Spiritual Serendipities Result from Planting New Churches How Grove City Prospered by Planting Churches How many challenges can one church face at the same time? Grove City (OH) Church at that time was either building or getting ready to add more facilities; they have been involved in five major building programs since 1990. As a result, Pastor Huffaker's mind and heart were focused on many demanding issues like financial stretch, enormous numerical growth, spiritual needs of hundreds of new converts, and the pressing need to add staff. All these explosive growth challenges made it an exciting, even amazing, time for Huffaker and the Grove City Church, but it was not a predictably good time for the congregation or pastor to show interest in what McCorkle believed God wanted him to propose to Huffaker. Over lunch, McCorkle, then in his seventh year as pastor of an established church, shared his passionate call to church planting. He even shared with Huffaker that for some hard-to-explain reason he had a specific church planting call to Columbus, Ohio. In the discussion at lunch, McCorkle asked Huffaker to help him become actively involved in making his church-planting dream a reality. He asked Pastor Huffaker to lead the Grove City Church to become the mother church for the new congregation he planned to plant. McCorkle asked to become involved in the life of the Grove City Church for a nine-month incubation period when he would be given permission to recruit a core group for the new church. In the conversation, McCorkle presented his church planting credentials: His ministry gifts were teaching, preaching, administration; he was called by God; and he had been positively approved as a church planter by Nazarene Church Planters Assessment Center. But his ability to make good on his dream was not a sure thing because he had never planted a church. A God Moment What should be done? By whom? And when? A positive answer to the request from Huffaker would likely add to his already heavy load. It would place added financial strain on an economically stretched church. And who knew how the Grove City Church Board might react? What would planting a church do to the giving patterns of the mother church? And what if some of the best members decided to join the core group? A negative answer would mean a missed Kingdom opportunity. Those whom the new church might win for Christ might be lost forever. A wait-and-see response could slow the outreach spirit and unbelievable generosity of the Grove City Church. And a "no" answer might even mean that the potential core group members might never be stretched to be all they could become for the Lord. What a dilemma, and what a decision! And why now? Named Staff Member A Second Church is Formed GROW staff asked these three pastors to reflect on what they have learned about church planting. Here are some of their responses: 1. Spiritual DNA. 2. Do-or-die passion. 3. Kingdom focus. 4. More than a new program. 5. Generosity. 6. Participation multiplied. 7. Attendance increases. 8. Different converts. 9. Relevant as well as pure. 10. Missionary spirit. 11. A holy adventure. 12. Generosity replicated. 13. Team collaboration. 14. Spiritual serendipity. To participate in a church planting conversation with Bob Huffaker, Rob McCorkle, and Kevin Meyers is to experience an up-to-date reenactment of how God used the early church to reach people in the Book of Acts. Multiplication of churches-much more than a strategy or concept-is an effective way God provides open doors for lost people to get acquainted with the Savior. Grand Rapids First Starts Two Churches at Once Whoever heard of one congregation starting two new churches at the same time. That is exactly what happened at Grand Rapids First Church, the oldest Church of the Nazarene in Michigan. God has had many happy surprises for the faithful folks at Grand Rapids First Church. Out of a willingness to plant a new church has come two new churches and a historic church with a new focus to build God's kingdom. Missional Father and Son Team Plant Church Planting strong new churches is a high priority these days among Nazarenes. It has been demonstrated and documented to be one of the most effective evangelism strategies in our time. Portage First Church, recently renamed Real Life Community Church of the Nazarene, under the leadership of Pastor Duane Schmidt, sponsored Living Hope Church. Pastor Richard Schmidt, after serving on staff for a year at the sponsoring church, became the church planting pastor of the Living Hope Church in Valparaiso, Indiana. The first service was held on September 17, 2000. The new congregation worships at the Aberdeen Manor banquet facility and meets for discipleship and administrative parts of its ministries at the Northwest Indiana District Office where the district has also provided office space for Pastor Richard. Beardstown Sponsors Hispanic Church Five thousand and forty-five people call Beardstown home-- a town located in the Illinois Heartlands southwest of Peoria on the road to St. Louis. The Church of the Nazarene has been there since 1937. Changes started rapidly five years ago after the population had experienced a slight decline over the previous decade. The meat