| GROW Magazine Summer 2009 The Front Line
The older I get, the worse blue jeans get. When I was a boy, blue jeans were supposed to be blue. They were dark blue denim. The material was so thick you couldn’t help but walk stiff-legged and brand new jeans would rub your knees red. You had to wash them about 25 times before they were comfortable. If you developed a hole in the knee, it was time for a new pair. It’s different today. You can buy brand new jeans with holes in them. In fact, I was in a store the other day and they had “distressed” jeans and “destroyed” jeans. There wasn’t much blue left in the “distressed” jeans and they were full of holes. The “destroyed” jeans were as the name implies, in tatters. It seemed strange to me to spend good money for bad jeans, but then, I’m an old guy. This is a new day. Styles change. People’s taste in jeans is different. That doesn’t make them wrong...just different. The amazing thing is that jeans are still around. They started making them for sailors in Genoa, Italy 500 years ago, thus the name “jeans.” Levi Strauss started making his in the late 1850’s in San Francisco because the gold miners needed durable pants. There have been many changes in style along the way, but blue jeans still meet needs. And I was thinking about holiness. Through the centuries, the style has changed but the deep, need-meeting core of the message has remained. In the 18th century, John and Charles Wesley took the message to the fields and streets. I imagine there were purists who thought this was an aberration rather than an advancement of the holiness message. The Wesleys’ strategy did not entail the starting of churches but small group meetings and open-air services. Many religious leaders of the day decried them as “enthusiasts.” The style changed in the 19th century. The strategy of holiness leaders was to use the thriving campmeeting movement of the day to propel the message. Phoebe Palmer’s “shorter way” to entire sanctification utilized the altar of prayer to enter the experience. Many holiness churches were started by passionate proponents of the message. As in Wesley’s day, some have claimed the 19th century holiness movement to be an aberration rather than an advancement of the message. But who can deny the great good resulting from those efforts? What shall be said of the 21st century holiness movement? What will the strategies be? Who will step to the front in leadership? May God help us older ones to speak kindly and reserve our judgment of those who will lead the holiness movement into the 21st century. Maybe the new Johns and Charles and Phoebes need our space, our prayers and our encouragement. May we not accuse them of aberration just because their “jeans” seem to be an odd style but let us see their efforts as advancement. Their strategies and emphases may be different. But we pray that the message will so captivate their hearts and the experience so transform their lives that they will magnificently shepherd the movement through their century. Pleased with the Prospects, PS—What will “The 21st Century Holiness Movement” look like? I am curious about what you think. Strategies? Style? Emphases? Please write me. Thanks! rbroadbooks@nazarene.org New Web Site Resources: USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism Ministry professionals in search of a sermon resource, videos on the missional church, or the first 60 years of Preacher’s Magazine can find all that and more by accessing the family of Web sites sponsored by the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism Department (UCME). UCME manages over 27 Web sites that provide ministry resources, news, and information for all types of Nazarene clergy, laity, and directors of faith-based organizations. These sites represent a broad range of resources including clergy education, evangelism, NewStart, revivalism, leadership development, compassion, urban, and multicultural ministry. In 2008, UCME sites averaged over 18,000 unique visits a month. The home page, which is located online at www.USAmission.org, is divided into three major areas: Clergy Development, Evangelism Ministries, and Mission Strategy. Some of the most popular links on this site contain material with the best practices of growing churches and a list of online books. Here are a few UCME Web sites that have been completely redesigned to serve Nazarene clergy and staff, as well as provide some of the latest ministry resources available. NazarenePastor.org In addition, Clergy Development has partnered with Northwest Nazarene University’s Wesley Center to provide each issue of the first 60 years of Preacher’s Magazine (1926 to 1984). This immense collection should be a benefit to ministers and students alike. Users will also find helpful links to the Nazarene Job Board, Chaplaincy Ministries and PALCON 2010. NazEvangelism.org NewStartUSA.org NazareneCompassion.org GROWmagazine.org Ideas for various community ministries, new church models and church size strategies are all available from these past feature stories in GROW Magazine. Printing out individual stories from past issues provides an excellent training tool for leadership groups and clergy preparation