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Magazine One Heart, Many Hands: Pre-Conference Project One Heart, Many Hands sponsored service projects at several inner-city sites in the Kansas City area. These service projects intended to show Christ’s love in tangible ways to the local community, offering a “cup of cold water” in the name of our Lord. Kansas City District Superintendent, Jeren Rowell, recommended the “Troost Corridor” as the focus of the One Heart Many Hands service project. Along with several Nazarene compassionate ministry centers and churches, several other projects and places of ministry were considered. The completion of these meaningful projects directly impacted both youth and families in Kansas City.The M7 Conference Coordinator, David Felter, explained, “By design every event sponsored by our General Church is accompanied by a service project. Why? Because we believe that wherever we go, whatever venue is selected for meetings or conferences, we should leave the fingerprints of Jesus in that place. “Through One Heart Many Hands we tap the reservoirs of compassion within the heart of our church through volunteers’ service and ministry. These projects impact local areas in the name of Jesus, leaving His fingerprints in service and ministry.” The projects included multiple sites for the teams of volunteers:
Kansas City Rescue Mission
Kansas City Urban Youth Center
Kansas City Beacon Hill Church
Kansas City True Light Church
Blue Hills Family and Counseling Center New Website Resources The website network of the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism Department has undergone some major redesigns to help provide better access to more resources for local churches and districts. New Website Resourcesinformation to Nazarene clergy and laity across the United States and Canada, and even around the world,” reports UCME Director Tom Nees. “Our goal is to provide people serving on the front lines of ministry everything they need to help start and strengthen churches.” The site redesign provides a user experience that is easier to navigate and find needed material. The network of resources is part of a greater Nazarene headquarters initiative to provide the denomination with a corporate website that has a consistent look and feel for all users. The most visited websites for useful ministry resources to date are: Anyone seeking more information about the UCME website redesign and its progress can e-mail questions to Bryon McLaughlin, site coordinator, at bmclaughlin@nazarene.org. NewStart Assessment Centers One of the greatest challenges facing sponsoring congregations of new churches involves finding the best possible pastor candidate for the new church. Research continues to indicate that the most important question in launching a new church is “Who will the founding pastor be?” While a number of factors influence the selection of new church pastors, one of the most proven methodologies is the week-long assessment centers held across the USA and Canada by the NewStart ministries. These assessments provide an intensive week of reviews of potentialcandidates and spouses, as well as begin the training process for most new church leaders. On January 29–February 1, 2007, another group of participants attended the NewStart Assessment Center held in Kansas City. The Assessment Center was conducted at the Heartland Retreat Center, just a few miles from the Kansas City airport. The candidates and assessors were from several different states and multiple various Nazarene districts across the USA. The event coordinator, Pastor Wes Humble said, “As with every NewStart Assessment I have been privileged to be a part, the candidates were challenged and motivated to follow and pursue God’s will regarding starting new churches. It is incredibly encouraging to witness the passion of the people God is calling to start missional churches. Please pray that God will continue to call men and women to the work of new churches.” The NewStart Assessment Centers are conducted through-out various regions in the United States several times a year. For more detailed information about the next Assessment Center, contact the NewStart offices at Every Nazarene Deserves to Celebrate the Centennial on October 5, 2008 The Church of the Nazarene is a global family. Each Nazarene in 151 world areas deserves to attend the celebration of our approaching centennial. For this reason, on October 5, 2008, the Centennial Celebration will take place across 24 time zones in every local church. From the Hallelujah March around the Pilot Point tent in 1908 to more than 18,000 local churches today, the Church of the Nazarene has grown in remarkable ways. In fact, no single tent, sanctuary, or even coliseum could now hold the gathering of our entire church. Yet how thrilling it will be to sense the bonds of a growing Nazarene family in 2008 as we unite in cultural diversity around common worship content, each pastor knowing that more than 18,000 fellow pastors are standing before their congregations that day to proclaim the same message, scripture, and theme. The Centennial Sunday allows us to celebrate our Nazarene doctrine, core values, heritage, and mission. To assist pastors in proclaiming our message and mission that day, extensive Centennial Celebration resources are being developed for each local church. The Centennial Celebration local church kit will include a manual with complete resources for the Sunday morning worship service, providing for cultural adaptation, but allowing Nazarenes around the world to share a common framework of sermon, scriptures, music, media, and ceremonies. A wide array of additional resources will lead up to the Centennial Sunday. The resource kit includes:
The Centennial Celebration affords us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate holiness in a way that no Nazarene generation has been privileged to do. From the most spacious sanctuary to the open-air shade tree, in every language, in every culture, every Nazarene deserves to celebrate the Centennial. Into Faith … Out to the World: Resources and Training for Missional Ministry Missional leaders understand the value of training and networking for improving ministry influence. Most agree sharing a conference or other significant learning experience with a leadership team can provide enough momentum for completely turning around an entire ministry. The M7, the Mid-Quadrennial Conference on Mission and Evangelism, has been designed for the missional impact of church leaders. With no registration fees, entire teams of full and part-time staff and lay leadership are encouraged to experience together the event set for February 19-21, 2007 at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City, MO. The M7 Conference is built around the successful format of inspirational plenary sessions with significant speakers, and hundreds of practical workshops. M7 attracts church leaders, pastors, laypersons as well as college students interested in mission and service. Each of the five plenary sessions will feature a theme as well as be hosted by a General Superintendent. The praise and worship times will feature great music representative of the wonderful diversity of our church. David Hubbs, Olathe College Church music and worship director will be assisting Rev. Trotman. M7 will present over 240 workshop options illustrating a commitment to equip leaders for ministry in the ever-changing kaleidoscope of post-modern culture in the USA and Canada. Advance registration to the M7 Conference helps reserve your place in the limited seating of preferred workshops. Among the workshops being offered are the following topics: Starting and Sponsoring New Churches —The most effective form of evangelism is starting new churches. These workshops examine best practices and cutting-edge trends in extending the reach of congregations to new areas of ministry including A Boot Camp for New Church Leaders, Launching Multi-site Ministries, Starting Multi-Congregational Churches, Emergent New Church Ministries and a variety of Sponsorship Seminars for Mothering Congregations. Discipleship and Evangelism —These workshops address diverse issues and methods in evangelism and discipleship. These special workshops will include separate tracks designed for discipleship, evangelism, The Master Plan Track (G-12), Prayer Ministry Networks and several advanced topics including New Ideas and Free Resources for Evangelism in your church. Pastoring and Preaching —These workshops engage specific skills related to the duties of the clergy, covering everything from administration and staff issues to counseling, preaching, finance and continuing education, with a goal of helping each attendee to increase their ability to minister in whatever assignment they may hold. Compassion and Justice —Encompassing all aspects of compassionate ministry, including non-profit administration, disaster response, HIV/AIDS, and social transformation, as well as the responsible theology and practice of Biblical Justice, these workshops seek to connect people with the skills and resources necessary to impact their communities with the love of Christ. Youth and Post-Modern Culture —In additional to topics in youth ministry, these workshops offer an understanding and means of engagement for those living in and dealing with Emergent Church movements. The goal is to create dialogue between the denomination and the next generation of leaders. Children and Families —Building strong families both in and outside the church with a foundation of spiritual formation for our youngest members through discipleship, worship, evangelism and mission. Multi-Cultural Ministry —Information and training for extension across cultural barriers and among the racially and ethnically diverse populations of our communities. Workshops will focus on engaging and growing strong ethnic and multi-cultural churches. From Congregation to Community —Specific ideas for the expansion of individual ministries within the church designed to build community and engage the world. Topics include a variety of adult ministries, prayer, missions and more. Urban Ministry —Tools for systematic engagement of the world through the diverse populations and unique culture of our urban areas. Worship, Media and the Arts —From music, to drama, to video and computer technology, learn how to incorporate the latest resources into your worship experience and improve your skills in worship planning and integration. For more information and program information, please visit the M7 web site at www.M7conference.org. 10 Things You Need to Know about M7 1. Inspiring Plenary Sessions —The five general sessions are designed to inform and inspire those attending this M7 event. Don't miss one of these memorable services—and enjoy them later on the podcasts on the M7 website. 