processing plant began recruiting Hispanic employees along the Texas-Mexico border who were willing to do heavy physical work local people no longer wanted to do. Soon hundreds of Hispanic families moved to the area, many arriving with nothing but clothes on their backs. As so often happens in quick population shifts, tense feelings developed toward "those outsiders who are taking over our town." But Nazarenes saw the situation as a missionary opportunity. They remembered what they had heard in missionary conventions and what they had learned from missionary reading books. So they started a church. One Hispanic brother observed, "These people hugged me in." Soon they called a Spanish-speaking pastor and provided part of his salary. Now two congregations share facilities. Two pastors--Rev. Bill Couchenour and Rev. Tomas Alvarez--share ministry. The Hispanic congregation has grown to over 60 in worship, while the sponsoring church enjoys an average worship attendance of 100. Located thousands of miles from large Hispanic populations, Beardstown Church of the Nazarene is busily sharing the gospel with their new neighbors. They have become intentionally missional to the immigrant people God has sent to their doorstep. Eagle's Way Church Grows to 492 Congregations In 1990, I became pastor of the Evansville (IN) Eastview Community Church of the Nazarene. I found a dedicated group of leaders who were ready to reach their community. From the beginning of my ministry there, to attract spiritually needy people, we started shifting to blended worship styles--small groups and a contemporary approach to outreach. By 1993, we were considering adding a Saturday night service that would be totally contemporary. About this time our district superintendent, M. V. Scutt, named a district lay/pastor church planting committee. Warrick County was determined to be one of the fastest growing counties in Indiana with more unchurched families than the national norm. The church I served as pastor was asked to be the mother church, sending out a core group to begin the new work. As planning progressed, I had an Isaiah 6:8 experience where God said, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I felt constrained to answer, "Send me." As God directed me to plant the NewStart church, I realized I was leaving the comfort of an established, growing church and a group of supportive leaders and loving friends. This was something I, or my wife and family, had never done before--starting from scratch with no guarantee of a home, income, or the church surviving. I knew, however, that God was prompting me and our core group of missionaries to reach unsaved and unchurched people of Warrick County through contemporary methods. These were people that might not otherwise be won for the Kingdom. From the beginning, we declared over and over--and still do--that what we planned to do was not better or worse than a traditional church, only different and necessary to share the holiness message to a new generation in our rapidly growing community. The unanimous vote of our church board from the mother church, the subsequent church meetings with our district superintendent explaining the process, and times of corporate prayer helped create an atmosphere of excitement and cooperation. God kept affirming our decision by opening doors into the community, providing for our personal needs, sending the right people to plant the church, providing a school to meet for worship, and supplying financial assistance from our district and mother church. We relearned the reality that where God guides, He provides. From the start of Eagle's Way Church, our commitment has been to share the liberating message of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives into Christlikeness. We believe that God has called the church to go into the culture and love others as Christ loves them. The Father has been faithful to work through us. We have seen drug addicts delivered, broken marriages restored, seekers saved, believers sanctified, unchurched people from various experiences assimilated into church life, and our church become a positive influence in our community. We are known as the church that strives to build authentic relationships in Christ. Let's review what God has done. In September 1995, Eagle's Way Church began meeting in a school for worship and small groups throughout the week in homes. Twelve families came from the mother church to begin this new church. In January 1996, the church was officially organized with 52 charter members. The district provided funds for school and office rental, salaries for staff, and assistance with my housing. In February 1997, we moved into our new building. And we developed our core value: "We believe the essence of Christianity is relationships." For the last two years, we moved to the local high school for Easter. This year, we had 492. We decided to meet again the week after Easter at the high school to continue our community outreach, and attendance was 386 with many new people returning for the second Sunday. Eagle's Way Church has grown every year since its beginning. Our vision is to plant churches as often as possible. That dream moves toward a reality when we start a new postmodern church