I." Sneak Preview Boosts Newstart at Marion
New Vision Church, having started in September 1996, is anything but typical. The Marion, Ohio, congregational profile is young and intentionally planned to reach "Busters" and "Xers." Worship leader Rick Terry says the music "hits you right in the face," and he is right. Music, however, is only one way used to attract unchurched people. Much of what New Vision Church does on Sunday morning is similar to the seeker-sensitive Willow Creek Church model. Keith Irey, founding pastor of New Vision, originally considered the seeker-sensitive concept during his seminary days. He tells of reading in GROW about a minister who went to his hometown to start a church. Irey thought he could do that, too, so he moved to Marion and started to contact people he knew from former days who might have interest in starting a church of this type. As he made those first contacts, it became clear God had prepared hearts of some of the people in Marion. Steve Yates is one of those people who was tired of empty, traditional worship services and desired to be part of a church that was more seeker focused. Steve and his wife, Judy, were attending a church in the area that had a seeker-sensitive format. When Keith moved back to town, the Yates invited him to attend the seeker-sensitive church with them. It was there Irey started to formulate specific plans to start New Vision. After future contacts were made, the team began to "practice public worship services." They called it "sneak previews." According to Irey, "The first few sneak previews were pretty bad. The drama team was reading their lines, and people would miss their cues; but eventually, it started coming together." Even to the practice sessions, Irey and team invited friends to attend. Surprisingly, 40 to 100 people sometimes attended sneak preview sessions before the church's first public services were ever held. Pastor Keith Irey and his team made further contacts through Phones-for-You. Over 20,000 people were contacted. In addition, they made two massive mailings to people in their community. All of this combined attributed to 227 attending their kick-off service on September 22, 1996. The growth and influence continues. On Easter Sunday 1997, 330 attended. Those who attend New Vision say the reason the new church works so well is because it intentionally interests their unsaved friends. Members like Joel Lust say New Vision is not status quo or traditional; as a result, his friends feel comfortable to come to New Vision and hear the gospel in an environment that is not intimidating to them. Irey is careful to mention the importance of the team at New Vision. He points out that his role is mostly visionary and the team takes hold of the vision and makes it happen. He emphasizes that without the team, nothing would happen at New Vision. John and Dolly Burgess are examples of the New Vision team. Dolly is responsible for children's ministry while her husband, John, is set-up coordinator. Four volunteer groups work with John in helping set up New Vision's rented worship facilities. Because New Vision worships in an auditorium at Ohio State University, they have to be out of the building at 12:30 each Sunday. This takes a great deal of coordination and effort that John and his teams willingly provide each Sunday. "Our number one goal," emphasized John, "is to reach the lost. It is the motive behind everything else we do." This kind of self-giving spirit pervades the New Vision Team. GROW asked Irey what a worship service looks and sounds like at New Vision. Some of the elements he outlined were fast paced, popular music and lots of variety. One of the reasons people surveyed said what they did not like about church was predictability; as a result, great diversity is provided at New Vision. New Vision utilizes two approaches on Sundays: Discovery Sunday and Worship Sunday. Discovery Sunday is completely geared towards unbelievers. People who regularly attend know that on a Discovery Sunday nothing unusual will happen that would keep them from inviting their unchurched friends. The gospel is the main emphasis on Discovery Sundays; as Irey points out, "We perform and proclaim the gospel for unbelievers. It is Christianity 101 presented in contemporary dress." Worship Sundays are more geared for believers. It is a time when discipleship issues are discussed. These Sundays are more worship centered. The team, however, utilizes many of the same techniques on both Sundays--only the message is different. In addition to a contemporary, active youth program, New Vision serves its people with a web of small groups that help disciple and mature those who make a decision for Christ. One of these cell groups meets almost every night of the week. These cells are opportunities to call people aside from the crowd mentality of Sunday morning and come to a smaller setting where they can deepen their walk with God. Pastor Irey provided GROW with operational concepts behind New Vision that others interested in starting a similar church might use: (1) form and follow through on a team mentality; (2) get the word out to people in every possible way--phone, direct mail, word of mouth; (3) don't launch too quickly; (4) practice before you launch; and (5) adopt a philosophy that everyone, regardless of their sin, is welcome to attend because that is the type person you want to reach with the good news of the gospel. GROW congratulates New Vision for its remarkable growth in reaching unchurched people in and around Marion, Ohio.
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