2. Over 240 Workshops —The coverage and range of the 240 workshops will connect with every church and leader in multiple ways. Many of these workshops provide free resources to take home and share with your church staff after the M7 event. 3. Exhibit Displays —The exhibit area is filled to capacity with potential resources and helps for your church. Be sure to make time to walk through the exhibits and collect all the samples of resources to take home and share with the rest of your ministry leaders. 4. Audio Podcasts —The conference team will be recording all the general sessions, and many of the workshops to make available after the event as podcasts on the conference website following the M7 event at www.M7Conference.org. 5. Visiting Area —A great area for fellowship and visiting is available in the middle of the exhibit hall. Stop by to meet friends and take a break. 6. Mega-Lunch Workshops —Several workshops will continue through the lunch hour. Just buy your box lunch and join the discussions in the workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday. 7. No Registration Fees —There is no registration fee, with many free samples of ministry resources available in the exhibit hall. Participants are only responsible for their hotel costs and meals. 8. Multi-Site Workshops —The Leadership Network Team for training in Multi-site Ministry will be presenting all day on Tuesday. Be sure to check the schedule for workshop topics, times and locations. 9. M7 Conference Website —After the event, podcasts, powerpoints and resources for evangelism and discipleship will be available at www.M7Conference.org. 10. FREE Book on Discipleship —The new book, Best Practices for Discipleship, is being released at the M7 Conference. A free copy is available for every Nazarene pastor or church representative at the Evangelism Ministries display in the Exhibit Hall. Additional copies are available as a training tool for only $5 per copy! A Word from the Board of General Superintendents Dear Friends: The passion that fueled the birth of the Church of the Nazarene nearly 100 years ago continues to thrive in the hearts and lives of our people. From one generation to another, and from one culture to another, the sparks of this flame have ignited great vision and ministry. The Board of General Superintendents and the USA Canada Mission Evangelism Department welcome you to Mission 2007 (M7). This conference will focus on the urgency of discipleship, the resources of our Lord, and the passionate availability of God’s people. Gathering in Kansas City, university students, church leaders, pastors, and lay people have met to embrace anew the call to make disciples of all nations. Together we will worship, learn, and pray with and for each other. For nearly 60 hours, we will engage both hearts and minds in a critically important conversation about the Church and its mission. My colleagues and I welcome you to Mission 2007. An Internet web site has been set up for your convenience at M7Conference.org. Please join us in praying that we will experience the blessing and presence of God at M7 in ways that will inspire us and equip us to boldly engage a changing world with the message of grace, hope, and transformation in Christ! Cordially, The New Church Movement: New Churches in Many Styles Fueled by a desire to reach people for Christ, a revolution is underway. Churches are growing beyond the limitations of a single service in one building. Expanding the traditional model, they are embracing the concept of one church with more than one site: Multiple congregations sharing a common vision, budget, leadership, and board. Drawing from examples of churches nationwide, this new book The Multi-Site Church Revolution shows what healthy multi-site churches look like and what motivates congregations to change. This book will assist your church to:
M7 Workshop Training Tracks You are also invited to attend one of these special tracks in evangelism ministries. The most effective form of evangelism is starting new churches. The M7 Conference will provide dozens of workshops and discussion opportunities for sponsoring a wide range of new churches. Each ministry context is unique and requires an approach for a new congregation that connects with the target audience. In addition to the Multi-site workshop track, M7 offers a number of other specialized training opportunities for new church ministries. The topics and presenters come from a variety of ministry settings and offer a wide range of approaches in starting strong healthy churches the right way. Launching Multi-site Ministries —This special training track for launching multiple worship venues from a sponsor church features speakers from Leadership Network. Don't miss these informative sessions on the multi-site site ministries like Getting Started, Leadership Development, Technology and Video for Multi-sites, Staffing Structures and Financing for Multi-site Ministry. Sponsoring New Churches —Each workshop in this track is taught by effective leaders with experience and insights for sponsoring healthy new churches. Titles include Sponsoring All Kinds of New Churches, Understanding the Target Group, and Stretching the Sponsorship Support. New Church Leadership —The most effective form of evangelism is starting new churches. This practical workshop track leads new church leaders through the basics in starting strong new churches the right way. Each workshop is taught by effective NewStart pastors with experience and insights to assist other new churches. Topics include Finding the Best New Church Leaders, Building an Effective Ministry Action Plan, Recruiting a Healthy Launch Team, Making the Money Work, Avoiding New Church Landmines and Planning for Evangelism and Outreach. Starting Multicultural New Churches —These workshop tracks examine best practices and cutting-edge trends in extending the reach of congregations to new areas of ministry. Topics include Starting Multi-Congregational Churches, A Panel Discussion with our Five Multicultural Leaders, Starting Urban New Churches and Reaching the Next Generation. Discipleship and Evangelism —These workshops address diverse issues and methods in evangelism and discipleship. These special workshops will include separate tracks designed for Discipleship Ministries, Best Practices in Evangelism, Spiritual Formation Strategies and several advanced topics including New Ideas and Effective Resources for Evangelism in your Church. Prayer Ministry Networks —A growing trend in prayer networks has many churches discovering new resources and approaches for enlisting prayer support. Hear from leaders in this new movement across the USA and Canada on topics including 24 Hour Prayer Events, Week Long Prayer Planning, Linking Churches in District Prayer Networks, Setting up Your 24/7 Prayer Room and City Wide Prayer Events and How Prayer Evangelism Really Works. The Master's Plan of Evangelism —This new strategy for evangelism and discipleship comes straight from the largest Nazarene congregation in the world in Cali, Columbia. See how church leaders are adapting and implementing this evangelism plan here in the USA. Topics include Seeing the Big Picture, How Master's Plan Has Impacted Our Church, Why We Are Encouraging This Strategy, Retro Fitting for the USA and Canada and The Cali Phenomena. About the Multi-Site Authors and Presenters... North Coast Church North Coast Church has utilized a Multi-Site strategy to expand geographically and demographically without fragmenting resources or relationships. Under the direction of Larry Osborne, North Coast was one of the pioneers of the Multi-Site and Video-Worship Venue concepts. For North Coast, what started as a creative overflow room has now blossomed into 23 worship options each weekend on seven ministry campuses. Seacoast Church Seacoast Church has seen a 100% increase in attendance in the last three years since adopting a Multi-Site approach to church. Pushed to rethink buildings because of lack of space, Seacoast now has nine campuses offering 19 worship experiences, with almost 7,000 attendees every weekend. With two more campuses being launched in 2006, Seacoast has an economical model for rapid campus start-up. Check out the Seacoast Church Web site for more information on this dynamic church. Leadership Network Greg Ligon has spent the last four years pioneering and building a network of more than fifty multi-site churches on behalf of Leadership Network. These networks are known as leadership communities and involve each church making a two-year commitment to share with its peers what it learns. Greg's role involves ongoing dialogue with each church to track its progress and needs, as well as making numerous visits to multi-site congregations. 24/7 Prayer Movement by John Pickens Across the USA and around the world, a prayer movement continues to grow in unprecedented ways. From 24 hour prayer vigils to seven-day-a-week prayer campaigns, churches are connecting prayer ministries for community wide influence. The following first person report comes from John Pickens, staff member at Olathe Westside Church of the Nazarene. John shares how his father Charles Pickens, who is lead pastor at Olathe Westside, became a part of this new 24/7 prayer movement and how it has impacted their own congregation. My father, Pastor Charles Pickens, first heard about this new 24/7 prayer movement from a youth pastor named Peter Greig from London, England. Pastor Greig shared about the prayer movement in a monthly city-wide prayer gathering for Kansas City ministers in early 2005. He shared that while he was on a camping trip, following his graduation from college, the Lord showed him that thousands of young people would begin to pray all around the globe. And, his job was to encourage his youth group to begin praying. He answered the Lord and started the 24/7 prayer movement. This movement is world-wide and is moving among young people especially. This year the 24/7 prayer movement will be at over 50 different colleges and universities, and has grown into an international movement impacting the entire Christian world. Following the City Wide Prayer Gathering in Kansas City, an Olathe medical doctor and his pastor friend decided to invite pastors from Olathe to a dinner meeting at an area restaurant. Approximately 30 people showed up representing 15 different churches. Peter Greig shared briefly what the power