next month called Journey. The new church will meet in our building on Saturday evenings. It will incorporate worship forms, which target Generation Xers and other postmodern thinkers. Our youth pastor, Dan Robison, will be leading this new church plant along with 20 core people. --by Pastor Roger Goff From Boardroom to Church Planter Alan Pullen spent 21 years in finance --the last 13 as CEO of a community bank in his hometown of Winnsboro, South Carolina. In September 2000, at the age of 43, he announced to his family he was leaving his profession to plant a church in Northeast Columbia, South Carolina. Reactions from his family were mixed. "I knew it would happen; I just didn't know when," says wife Bonnie, who works in the medical profession and has been heavily involved as a layperson in the church her entire life. "I settled the matter about three years ago on a summer mission trip to Washington, D.C. We visited the inner city, and I thought, 'I could never live in a place like that.' But that week, I realized I could if that was what God called me to do." An older daughter, Kristen, was a bit more blunt, according to Alan. "She thought I had lost my mind. After all, she was a freshman about to start college at TNU and here I was leaving my regular job--and salary. But she came around pretty quick. The younger daughter, 14-year-old Lisa, was okay with the idea from the start. I think she's looking forward to it." Alan speaks with a distinguished Carolinian drawl. He has the pleasant attentiveness of a pastor and the professional demeanor of a banker. The "call" for Alan Pullen evolved over a long time. "There was no thunderbolt. Over a period of six years or longer, I felt God dealing with me. We have been involved in the church all our lives, but in the last few years we have had ever-increasing responsibilities." For 10 years prior to his decision to leave the bank, Alan served as worship leader at Winnsboro First Church--the church where he and Bonnie grew up. He tells about how God led him to follow through on his call: "Last August, I asked Dr. James Bearden, our district superintendent, if there was a place for me to minister. He told me that eight years ago the district had purchased six acres in what has become a fast-growing area in South Carolina. He wanted me to pray about the possibility of planting a church there. "I was amazed. I thought we would have to move across the country, but here I was being offered a ministry among a neighborhood of professional people less than 15 minutes from our home. Both Bonnie and I have worked in this community, making contacts throughout our careers. It seems like God has been specifically preparing us for this situation." And what a spiritually needy place it is. Of the 30,000 who live in the area, almost 50 percent claim no church affiliation. It is a community of affluence and spiritual need--an area ripe for a new church. As of the writing of this story, there has been no worship service for what will be known as the Abundant Life Fellowship. But planning for the church plant has been deliberate and extensive--and the planning has been saturated with prayer. Alan said, "Right now, we have about 165 persons on our prayer team, and I'd like to have more if I can find them." On April 5, 2001, Alan, Bonnie, and Lisa joined with 22 others who came together for an informational session to learn how they can be involved in the launch of this new congregation. More than 50 others have expressed interest in helping start a new church in the target area. From that first session came the creation of Bible studies, which are being held in homes across the community. The church will have a strong presence at the Sparkleberry Fair this spring--a local event that attracted 16,000 in 2000. Abundant Life will host a puppet troupe from Charleston Calvary Church at the fair. "While the kids are watching the program, we will be talking to their moms and dads," says Alan. Beyond this, there will be backyard VBS and a direct-mail program, as well as weekly "test" services with a trained worship team for the month prior to the grand opening in mid-September 2001. The mission statement for the new congregation is taken from Philippians 4:4-5: "Celebrate God! In worship, in everyday life, with everyone we meet, that they too might know Christ," "I just believe this is the answer to a lot of the problems people face." says Alan. When asked if he is optimistic about the future, Alan thought for a moment then responded: "Every now and then, I wonder if it will work, but it has to. So many things have happened to reinforce our confidence that we are doing what God wants us to do. It's going to happen." --by Mark Graham North Raleigh Sponsors Tapestry My first ministry assignment was a church plant. I remember thinking then, "If I ever pastor a church that has sufficient resources to start a new work, I'd love to be a sponsoring church." Fast forward to January 1997, which finds me as new pastor of North Raleigh (NC) Church. I inherit a vibrant congregation in the middle of a major relocation with a debt to match. The church had, for three years, teamed with the North Carolina District in an outreach to inner-city Raleigh led by Rev. Kevin Modesto. A