Turnaround Churches:
Sunday School and Children's Ministries Matter

Turnaround churches usually present a combination of challenges, each unique with their own ministry context. Declining attendance, sagging financial support and low morale may only be symptoms of greater concerns. When C.B. Glidden came to Fort Worth (TX) First Church of the Nazarene, he discovered a range of issues that negatively influenced the ministry impact of the church.

But “the tipping point” for this church’s turnaround occurred with the passing of 13 month old Reece Clark, who died unexpectedly from an allergic reaction to antibiotics he was given for an ear infection. The Clark family regularly attended worship services at Fort Worth First Church, and were known in the community. Greg Clark had become renowned for playing football at Texas Christian University. Parents Greg and Stacey Clark asked Pastor Glidden to conduct the memorial service for their little Reece. At the memorial service, there was standing room only. Many family and friends of Greg and Stacey Clark rallied with the First Church congregation in support of their family and friends in their time of loss.

But in the days that followed, the Lord used the passing of this little boy to touch the hearts of his grieving family and friends. The first impacted were the mother and sister of Greg Clark’s best friend. Francine, and her daughter Misty, were having a conversation later in that week after the memorial service. Francine remarked to Misty that she needed to go back to that Nazarene church that next Sunday. They both came to the service. And, both came to faith in Christ during the worship service. Then the mother invited her sister, Marie. Marie accepted Christ, and other family members followed their example. Faith’s ripple effect moved through their friends and family over the following weeks, and over 30 people came to faith in Christ.

One of the young ladies who came to faith was Heather. She attended the church as a teenager and grew in her new found faith. Although her parents were unhappy with her new Christian beliefs, Heather grew spiritually and found a spiritual home with her church family. Several years later, she married Pastor Kirk Plaxco. Now they pastor the Stephenville (TX) Church of the Nazarene. And the story of faith keeps unfolding. This last year, Heather’s parents began attending Fort Worth First Church, and have become believers. Pastor Glidden commented they have quickly become key ministry supporters in the congregation.

During these months of turnaround, the Sunday School ministries set up a memorial in tribute to little Reece Clark, to assist in renewing their efforts in ministry to the children and youth in the area. When Pastor C.B. came to Fort Worth in October of 1996, the average worship attendance had been around 50 people. The Training Depot Daycare was running around 80 in enrollment. The Academy, their Christian School enrolling from K to 5th graders, was running around 50 in attendance. But by the end of the first year, things began to change. The worship attendance had moved up to around 90, with total income for all purposes at $100,000. But the church’s monthly mortgage payment was $5,700, which was over 60% of the total income.

Looking back now, Pastor Glidden says, “The children’s ministry was key to our recovery as a church. The Training Depot Daycare began to rebound and grow again. Today there are over 270 in the Training Depot Daycare ministry, with a waiting list for each class.

“Now the Academy has expanded from kindergarten to high school, 9th to 12th grades. The Academy experienced significant progress as enrollment climbed to new levels. Today the Academy is running around 240, and will have its first graduation for 12th graders this coming year. Amazing progress has also been made with the academics at the Academy, with the high schoolers enrolling in a nearby community college to receive dual high school and college credit.”

When Pastor Glidden first came to Fort Worth First, people in the community didn’t understand that the Daycare and the Academy were a part of the ministries of the church. Now the identity of these children’s ministries with the Christian School have been a positive influence. And as only God can do, somehow the tragic loss of the Clark family in the community had raised a new awareness of Forth Worth First’s ministries to children and youth. Today the church has returned to a new health and vitality.

Early on the church made a strategic decision: “We targeted children and the Sunday School ministry. Our goal was to make all of the children’s ministries upbeat and positive. Our Children’s Pastor came from within our congregation,” Glidden says, “and she does an awesome job. She’s come up through the ministry here.”

Like most turnaround ministries, the money was a year or two behind the new people. Pastor Glidden emphasized “As we stressed the mission of our church around the world and throughout our community, our first Faith Promise Weekend became the reversal point in our church’s finances. Our goal for that first Faith Promise Weekend was $17,000 - and we surpassed it. That was an amazing experience for our congregation. That step of faith breathed new life into this ministry.”

About that time, the church also started the “Leather Bound Prayer Book.” On Wednesday evenings, half a dozen of our members would gather to record prayer concerns with the date requested in the church’s special prayer journal. They would pray and later write in the answers to prayer for later celebrations. “I remember especially back then that one request was for a piano player,” said Pastor Glidden. “We all began to pray, and within a few months we had three piano players attending the church. And gradually over time, the number of people involved in the prayer ministry continued to increase. Another memorable prayer request was for a long time member’s unbelieving husband. Soon our team celebrated his conversion. That happened over and over again, and impacted the way our church began to come to life.”

Today there’s a long list of prayer requests recorded in the “Leather Bound Prayer Book.” On each fifth Sunday, the evening service is dedicated to worship and praise, and sharing together in the celebrations from the church’s “Leather Bound Prayer Book.”

As for the future, Pastor Glidden is optimistic. He notes, “We have 20 acres and desire to be ministers for our people from the cradle to the grave. Maybe that means a new retirement center in the future. Who knows? The next plan for building involves a $4 million project for a multi-purpose building, with additional new classrooms for further extending the children’s ministries.”

Apparently the focus on children’s ministries and Sunday School continues to accelerate the church’s transformation. According to Pastor Glidden, “Now 60% of our new members have been families initially contacted through our Training Depot Daycare and Academy. The strategic step for us has been linking them through our Sunday School and children’s ministries. And the finances have reflected that progress too. Our total income for all purposes last year was $2.4 million.”