of God is doing in various places around the globe and then sat down. In a matter of a few moments, without any prompting from anyone, pastors began to stand and volunteer their churches to pray for 30 days. Within 15 minutes, a whole year of prayer was pledged—asking God to bless our city and to draw people to Himself. Our church at Olathe Westside volunteered to pray during the month of November, 2005. We were one link in a chain of many churches that wanted to saturate the Kansas City area in continuous prayer for the entire year. Our month of prayer began November 1, 2005 and went through November 30. At the conclusion of our month of prayer, we had the privilege of handing off the candle to the Olathe Covenant Church, the next church in the Kansas City area participating in this movement. As we began this special month of prayer we didn’t know what room to have it in. After much discussion and thought we ended up using our Sanctuary and it was amazing. We also were struggling with the idea of how to get multiple age groups involved. As we thought about it, we realized that we wanted to define prayer as “simply waiting in the presence of God.” This allowed us to make our prayer room interactive and enabled many different age groups to join in. We had adults, college kids, teens, and even children. Some families came as a group and prayed for an entire hour. It was very encouraging to see parents bringing their children and teaching them what it means to pray. Also, entire Bible study and accountability groups came and prayed together. It was truly an extraordinary month. The last major concern for us was getting all those time slots filled, especially on Thanksgiving Day! I was very concerned that we wouldn’t have enough people to pray, but before the first week even began all the time slots were filled. Some people even grumbled that they didn’t get to sign up! All in all I think we had over 1/3 of our church involved in the month of prayer. Pastor Pickens gave the vision and initial insight to get us going for this month of prayer. All the office staff, Dianne Pittman, Chrissy Ellison, and myself, worked on the organizational aspect of getting sign-ups. Our youth pastor, Kelley Lovelace, and myself put together the experiential prayer stations which we had seen modeled by a visiting youth pastor during our back-to-school retreat earlier in the year. And our college age leader, Dan Smith, had the privilege of passing on the candle to the next church. To be honest we didn’t have a problem getting our people to participate in this month of prayer. Like I stated earlier, I think about a third of our congregation participated in the month of prayer. It was astounding! We had people praying at all hours of the day. Some would come to the church, while others would wake up and pray at home, and still others would pray over their lunch hour at work. I thought that the night hours would be some of the most difficult to fill, however some of the college students signed up for the whole month in the early hours of the morning— at two and three in the morning. The greatest challenge getting the month of prayer going was my initial inability to think outside of the box. We had to find a room for these people to pray, but each room in our church was being used for something during the week. We wanted a dedicated prayer room, but it simply wasn’t going to happen. (Currently we do not have a 24/7 prayer room running in our church, but we are hoping to dedicate a room solely to this purpose in our upcoming building plans.) So what did we do? We made our sanctuary into a prayer room. And it was the best possible room for us. During our regularly scheduled services, we opened some of the offices up so that those scheduled to pray could do so. We learned several lessons from others in planning our first prayer event, that we’re happy to share with others: 1. Define prayer simply, as being in the presence of God. 2. Create several prayer stations. (we had eight) that are interactive places where people can worship and pray in their own way. Our experience was that several persons planned ahead and played music to the Lord for an hour; others sang for their hour; one retired man read the same promise every morning at 5 am as he interceded for his daughter; a few artists used modeling clay to express their prayer; others drew pictures on the wall; some wrote in prayer journals and posted them for others to share; while others wrote down their burdens and nailed them to the cross, and others released a rock symbolizing their burden into a bucket of water, while others read the Scriptures. 3. Promote the event in unique ways. We were able to tape footprints to the floor that lead people to the prayer room. We wanted to be intentional about our goal for the month of November. Remember that it only takes 24 people to pray a month if every one will take an hour a day. 4. Adapt the concepts to your own local church. Ask people to come to the church to pray, if they can. Some of our prayer team couldn’t make it to the church, and that was okay. 5. Think outside of the box with your “prayer room.” Remember the goal is communion with God. We try to encourage our people to not get bogged down by problems or try to make your time of prayer something that it isn’t. God is after our hearts.
Kneels on Wheels: Prayer Initiative in Central Florida by Larry Dennis “For months, God had been tugging at my heart to put into place a district-wide prayer initiative,” says Central Florida District Superintendent Larry Dennis. “The prayer initiative would function for a complete year: 365 days, 24 hours a day, seven days a week of unbroken prayer. From this God-given vision the Mobile Prayer Chapel was born.” When Dennis shared his idea with a group of Central Florida pastors, the concept of a year of unbroken prayer grew from a customized motor home, into a chapel on wheels. The Mobile Prayer Chapel could visit each church on the district three times during the prayer initiative. “In a matter of minutes, my fellow pastors caught the vision. As steel sharpens steel, that anointed team of pastors formulated a plan that I had been wrestling with for months,” reported District Superintendent Dennis. District Sunday School ministries donated the funds for the pre-owned motor home. A district construction team transformed the 36 foot Winnebago into a worshipful and welcoming prayer chapel. The exterior vinyl wrap clearly communicates the mission of the chapel to the churches and communities it visits. A transportation team organizes the volunteer drivers and arranges the schedule for over 80 churches across the district. Each church is responsible to promote the prayer chapel’s visit, enlisting volunteers to pray for thirty-minute time slots. Depending on the size of the church, the chapel visit will last from 24 to 48 hours. The prayer chapel features five stations, where participants are guided by printed instructions through periods of praise and thanksgiving, and then encouraged to intercede for personal, local, district and global prayer needs. A “Stand in the Gap” prayer team covers periods when the prayer chapel is unscheduled or unavailable due to maintenance. “The rewards of the prayer effort are significantly exceeding our expectations,” says Rev. Dennis. Emails from host churches reporting prayer victories regularly arrive at the District Resource Center. The Mobile Prayer Chapel (MPC) recently visited the Tampa First Hispanic church, where participants had signed up to pray in one-hour segments during the 48 hour visit. When the driver arrived at the church to move the MPC to the next location, there was a long line of people waiting for their turn. Those waiting refused to allow him to move the unit until they had taken their turn to pray. The driver, excited about the congregation’s determination, reported that it was his first experience with a prayer riot! Pastors are asking for return visits due to the unifying effect of their church’s involvement in the prayer thrust. “And best of all, there is an obvious fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing across Central Florida,” Dennis concludes. “As the Psalmist said, ‘the Lord has heard our cry and is answering us.’” Insights: Intentional Inclusion Most churches have new attendees fairly often. On average, 1 or 2 percent of church attendance each week is made up of people new to that congregation. This should translate to a new family or two each month for a church that runs 100 in worship. For a typical church (running 30 to 40 in worship), it may be more like one new family every six weeks. But more important for effective ministry is whether the guests return. What attracts new people to your congregation? Why would people want to come back? What are you offering that will help them develop as Christians? And how easily can the guests discover what you are doing? A useful exercise is determining what your church offers to a guest. Do you concentrate on sound biblical teaching, or is more emphasis on practical living? Is there ample opportunity for fellowship, or are people encouraged to minister outside the church? Can people become involved in compassionate ministry efforts locally, or do you mostly link to denominational efforts? Does “mutual support” come in the form of accountability groups, or do you focus on God’s grace to the individual? When you know what your church provides, how do you get the word out to new people? Written materials are often available at greeters’ desks. Do they mention your church’s strongest ministries? Are there clear details on how to become involved? Do announcements (oral or media) include an emphasis on what the church offers? Are there follow-up contacts through personal visits, calls, or letters to allow for more explanation as well? Not all churches offer the same opportunities. Guests cannot know what your church provides unless you deliberately tell them. Many churches are willing to expand their ministries based on new interests and energies, but even that needs to be communicated to those who have just come for the first or second time. Accidental Exclusion Listen to the informal conversations around the foyer, in the hallways, between Sunday School and church, or after the service. A new person is likely to get a quick picture of the church’s vocations, politics, and educational level before the service has even begun. Does your congregation talk about certain jobs as “dead-end”? Or do people joke that any successful businessperson must be unethical? Obviously, guests overhearing either of those themes will decide whether they’ll