shoestring budget and no permanent facility made it tough to engage the community. As I sought God's direction on what to do regarding the inner-city work, He reminded me of my earlier wish. I reminded Him we were at a critical place. He reminded me He had a greater stake in both situations than I did. Soon it was clear the only way for the inner-city ministry to become all He wanted hinged on our releasing people to start a new church. I raised the idea with Kevin and Rev. Royce Hathcock, who had subsequently come on board to assist in the inner-city ministry. Both gave the expected "I don't see myself as a church planter" answer--that's what I'd said when approached a dozen years earlier. But we three agreed to pray. And God started to work. Over the next couple of months, I conversed with local, district, and denominational leadership. It seemed God was confirming His direction. We targeted the date of November 22, 1998, to cast the vision for the inner-city church to the congregation. Just one problem: How does a largely Anglo church from suburbia launch a daughter congregation in the largely African-American heart of the city? We concluded we should make the new congregation a multicultural expression of the breadth and diversity of God's kingdom. That led us to the name Tapestry--an entity woven with threads from a variety of sources but crafted into something of unique character and beauty. In the early months of 1999, weekly prayer meetings began, asking the Lord to raise up people to form the founding core. In all, God spoke to eight families, indicating they were to become missionaries to the city. As the group continued to pray, the date of April 18 emerged as the target for Tapestry's first worship service--which raised problem number two: Where to meet? Less than two weeks before the first service, a phone call came that confirmed God's guidance. A 10,000-square-foot warehouse with a "For Lease" sign had been identified as a possibility. In calling to inquire, nothing could have prepared us for the afternoon when the owners asked, "Would you like to use it rent free for a while?" So it was that a warehouse used to store repossessed cars is now being used to repossess lives of people. Birthing a church is like birthing a child--it's not pain free, but it has tremendous rewards. On the same week the warehouse came available, I signed papers refinancing our church mortgage at a lower rate of interest, which helps offset the financial loss from the tithing families that God called to the new work. On the Sunday when Tapestry launched with 62 in attendance, North Raleigh had more in attendance than our yearly average. God wasted no time bringing people our way who could fill the void. The reality of the harvest compels us to do what conventional wisdom says is foolish. The world is full of broken, hurting people who don't know Jesus and are dying for a shred of hope. We must go to them; we can't wait for them to come to us. In recent months, our church has developed an updated mission statement that uses the phrase "A Christ-Centered Expression of Family." As I've pondered those words, a voice in the recesses of my mind says, "John--families have children." It's my belief Tapestry will not be our only child--simply our oldest. In fact, in our recent capital funds campaign, North Raleigh Church committed to set aside 10 percent of everything that comes in to plant a new church in the next two years. And to listen to members of the founding core at Tapestry talk, we could someday become a grandparent. --by John Whitsett Spiritually Transformed Lives Come From New Churches God is helping the Church of the Nazarene win hundreds of new people to Christ through our newer churches. Here are the testimonies of some of those transformed persons. Jayne Romer Lisa Embry Adam Merrick Sheree Petry Cheryl Lembrick Jeff Heidlebaugh Vickie Stump Ron Kloecker Tapestry Church-Where Urban and Suburban Meet When the Tapestry Church of the Nazarene first opened its garage door for worship two years ago, some thought it was a flea market. It's an easy mistake to make. The church meets in an old brick warehouse (circa 1930) just a few blocks from the state capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina. The congregation contains an unusual mix of cultures, ages, lifestyles, and socio-economic groups seldom found in one congregation. Tapestry Church is a testimony to the dream of a suburban congregation, two committed pastors, lay believers from the established church, two inner-city missional ministers, and residents of the inner city of the Piedmont community. In 1992, the suburban North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene was pastored by Carl Leth, now senior pastor at Detroit First Church. The North Raleigh congregation had been providing seasonal ministries to the people of the downtown Walnut Terrace public housing community for a couple of years, but they wanted to do more--perhaps start a compassionate ministry and a church. Leth invited Kevin Modesto, who was preparing for urban ministry at Bresee Institute in Los Angeles, to join the church staff with responsibility for inner-city ministry. After a site visit, Modesto agreed he would accept the assignment if they could wait a year for him to wrap up his commitments at Bresee. The board agreed to wait. In the meantime, Kevin married a California girl, Becky Birdwell. They arrived in the North Carolina capital on October 1, 1993. It wasn't long before they were walking the streets of downtown Raleigh and praying. They noticed a large warehouse at the corner of Davie and East Street that they both thought might make a good place for a church. Interfacing with the community was a slow process. They made contacts through the Walnut Terrace Tenant Association, and they worked to establish a presence in the neighborhood. Women's Bible studies, children's Bible studies, a gospel choir, aerobics classes, basketball--the Modestos and others from North Raleigh Church did what they could to connect with the people of Walnut Terrace. Working with the young people of the neighborhood was an important part in giving life to the ministry that still didn't include a church. In 1996, Royce Hathcock, who was still at Bresee Institute, phoned Kevin and asked if he could use some help. It wasn't long before Royce, his wife Julie, and the two sons were residents of North Carolina. Royce had been youth pastor of the English-speaking congregation at Los Angeles First Church. Soon Royce and Kevin established a non-profit company called Neighbor to Neighbor, which provides a variety of ministries to people in the community but focuses on services for young people including a literacy program, a mentoring program, a holistic reading program, homework assistance, and a basketball league. But getting back to how the church came to be. In 1998, John Whitsett, who followed Carl Leth as senior pastor, told Kevin, "I believe if we are to gain new converts and new disciples here at North Raleigh, we have to be a church-planting church. What if we release some of our people to help you start a church?" Kevin said he thought it was a good idea if his congregation was going to be truly multicultural. So Whitsett invited Kevin and Royce to feel free to ask anyone from the North Raleigh congregation if they would consider being part of planting the urban church. "We prayed," says Kevin. "We wanted God to lead, and He did. Eight families came to us and told us God had given them a clear call to come here." Seven of the families were Anglo; one was African-American. It was 1999, and they still had no place to meet. Thus far, they had been meeting in community centers, homes, and the North Raleigh Church. Their thoughts returned to the building on Davie they had first notice when Becky and Kevin walked and prayed through the community. Becky phoned the number on the lease sign and talked to the owner. The boarded-up warehouse had been the site of a car repossession business. It was filled with old cars in various stages of disrepair, engines, and assorted other junk. The owner wanted $5,000 a month and a 50-year lease. Becky explained what they wanted the building for. The owner was intrigued. "Do you think you can really do this?" he asked. "How about this: I give you 10,000 square feet for free. But you have to clean out the building." Free sounded good to the folks at Tapestry Church, so they hauled tons of cars and parts out of the building. The first service was held April 18, 1999. They were officially organized as a church by District Superintendent Mark Barnes on the first Sunday of 2000. These days, more than 100 persons regularly attend on Sunday mornings. On a typical Sunday a year later, middle-class couples in SUVs and late-model cars park on the street. Young men from the community shoot basketballs at goals several feet from a hodgepodge of chairs that serve as seating for the congregation. Teen girls play foosball and shoot pool at nearby tables. Smaller children play on a sturdy wooden swing set in the fenced yard behind the warehouse. People enter with containers of food and drink, which will provide dinner for everyone after the service. A plastic tarp hangs over the seating area to catch any rain that might fall. Pastors Modesto and Hathcock wear shorts, as do many of those present on this balmy spring day. The service is supposed to begin at 11:30 but doesn't start until closer to 11:45. The song service is long and hearty. The warehouse begins to warm up. It is musty, but it has become a place of worship. Pastor Hathcock presents a children's sermon about putting on the whole armor of God. Later, Pastor Modesto preaches from John 15 about the Vine and the branches. There is a sense of friendship. The people tell you they believe God has called them to this church. Tapestry Church is unique. "Things appear a little crazy around here at times, but that's just how God works," says Kevin. "I can't help but think about 1 Corinthians 1:22 where Paul talks about God using the 'foolish things' of the world to shame the wise. Here we are, a foolish group of people in a beat-up, broken-down warehouse. But it's this crazy place that God continues to use in strange and different ways. "There aren't a lot of skills among the people, not much beauty, not much of anything except a faithfulness to follow Him. And it's really fun to see how God uses us foolish people to carry out His purpose." --by Mark Graham |