be welcome in this group or made fun of. When politics are discussed, is one position assumed to be the only one “we” would think of supporting? While a person’s Christianity certainly ought to affect political choices, Bible-believing Christians take different stands on many issues. Guests will quickly recognize whether they would be comfortable expressing their own views. Language is a quick indicator of educational level. Do conversations follow the rules we were taught in school? If not, is it because they are casual (and then she’s like, I so wanted that) or truncated (it’s happenin’ too quick) or mismatched (they run off without a word)? Thanks to mass communications, we can usually understand many styles of language. But each style reveals something about the group our guests are being asked to join. Rather than fight the outward signs of its own culture, a church needs to deliberately welcome those with other perspectives. Part of Christian politics ought to involve courtesy to differing viewpoints. If others speak with a different accent, or use words differently than we do, we should do our best to listen and understand. As a church opens itself to more cultural expressions, it will be easier for guests to be comfortable in our congregation. Even a small congregation can be open to both Shakespeare readers and football viewers. Most likely, some of the people in the congregation already are both. Permission to express a wider range of interests will make it easier to retain the guests who are already coming by. Of course, the primary mission of the church is neither to regulate speech patterns nor to broaden our cultural experiences. But if we are serious about making disciples, we will work at being attractive to as many new people as possible. And that includes being sensitive to their cultural outlooks while we work together to become more like Jesus. —prepared by Dale E. Jones, Ken Crow, and Rich Houseal New Statement of Mission: Interview with Dr. Nina G. Gunter Dr. Nina G. Gunter was elected to the office of general superintendent at the 26th General Assembly in Indianapolis in June, 2005. At the time of her election, she was serving as general director of Nazarene Missions International. During her tenure, she initiated several new missions programs that dramatically increased the annual giving to missions from approximately $30 million to $62 million. This past year, Dr. Gunter received the Maggie Sloan Crawford Award from Olivet Nazarene University. Olivet President John C. Bowling presented the award during the university’s chapel service, noting her preaching ministry, leadership, and service to the Church of the Nazarene. Dr. Gunter also serves as the Jurisdictional General Superintendent for the USA/Canada/Mission Evangelism Department. In her interview for GROW Magazine, she shared details about the recent release of the denomination’s new “Statement of Mission.” GROW: What is this new “Statement of Mission” for the Church of the Nazarene? Dr. Gunter: The mission is “To make Christ-like disciples in the nations.” GROW: What does this new “Statement of Mission” mean? Dr. Gunter: The statement of mission makes clear the preeminence of Jesus Christ. It says that Christ-likeness is THE ESSENCE of holiness. While our primary motive is to glorify God, we are also called to participate in His mission—reconciling the world to Himself. God is establishing His Kingdom working through the Church of the Nazarene and others to achieve this end. The mission of Jesus was to make disciples. It is our mission as well. The disciple-making journey is salvation, sanctification and discipleship. The church is to equip and teach all who respond in faith. Disciples are sent people, into work places, homes, neighborhoods, other cities and countries. There is a lot of meaning in the seven words of the statement. GROW: Why is this new statement so important now for our church family? Dr. Gunter: As we approach our Centennial it is time to recapture the original spirit of the Church of the Nazarene. Every church that exists for a long period seems to face the problem of what someone referred to as “mission creep.” What starts out as a simple but powerful idea soon gives way to more and more things. If you aren’t careful the original mission disappears. You have to be intentional about finding the center and remaining there. The USA/Canada churches are down to a third or less of their members with long-time Nazarene connections and understandings. Couple this with the growth among larger congregations and the large number of new congregations around the world. This gives us a very good opportunity, if handled properly, to identify and clarify the essence of the Church of the Nazarene for a new generation. GROW: How did this “Statement of Mission” develop? Dr. Gunter: With some of the biggest changes in 60 years facing the church, our Board believed it was time to update the language used to define its mission. The most recent statement of mission consists of three paragraphs and 103 words. It was written nearly 30 years ago and builds upon historical understandings. There has been little reference to this statement although a portion can be found in the MANUAL Introduction. We know there are scores of mission statements created by Nazarene churches, districts, regions and educational institutions. This has been a helpful process for many. Our Board believes, however, there is still a need for an over-arching statement of mission for the Church of the Nazarene. Something succinct and translatable. A reminder of what we believe, what we stand for, what we are all about. After 10 years of review a decision was made in our Board’s December 2006 meeting to try to capture what is now taking place in the church—a renewed desire to lift up Christ and be more like the Savior. This is especially so among our youth and young adults. The decision comes down to three things:
GROW: Is this just another program or evangelism emphasis? Dr. Gunter: The mission of the church is not a program or emphasis but a way of life. It is part of the “everydayness” of our lives. Programs don’t make disciples. Disciples make disciples. This statement also reminds us that evangelism needs to be holistic. It is not evangelism or discipleship. It is evangelism and discipleship. The holy life is the place from which people hear, understand and obey the teaching of Jesus. The fullness of the Spirit and prayer are necessary for being Christ-like and obeying all that He commands. GROW: Are there ways for the local church to adapt this “Statement of Mission?” Dr. Gunter: Any congregation in any part of the world can use this statement of mission. It does represent the official mission of the denomination. The Board of General Superintendents is providing this statement on a bookmark and poster, along with graphics, to all our churches. How and where the statement is used is a local decision. This statement is meant to be complementary and compatible with what has been developed in local congregations. It will be especially helpful to those who have not yet thought through this process. We encourage use of the statement within the communication of a church. This includes printed and electronic media, especially websites. The statement of mission is also a teaching tool and linked with our Core Values of Christian, Holiness and Missional. It will be possible to use these seven words to explain the beliefs and mission of the Church of the Nazarene. Sunday School Ministries will have the lead responsibility for this effort. Our statement of mission as now worded is common ground for our 18,600 congregations and 1.6 million members in 151 world areas. Just a note of caution. You can have a statement and materials and never fulfill the mission. Ideas only work when they are embodied by someone. We are blessed to have some of the most dedicated disciples of any church. It is our goal to build on this strength. GROW: Where can we find more information or training materials for our leaders and members about this “Statement of Mission?” Dr. Gunter: The upcoming M7 Conference will have over 200 workshops dealing with the various aspects of evangelism and discipleship, in a variety of approaches for different ministry contexts. The USA/Canada/ Mission Evangelism Department and other departments at our International Headquarters continue to provide a wide range of resources and training materials for this purpose. In the coming months, additional resources will be available for pastors to use in local churches. This emphasis for discipleship, evangelism, training in membership classes and leadership development will also be the focus on resources from our own Nazarene Publishing House. Additionally, downloadable free materials will be available through a number of websites. Breaking the 50 Barrier: Sayre, Oklahoma Accepting a pastoral assignment in rural Oklahoma includes multiple challenges. When Tim and Margaret Zeman became the interim pastors of Sayre (OK) Church of the Nazarene in January 2004, the church had fallen on hard times. The official records showed an annual average of 44 in morning worship the previous year. But by the time Pastor Tim had arrived, only 18 were meeting for worship on Sunday mornings. Resources were limited, crowds were small, and morale was running low. Their situation was not unlike many of the smaller congregations across the USA and Canada. These smaller congregations are many times led by a bi-vocational pastor, with limited resources and a few devoted members, in a smaller rural community. Research also shows that congregations this size are more average, rather than unusual. But Pastor Tim saw some promise in his assignment. As he was officially installed as pastor in April of 2005, he said, “The vision for our church is to become a church that people will say ‘That’s where Jesus is.’ And, we want to be a church where people know that we are here for them, to love them, care for them and support them like Jesus would.” This new leadership vision has begun to nurture some encouraging changes in their church. Now the church is averaging 60 in their Sunday morning worship, and reaching a whole different group in the evening contemporary service, which averages around 45 each week. One of the things Pastor Tim noted as a major strength of their church was their desire to seek after God’s plan. “We are a church that seeks after God and His will for our church. We are just now starting to express our love to our community. I hear visitors say when they come ‘I really feel welcome and at home here.’” They began to take some of the key steps to move them through the 50 barrier and beyond. Here are just a few of the important choices this congregation and pastor made: • Focusing on needs outside their church. Recently when one of the leading churches on their district was vandalized, Pastor Tim offered for the Sayre congregation to pay the deductibles for their insurance claim. Pastor Zeman explained, “This church and pastor have been a great help to us, and we wanted to express our appreciation. This pastor is always there to listen and help me work things out. As young pastors, we want to do so much. We need another experienced pastor to help put a game plan together.” The phone call expressed a new awareness and attitude of the Sayre congregation. Now they are a blessing to others as they have been blessed. • Focusing on reaching new people. • A new priority for discipleship. For more information about the resources described in Bill Sullivan’s new book entitled, New Perspectives in Breaking the 200 Barrier, note the feature on page 36 and their special website with free resources and discussion guides. Breaking the 200 Barrier When Pastor Mark Hollingsworth came to Edmond (OK) First Church of the Nazarene, his assignment included multiple challenges. Today the situation is very different, primarily due to some important choices the church made about five years ago. For three years in a row, their worship attendance had averaged between 190 and 195, and the church leadership realized they were stuck at the 200 barrier. Pastor Hollingsworth and the church’s leadership began to study and discuss Bill Sullivan’s earlier book Ten Steps for Breaking the 200 Barrier. The book has since been revised and now released with the new title New Perspectives in Breaking the 200 Barrier. Sullivan writes that of all the growth barriers, “the 200 barrier is the ‘Grand daddy of them all.’ It is the best known barrier and has received by far the most attention during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Nine out of ten churches average less than 350 per week in attendance. The reasons are primarily: (1) people enjoy being with people they know and are comfortable with and, (2) it becomes increasingly difficult to manage a congregation as it increases in size. In order for a congregation to break the 200 barrier the people must accept, and participate in, a fundamental change in the nature of the congregation. They must permit and support the change from a fellowship to an organization. Of course, this is a simplification of the task but it identifies the primary challenge. “Most strategies for making this change have focused on leadership—which is a very important factor,” Sullivan writes. “However, 20 years of experience have taught us the intractable resistance of congregations to the fundamental change necessary to break the 200 barrier.” Among some of those strategic decisions to implement, the Edmond congregation and pastor gave special priority to these four choices: 1. Chart a new course for the future. “This became my vision: to help folks fall back in love with God and each other.” 2. Make the building adequate. Pastor Hollingsworth went on to say, “Going into the building program was a wonderful process. It helped us identify who we are. There was some discussion that perhaps relocation was a better solution than putting money towards renovating and expanding an aging facility. The more we talked about relocation the more we came to terms with our identity. We knew that if we changed locations, we probably would change the name of the church, as well as, the direction of the church. Our church leaders came to the realization that we’re an old First Church, and there’s nothing wrong with that. “The experts say that if you’re eighty percent full, you’re full. Our sanctuary’s seating capacity at that time was 240. Eighty percent of 240 is 192. So, to get unstuck, we initiated “Forward in Faith”—a capital stewardship campaign to begin raising money to expand our facilities. The campaign enabled us to raise $842,000 and add 12,000 additional square feet that would increase our sanctuary seating capacity to 440.” 3. Raise up new leaders. 4. Get an outward focus. “Now, we see our future potential in starting another congregation in our city—a new church that can carry the holiness message in a new way to a new generation. We hope to accomplish this by our church’s 100th birthday in 2010.” We asked Pastor Mark if there were any final details he wanted to include in his story about Edmond First. Here’s what he said, “I hope our story encourages the pastor and people of churches similar to ours, that just because your church is aging doesn’t mean you can’t be productive and bear fruit. If Abraham and Sarah can have a baby in their old age, why can’t an old First Church birth new churches and be a part of investing in the lives of young ministers who need mentoring. We believe we still have something to offer, even in a day and age of cutting edge mega churches. “Also, I hope our story encourages pastors to settle in and stay a little longer in their assignments. Admittedly, I am a plotter, but I never would have been able to lead our church—given our history and condition, to break the 200 barrier if I had left at the average tenure for a Nazarene pastor.” Breaking Growth Barriers: New Perspectives in Breaking the 200 Barrier “One-third to one-half of all churches average fewer than 50 in worship attendance. It appears that the 50 barrier is the first and only statistical growth restriction that many churches encounter,” writes Bill Sullivan in New Perspectives in Breaking the 200 Barrier. A study released by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies confirms Sullivan’s assertion. As the graph on the following page illustrates, the percentage of churches of a particular size is essentially the same for most, if not all Protestant denominations. While many varied growth barriers may exist, the new website for this resource focuses on three major growth restrictions: The 50 Barrier, The 200 Barrier and The Complexity Barrier. The 50 Barrier is the only barrier that can be statistically verified. It is very obvious from one glance at the graph comparison of church worship attendance sizes by denomination. 20 to 40 percent of all churches average less than 50 in worship attendance, depending on the denomination. There is a steep knee in the graph at the 25-50 size category. From that point on the graph falls rapidly to the 200-225 size category, which represents between 1 to 3 percent of all churches, again depending on the denomination. From that point on the graph declines slowly to less than one-percent for each of the remaining size categories for all denominations. The 200 Barrier is the “Grand daddy of them all.” It is the best known barrier and has received by far the most attention during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Nine out of ten churches average less than 350 per week in attendance. Two reasons seem to be primary: first, people enjoy being with people they know and are comfortable with and, second it becomes increasingly difficult to manage a congregation as it increases in size. In order for a congregation to break the 200 barrier the people must accept, and participate in, a fundamental change in the nature of the congregation. They must permit and support the change from a fellowship to an organization. Of course, this is a simplification of the task but it identifies the primary task. The Complexity Barrier is a new barrier. There is really no research data to support the existence of this barrier. It is a theory based on the fact that as size categories increase, the number of churches in each category decreases. Complexity theory is well established in scientific circles and other disciplines. There appears to be little, if any, literature on complexity as applied to the church. This site develops several concepts about the church growth complexity barrier. Most strategies for making this change have only focused on leadership—which is a very important factor. However, 20 years of experience have taught us the intractable resistance of congregations to the fundamental change necessary to break the 200 barrier. Only the most gifted leaders have been able to lead their churches in this change. Most pastors who have tried to lead their churches in breaking the barrier have not been successful, without including the lay leadership through the process. One innovation in the barrier breaking strategy focuses on the congregation. Choice points are identified and tactics for dealing with those determining choices are given. The book New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier explains the principles and concepts and offers strategic outlines. The GROW Link Box at the end of this article provides links to the publisher where this book may be purchased on-line at http://www.growthbarriers.org/200Barrier/Default.aspx. Also, other links are provided that offer demographics, research, a bulletin board, links to other resources and inspirational messages from pastors of growing churches. As this site develops, additional research projects and up-to-date methods will be developed for breaking the most formidable growth barrier any congregation ever faces—the 200 Barrier! An Emerging Conversation by Keith Schwanz Church planters, pastors, students, chaplains, youth workers, campus pastors, professors, denominational leaders. They came from Oregon, Massachusetts, and ten states in between. Some had just stepped into their 20’s; others were within arm’s length of 60. Small ministries and mega churches. Rural, suburban, and urban. Established and new starts. Traditional and cutting edge. Cautious and convinced. Newly intrigued and fully engaged. Fifty-eight conferees and ten presenters gathered at Nazarene Theological Seminary on October 24-26, 2006, to discuss being Missional Leaders in an Emerging Culture. This missional approach is critical given the cultural changes around us. Experienced pastors recognize that historically reliable programs no longer engage many people. Newly placed pastors struggle to minister in a church culture which feels out-of-sync with their own postmodern identity. Jay Akkerman, Professor of Pastoral Theology at Northwest Nazarene University, stated, “I am convinced that postmodernism is not merely a generational hiccup, but a cultural shift with long-term global and spiritual implications.” Some have used the term “emerging church” in reference to the missional response to a postmodern culture. Stefanie Hendrickson, a co-pastor in Missouri, was skeptical when she first heard reference to the emerging church. “What was this all about? Is it just some reinvented program? I’m happy to know that the emerging church is seeking to live wholeheartedly for God—which sounds like the doctrine of holiness to me.” Jesse Middendorf, General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, pointed out that the “emerging church is not a movement, but movements (plural) at a variety of levels and in a variety of contexts. We need to be careful to not say that there is the church and there is the emerging church. We are all the church.” The emerging church, then, is a broad term which describes the diversity of those who are exploring what it means to be Jesus followers in our current, postmodern culture. Tim Keel, pastor of the Jacob’s Well Church in Kansas City, opened the conference with a far-ranging discussion of the current cultural shift and ways the postmodern church is seeking to live out the Gospel. Tim spoke of a trialogue (three conversants), the interactions between our understanding of God, culture, and the church. Christians need to continually engage in theological inquiry by asking questions such as “Who is God?” and “What is the Gospel?” At the same time, questions such as “What is the world in which we live?” bring understanding of the cultural context. The structures and systems of the church emerge when an understanding of God engages an understanding of culture. Just as our understanding of God and culture is dynamic, Keel proposed, so should be the forms taken by various congregations. Several theological issues came up repeatedly at the conference. Various people referred to missio dei, the mission of God. Missional leaders seek to discern where God is at work, then get involved. For Wesleyans this naturally brings to mind prevenient grace. Since God has graciously made a way by which all persons may come alive spiritually through Jesus, so the church must be grace-full in its life as a community. If, as Tim Keel proposed, effective church structure emerges organically from the engagement from our understandings of God and culture, then we should not be surprised when imposed structure frustrates a missional leader. Jon Middendorf, Associate Pastor at the Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene, stated that at times it seems like “the church has borrowed from the language of consumerism to define success for its pastors and churches. We have to find other ways to measure success.” The stress some are experiencing with the postmodern church is similar to the response to spiritual awakenings in other eras. Hal Knight, Professor of Wesleyan Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology, stated that “the emerging church is diverse and decentralized, averse to static structures and fixed ideas.” He went on to remind us that “religious awakenings in the past were also highly diverse, decentralized, innovative, and altogether messy affairs.” Can anything redemptive emerge out of the messiness? Looking back at previous awakenings indicates there is, so we have reason to be hopeful today, even with the stress of change. Sean Heston told the conferees about his current ministry. He is the founding pastor of University Church, a postmodern ministry at the University of Kansas. The district superintendent asked Sean to also become the pastor of Faith Church of the Nazarene, a small, traditional congregation in Lawrence, Kansas. “From the outset,” Sean said, “both churches agreed that we should neither force the congregations together, nor should we hold them apart. We agreed that an organic model of growth was better than a static or systematic approach. This organic approach has allowed for the natural growth of key relationships and partnerships between the communities.” Hal Knight’s assessment of emerging churches is that they are as “traditional as they are postmodern... Emerging churches exult in traditional spiritual practices and imagery, but seamlessly interweave it with contemporary language, art, and technology.” Hal pointed out that “this simultaneous respect for tradition and attention to context marked the ministry of John Wesley.” Knight identified seven similarities between the emerging church and the ministry of John Wesley: the understanding of discipleship as following in the way of Jesus, acknowledging the missional nature of the church, the conviction that following Jesus means being radically incarnational, understanding the church as a community of Jesus followers, a strong reliance on narrative in proclamation and teaching, the translation of ancient spiritual practices into new forms and borrowing worship innovations from other traditions, and the similarity between “generous orthodoxy” (coined by Hans Frei and used recently by Brian McLaren) and Wesley’s use of the phrase “catholic spirit.” Knight closed his presentation by mentioning one area in which emerging churches might learn from Wesley. “John Wesley would urge emerging churches not to forget the centrality of the transformed heart. There is a passion for God, our neighbor, and creation itself that can only come from a heart touched by God’s love, from a life given by God’s Spirit.” Several people joined the conference on Thursday morning for the conversation between Jesse Middendorf and his son, Jon. Dave Curtiss, USA/Canada NYI Coordinator, facilitated the dialogue. The words “I agree” were heard repeatedly in the Middendorf dialogue, but some issues of disagreement were also explored. The notable character of the conversation, however, was not what was said, but the unwavering commitment to the relationship. The Middendorfs’ interview personified permission to talk about important issues such as ministry in a postmodern context. This encouraged many people. We celebrated the Eucharist in the final session. Then the conferees returned to their small ministries and mega churches, rural, suburban, and urban settings. Some went home to reassess how their congregations might more effectively embody the Gospel. Others left with a renewed personal resolve to live out the Christian faith. A few felt relief that they had met others who experienced the same tensions they were feeling and had found a way to work through the issues. All desired that the conversation continue. Partnership in Mission Just ask Sean Heston about the emerging college ministry in Lawrence, Kansas to discover his passion for missional discipleship. The University Church of the Nazarene was a mission initiated in the fall of 2003 to impact the campus of the University of Kansas. His vision for this new ministry is clear: “I see an authentic conscientious community that embodies Christ—a community actively living as Jesus radicals in Lawrence and at the University of Kansas; a community that grows organically to meet the needs of the entire community—both sacred and profane; a community that takes seriously the call to holy living—especially including hospitality, contemplation, compassion and justice.” Since that time, Pastor Sean has also accepted a dual pastoral assignment at Faith Church of the Nazarene, also in the city of Lawrence. In his interview with GROW, Pastor Sean described this unusual pairing of two separate ministries. “They are unlikely missional partners. They are certainly independent of one another. However, when they move together in rhythm, it is powerful, grace-filled and beautiful. Faith Church of the Nazarene and University Church of the Nazarene are unlikely partners for the Kingdom. One is a small, some would have said struggling, traditional Nazarene church; the other one is postmodern, some would say difficult to understand, with non-traditional ministries. Yet through the creative work of the Kingdom both organizations have found ways to support one another, and, more importantly, communicate the gospel to the lost and broken people of Lawrence, Kansas and the University of Kansas. Each church has distinct gifts and resources: Faith Church has wisdom, patience, and tradition. University Church has passion, creativity, and focus.” The University Church mirrors a move across the USA and Canada of smaller ministries sponsoring new works in strategic partnerships with other congregations. For many smaller churches this new alliance permits sharing resources in staff, property, funding and volunteers. What few of these congregations could sponsor on their own now becomes a reality in new alignments of available ministry assets. But it is not a simple or easy process. “There are a few challenges,” Pastor Sean explained. “Personally, balance becomes an issue. Being available to two such divergent communities is demanding. Added to those roles, is being a husband, dad and friend; valuing these relationships can make for difficult decisions. I’m finding that people want me to define success in ways that they understand. Several want me to adopt a particular model or to create a model for replication. “Collectively, there are other challenges. Most of these relationships involve broken, wounded or hurting people. The leaders of the two organizations, by necessity, spend much more time communicating with one another than is typical in independent congregations. And, to the chagrin of most, they communicate through me as pastor. I reflect on questions like ‘Do the leaders of each community understand one another?’ and ‘Do they need to?’ I’m understanding as a holiness people they must continually extend grace to one another.” After reviewing this list of challenges, the question naturally follows: “Could other churches follow this approach to starting a new church that targets a secular college campus?” Pastor Sean’s response was guarded. “Yes, but only if they are willing to do it organically and authentically. There must be God-inspired reasons for churches to do this. Imposing it as a “model” will spoil it from the outset. It requires a leader to articulate a philosophy of ministry and biblical principles thereby allowing the community to emerge into something that is unique to its location. This is not a way to grow the church. This is a way to be the church. “This type of organizational matrixing will also fail if it’s perceived as being fake. Only when people recognize that our efforts are genuine and authentic will Christ’s love be seen. “What is going on here in Lawrence is not based on what we have read in book, on blogs or seen modeled for us by other congregations. (We do read—a lot; and we listen—a lot. And, in reading and listening we are encouraged. However, they are not the driving forces for our community.) Likewise, trying to recreate the Lawrence partnerships somewhere else may result in frustration and confusion.” Visiting the gathering of the University congregation in Pastor Sean’s home evidenced the impact being made on the KU campus. While their methods may be unconventional, their focus remains clear. Pastor Sean described some of the specific results of their ministries in evangelism to the campus and community. “A young mom of two with difficult medical and financial issues began attending Faith Church several months ago—she was invited by her neighbor. Later, Faith Church and University Church planned a picnic and the young mom invited some of her secular friends. Nikki was one of those friends. Several of the ladies from University Church befriended Nikki and accepted her for who she is. This was the first time Nikki had ever been at a church function or around church people. She was amazed at how genuine, enjoyable and ‘normal’ the people were. While Nikki has never come to church, her relationship with the young mom has provided an opportunity for the gospel to go forward. “Other examples include going out and clearing trees after the tornado, and getting to speak with the girls that brought us water to drink. We didn’t preach to them, but we spoke with them about what we were out doing and why we were doing it. Or, taking food out on Saturday nights and spending time under the bridge talking to homeless people; the people we gave the couch to at the garage sale; the many loads of ‘stuff’ we picked up prior to the garage sale helping people haul their stuff off. Maybe these aren’t your typical ‘let’s go save someone evangelism’ stories, but that’s the way God is leading us to be Him, here and now.” Love Will Find A Way: Love Links Compassion Ministry Center Located near the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, Love Links, Inc. seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ by providing spiritual, physical, and emotional help for those in need in the inner-city as well as the greater Oklahoma City area. Love Link ministries began providing social services to the poor and the homeless in 1991 and provides service to all people without regard to religion or race. Many of the clients struggle with alcohol and drug dependencies. A large percentage of the clients served are Native Americans. When Director Wayne Stark described why he leads this ministry, his answer mirrored the descriptions posted on the ministry’s website: “Christian love and compassion are the distinguishing aspects in Love Link’s specialized ministries to help the poor and homeless. When someone is given clothing, or food, or some other assistance, Love Links is trying to demonstrate Christ’s love. It is for God’s glory that we serve others. We trust the Holy Spirit to use each act of kindness to draw people closer to the Father.” And the needs are significant, both in the inner-city where the Compassionate Ministry is located, and the surroundingareas. One research study on hunger statistics in the State of Oklahoma revealed the following:
A number of ministries operate to assist with these overwhelming needs, with a limited number of staff and volunteers. The newest staff member and Volunteer Coordinator is Adrianne Matlock. She is working to create and develop a volunteer program for Love Links during her ten months here as a MissionCorps volunteer. She graduated from Southern Nazarene University in May 2006, with a degree in Missions and is currently pursuing a degree in Sociology, to be completed in May 2007. She and her husband Brian share a heart for ministering to the poor, and look forward to all the ministry opportunities God has in store for them both here in Oklahoma City and around the world. Among their ministries are the efforts in food distribution. Food baskets to the poor and homeless on Tuesday and Friday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and currently serve about 500 families each month, with nearly 100 new families each month. In the past calendar year, Love Links ministries distributed 5,981 food baskets, serving over 13,000 people. Limited amounts of food are contributed from the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. But Love Links makes up the differences needed with donations from individuals, churches, schools, organizations and area businesses. Of course, food donations are welcome all year round. The Love Links Thrift Store is also open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. A wide range of donated items are received for distribution, including clothes, household goods and appliances. Volunteers help sort donations, operate the cash register, and arrange displays. In addition, Love Links operates three recovery houses for men wanting to leave lives of alcohol and drug dependency behind them. This ministry is a voluntary, faith-based program with group accountability at the core. Our houses are home to 15 to 18 men at any given time. There is no charge for the ministry or the services that are provided. As these men strive together to live sober lives, the staff endeavors to give them vocational opportunities as well as responsibilities around the ministry to keep them busy, and aid their recovery and re-entry into sober living. These include but are not limited to a Native American Craft Shop, appliance repair, ceramics and auto repair. A recent opportunity for available property in the area has brought a new level of excitement to the leaders and volunteers at Love Links, Inc. The ministry is moving one mile north of their previous location with 12,000 square feet to the previous NuWay Cleaners Building on Northwest 6th and N. Western. This new location could provide 70,000 square feet of building, for multiple uses in compassionate ministries. In the future, the ministry is planning to add a women’s program, dental program, children’s tutoring, and after-school programs. The prospects seem limitless. One of the new ministry opportunities involves collaborating with the training of the ENTE program. With the recent sale of the Indian Bible College in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the residents’ program needed a new home and Love Links, Inc. has opened their doors to the new class of Hispanic students in training. See the following article for more details. For additional information about Love Links, Inc. visit their website at www.LoveLinkMinistries.org for details and further contact information. New Location for Training Hispanic Leadership: ENTE moves to OKC By Roberto Hodgson During the week of September 11-16, the Specialized Nazarene Theological Education (ENTE) enrolled a new class of students at its new location at the Love Link, Inc. location in Oklahoma City. Sixteen students formed the new cohort group, taking their first modular course in Christian Ministry. These students represent seven different districts, from across the Church of the Nazarene in the USA and abroad. One of the key elements of the ENTE success is its teaching faculty, which is comprised of 20 specialized and experienced educators. These professors teach one module per month on a rotating basis. Many of these educators also serve as the translators for the 24 modules in English. Since the tuition is only $60 per course, the ENTE training program is proving affordable for future Hispanic pastors. This past fall, eight students earned a certificate upon completion of the 24 modules of the course of study to fulfill the ministerial education requirements for ordination. These graduates were the first cohort group to complete the modular curriculum. The students represented several different Hispanic nationalities. Several of the graduates are already serving in pastoral positions. The program recently acquired a great addition to their teaching staff. Rev. Noemi Vazquez-Pla, an ordained minister serving as the Hispanic pastor at the Western Oaks Church of the Nazarene, has joined the ENTE teaching team. With his experience and insights into effective ministry in the Hispanic ministry context in the USA, Pastor Vazquez-Pla will further enrich the excellent preparation of ENTE for future Hispanic leaders. For more information about ENTE and its enrollment procedures, please log onto the Hispanic website www.NazarenosUSAcan.org, or call (913) 961-0682. One Thousand New Members: Hemet, California Sometime in the next 24 months, Pastor Michael Hull expects to receive his 1,000th new Nazarene into the membership of the Church of the Nazarene. This remarkable milestone reflects a lifetime of pastoral ministry, with his particular focus on evangelism and discipleship. Pastor Hull notes, “God has blessed me to receive an average of 32 new Nazarenes per year over the past 29 years of pastoral ministry.” But this significant achievement hasn’t come without some intimidating challenges. Pastor Michael came to Hemet Church of the Nazarene after completing a six million dollar relocation effort in Auburn, California in April 2001. When he arrived in Hemet in May, he found another congregation with a desperate need to relocate to new facilities. Isn’t it interesting how God prepares us for new assignments? An introductory review of the history of the congregation served as a reminder that they had attempted no less than three different times over the past twenty years to acquire property and relocate. The church’s location at that time was on a property just over an acre, in the old down-town area of Hemet. The church has been at this location for over 80 years. With a smaller sanctuary seating of approximately 275, and very limited off-street parking, it became quite evident that if the congregation was going to grow along with the rapidly growing community, then relocation was essential. Pastor Hull commented that “It seemed the church was still suffering from the bitter disappointments and sizeable financial losses that had resulted from a previous effort to relocate in the early 1990’s. I felt it would probably be several years before we could motivate the congregation to move forward with another attempt to relocate.” But then Pastor Michael says the unexpected happened. “God began to move in some significant ways through the congregation in a spiritual revival and renewal. Within a year of our arrival, a new spirit of hope and optimism and growth began to emerge. A sense of urgency began to motivate us to begin to pray earnestly for the right location for our new facilities. In November of 2002, we voted 211 to 2 to purchase the 12.5 acres of property on State Highway 74, just 2 miles from our present location. We purchased the property for $406,000 in 2002. The present value of the property has now been appraised for over $2.4 million. The congregation is presently securing final permits and hopes shortly to begin building a new worship facility that will seat 1,000 people for worship.” Demographic studies during 2005 indicate that Riverside County is the fastest growing county in California. The population of the greater Hemet area is approximately 105,000. Pastor Hull says, “Our goal is to reach one percent of the unchurched population of the greater Hemet area. We estimate one percent of the unchurched population would be between 600 and 700 people. Our present worship attendance is around 450, which would move our numerical goal up to over 1,000 people in attendance per Sunday. We’re planning to reach this goal over the next seven years.” Along with these numerical goals, the church has plans to sponsor a new Spanish congregation when they move into their new location. Within the first five years after the relocation to the new property, they are also planning to sponsor a new congregation on the southwest side of Hemet. That area continues to develop rapidly, and is less than eight miles from their new location. Pastor Hull believes this new outward missional focus is bringing a renewed blessing on the church. “God has given us significant growth over the past five years,” he said in his interview with GROW. “Worship attendance is up over 50%, and membership is up over 70%. Our financial giving has increased over 90% in fewer than five years. During the last reporting year, the church celebrated 85 years of ministry in Hemet, which proved to be the greatest statistical year in the history of the church. Of the 100 new members joining the Hemet Church, 93 were new Nazarenes. In the past five years, the church has received 305 new Nazarenes into membership.” When Pastor Hull arrived in Hemet, the congregation was made up primarily of Senior Adults. For years, Hemet has been known primarily as a ‘Retirement Community,’ with over fifty different senior housing developments scattered throughout the area. Shortly after he came to be their pastor, Pastor Hull challenged the senior adults to become an army of “Prayer Warriors.” He said, “I felt that if I could rally these saints to pray and seek God for revival and renewal of this great old church, we would see God do some amazing things. They took up my challenge and the result is God giving the church its greatest days ever. God has sent us great pastoral staff help over these years. We have welcomed many new younger families into the fellowship. These new families, along with gifted and committed staff, have brought new energy and vitality to the congregation. The most exciting and encouraging events that we are experiencing in our church are the powerful conversions that have brought new vitality and new vision to the congregation.” Research and Trends: Per Capita Giving in 2006 In the Church of the Nazarene in 2006, average giving by each worship participant was higher in large churches than in smaller ones. Churches with 1,000 or more in average worship attendance reported $1,664 per capita while churches with fewer than 50 reported $1,385. This calculation of average giving includes children, as well as adults and visitors, as well as committed members. It includes both offerings and tithes. There appear to be several factors interacting to cause this difference. One of these factors is the church’s community. Larger churches are more likely to be located in cities and their suburbs while smaller churches are more likely to be in small towns and rural areas. Regardless of the size of the church, per capita giving in the Church of the Nazarene tends to be higher in cities and suburbs and lower in urban core areas as well as in small towns and rural areas. It may be that in small towns and rural areas, more time and energy are donated directly for such things as construction and up keep of buildings. In the suburban and urban areas, members may be more willing to pay someone to do such things while they invest their time and energy in other ways. Another significant factor may be the variation in church size preferences by family income level. Income levels vary within churches. In most churches some families are struggling economically and others are earning relatively large incomes. However, according to the U.S. Congregational Life Survey of worship participants in the Church of the Nazarene, larger churches tend to have a higher percentage with relatively high family income. On the other hand, people reporting lower incomes are more likely to worship in a small church. Part of this may be the relative affluence of their community, but for some people the size of church they choose to attend may be influenced by their income level. Local Church Stewardship Churches give a good portion of their money to others. “Others” includes support for the World Evangelism Fund, district ministries, Pensions & Benefits, the regional university and local benevolences. On average these expenditures run from 15.7% to 19.6%. What a blessing to be part of a denomination where the local church exemplifies the Biblical instruction of giving. The category of “Paid for Other Local Expenses” includes such things as maintenance, utilities, reimbursements, departmental expenses, etc. Generally speaking, as church attendance size increases, the percentage of money spent on these items decreases. This isn’t to say that the large church spends less money on local expenses than the small church; in actual dollars it’s sure to be more. But the large church is able to take advantage of quantity discounts and reduced per-person costs. On the other hand, large churches often spend more of their money on properties, buildings and equipment. This is also evident from the fact that churches in the “1 to 49” worship attendance size category have built up 94.9% equity in their properties. As a group, they owe very little on their buildings, including parsonages. This compares to 76.5% equity for our largest congregations. The final category is “Paid for Staff.” Although large churches typically have more paid staff, they pay less as a percentage of their total expenditures. On the other hand it takes a high percentage of the small church’s income to pay their pastor any salary, especially a salary considered to be full-time employment. Keep in mind that the data presented here are for overall averages. Local church situations vary, and sometimes by significant amounts. Do the averages presented here reflect the experience of your church? Or do your God-given resources or ministry needs cause your stewardship priorities to depart from the norm? How to Grow Your Congregation: When Wanting to Grow is Not Enough Every Nazarene church and district in the USA and Canada have set aggressive goals – Centennial Faith Projections – to increase attendance and membership by the conclusion of the Centennial Celebration year 2008-2009. But as noted in a recent report on church growth by the Hartford Institute, “wanting to grow is not enough.” The entire report is available at http://hirr.hartsem.edu/FACTSchurchgrowth.htm. Among other things the study finds that congregations are more likely to grow if they –
The study also finds that conflict is a barrier to growth. “Congregations that have experienced major conflict are quite likely to have declined in attendance. The strongest correlate of growth is absence of serious conflict.” The Hartford findings are clear that conflict is not only a barrier to growth, it is the primary reason why people drop out. People are not attracted to, nor will they stay in, churches embroiled in conflict. In a partnership for growth the UCME Department has developed the Nazarene Missional Church Survey and Action Plan to help turn around no-growth churches. District leaders are being trained to help every church take the congregational survey and develop growth plans. For more information call the UCME office at 1-800-306-9948. Since, as the Hartford study demonstrates, the first step toward congregational growth is the will to grow, we’re headed in the right direction in the year of the Centennial Celebration 2008-2009. -Tom Nees A Plan and Process for Discipleship One of the most encouraging exercises for church leaders can be on-site visits to other innovative congregations. God’s Spirit still works in remarkable and unpredictable ways, and witnessing it first hand can build the faith of other missional leaders. The new book released at the M7 Conference, Best Practices in Discipleship, allows you to visit with a dozen other ministries in the Church of the Nazarene, to discover how they are experiencing significant growth. Each chapter is presented by a leader fulfilling our denomination’s new “Statement of Mission” in a unique way. Reading through these pages, several themes emerge. One common theme was an approach to evangelism that allows new believers time for growing in their new found faith. What presenters repeat throughout these chapters involves much more than a new evangelism program, but their plan and process for discipleship. All the various ministries in these churches converge on the common mission of bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ, and discipling them into a local community of faith. Because of this overarching theme, these chapters describe an ongoing discipleship process. These authors share about starting and growing all kinds of new Nazarene ministries. Then, you can consider the various stages of discipleship of new believers in your own congregation. Probably most of these target groups for discipleship are already in your church’s fellowship. They are measurable, observable behaviors that can reflect spiritual growth. The objective is moving them through these spiritual formation phases, growing in their faith and obedience to all that God may have for them. Your approaches may be different than what others are using. But, most find it interesting to see what some of the growing congregations are doing. As examples, consider a few of the discipleship target groups these authors mention: New Believers in God’s Family New Guests in your Ministries New Attenders to Worship New Partners in Ministry New People in Leadership Evangelism can no longer just be about making decisions to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Effective evangelism encourages a discipleship process in the lives of believers, for doing holy service in fulfilling their own mission and for becoming more like Christ. Each new ministry shapes a whole new generation of Christ followers. —Jim Dorsey
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