courses. NazareneBlogs.org A blog is an online diary or journal that invites comments from readers. It is a great way for ministry leaders to start dynamic conversations centered on faith issues or ministry practice with those inside and outside their congregations. Several blogs have been started by Global Ministry Center departments, pastors, and other church leaders. NazareneMediaLibrary.org E-Publication Resources Users may subscribe to these and other Nazarene e-publications online at http://www.Nazarene.org/subscriber.aspx. Cost Cutting Conferences: Teaching churches Host Training Weekends Current economics can make attending training events and leadership conferences a budget breaker. But the new Accelerate Conferences have announced registration fees of only $29 per person. These events have been specifically provided for new church pastors and launch teams. But any pastor or leadership team from the Church of the Nazarene is welcomed to register for the event. Smaller churches and turnaround situations would also find these weekends very helpful. Three leading Nazarene churches across the USA will be hosting a practical weekend of ministry training this coming fall. These teaching church experiences have been designed for sharing practical helps for creating and missional ministries, with an opportunity to learn from other leaders in evangelism and discipleship. During each Accelerate Conferences, the host pastor and staff will lead the practical workshops and general sessions. During the weekend experience, registrants will attend the weekend services of the host churches, and observe their staff in action. These three host churches have distinguished themselves as effective missional ministries, and are regularly listed among the Top 50 Churches in the USA and Canada for the Church of the Nazarene. These three weekends will be packed with practical resources and training from their experiences in starting and growing missional congregations. The reasonable registration cost of $29 per person is designed to cover the three meals during the Accelerate schedule. Travel costs, lodging and breakfast meals will be covered by each registrant to the event. Some housing by member families of the host church may be available on a first request basis. Specific weekend schedules, hotel options and registration forms are available online at www.NazareneNewChurches.org. The first Accelerate Conference will be held on August 14 to 16 at the Goldcreek Community Church of the Nazarene in Bothell, Washington. The second Accelerate Conference will be held at the Thorncreek Church of the Nazarene in Denver, Colorado on October 23-25. The third and final event for 2009 is be planned at the Salem Fields Church of the Nazarene in Fredericksburg, Virginia on November 6-8. These three Accelerates have been planned to accommodate various regions of the country, and minimize travel costs. If calendar conflicts exist for the Accelerate Conference closest to you geographically, the other events are open to any Nazarene pastor or church desiring to attend one of the other conferences. After a decade of starting new churches across the USA and Canada, the New Church Evangelism strategy has assisted hundreds of sponsoring and new church pastors in launching healthy new churches. With over 2,000 new churches being started since 1994, this new series of Teaching Church Conferences enable new networking opportunities for new church pastors and their leadership launch teams. These weekend events are designed to assist new church pastors in the process of designing their own specific ministry action plan, as well as provide insights into some of the best practices from other effective new churches. Regional New Church Leadership will also lead workshops for launching new churches across district ministries. For further details on the upcoming New Church Teaching Conferences and the Accelerate schedules, please call the toll free number at 1-800-306-8294. Historic General Assembly The 27th General Assembly wrote a new chapter in the history of the Church of the Nazarene this summer in Orlando, Florida. As delegates from around the globe gathered for their quadrennial sessions of business and conventions, they also celebrated in worship and ministry efforts across central Florida. Worship services highlighted multiple ministry objectives as each of the members of the Board General Superintendents shared a challenging message to the church. Multiple choirs and soloists brought inspirational music in each of the worship services. In the Sunday morning service, General Superintendant Paul Cunningham gave a stirring message entitled “The God of the Immeasurably More.” Estimates of the online participants in the Sunday service was estimated at 100,000 watching the live feed of the service. At the close of service, the six General Superintendants and several hundred volunteer pastors served communion to over 25,000 who had gathered for the time of worship. The Nazarene Youth International (NYI) tested a live feed for their convention to nine other locations around the world. Delegates gathered in these nine world areas to participate in the discussions and vote on the business items of NYI. With restrictions and rising costs on international travel, the possibilities for wide use of multiple locations continue to be studied. The Church’s Quadrennial Address was presented by General Superintendant Jesse Middendorf, who presently services as Chairman of the Board of General Superintendants. His report included a number of crucial topics facing the Church of the Nazarene, but he added “The mission of God is not at risk!” He summarized his report by sharing the following six objectives:
Then he closed his Quadrennial Address by praying “May a fresh anointing of the Spirit of God for this supernatural task come to His church this very day.” The election of three new General Superintendants came in the business sessions that followed. The first international leader elected as a General Superintendant came when Eugenio Duarte was elected as the 37th General Superintendant. Delegates and numbers rose in a standing ovation at his election. David Graves, pastor of Olathe College Church, and Stan Toler, pastor of Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City were also elected to serve as General Superintendents. These three new General Superintendents will fill the positions vacated by the three retiring General Superintendants, James H. Diehl, Paul G. Cunningham and Nina G. Gunter. The installation of these three new members of the Board of General Superintendents came in the closing service of the 27th General Assembly. Another historic moment came with the election of a global president for Nazarene Missions International. Jennifer Brown, District Superintendent’s wife from Jamaica, was elected as the first global president from outside the United States. The One Heart—Many Hands ministries reported local city and county officials describing their efforts as the largest community service project in Orlando and Orange County history. The One Heart—Many Hands organization coordinated the city-wide service projects. Volunteers arrived in Orlando from 30 states, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, India and Canada. The five-day, 1600-volunteer strong service project included repairs and renovations on the homes of 100 elderly, disabled, singleparent families and others with special needs. Old Fashined Tent Meetings for New Churches: Tucson, AZ As communities along the southern border states experience growing populations of Hispanic families, one district has revived the old practice of tent meetings to start new Hispanic Nazarene congregations. They have already conducted their weekend campaigns in three locations with good success. A total of ten new communities have been targeted in this effort for new churches. When the Southwest Latin American District initiated a new plan for starting churches, District Superintendent Roberto Hodgson returned to a familiar approach from the earlier days in the Church of the Nazarene. Prepared with several teams of volunteers, their district has launched an ambitious strategy to start new Hispanic congregations in half a dozen different communities across southern Arizona. Their plan is straightforward and focused. One team of volunteers is responsible for setting up the large tent on Thursday or early Friday, both to accommodate a place for the weekend of services and also to gain attention of the area residents. After obtaining the proper permission to set up the big top in a predominant location, large banners are attached to the sides of the tent to announce in Spanish the invitation for all to come and join in their weekend of services. While one team of volunteers works to unload and raise the tent, another team scatters across each targeted community to distribute flyers and talk with area residents about the upcoming meeting. Teams of two go door to door, while other groups cover the area shopping centers and parking lots leaving their flyers on parked cars. Another team prepares for the service, by setting up the pulpit area, chairs and the sound system once the tent is up. After holding several of these campaigns, the teams work efficiently in unloading the storage trailer of their equipment and getting everything in place for their services. One group even remains with the tent to protect their equipment while others have to leave to get ready and come back for the service. Different area Nazarene Hispanic congregations have come together for each of these service times to help support the efforts for creating a greater sense of momentum in these weekend celebrations. Some of the services have run over 100 in attendance, with up to 20 people from an area interested in helping start one of the new churches. As of press time for this issue of GROW Magazine, the first weekend services had been held in Casa Grande, Arizona on February 14-15. The next campaign was conducted in Wilcox, just south of Tucson, on March 27-29. The third set of weekend services were in Bisbee on June 5-7. The fourth campaign is planned just weeks after the writing of this article in Benson, Arizona on July 24-26. The responses have shown this approach can be very effective in reaching the Hispanic families in these communities. Many feel isolated in these smaller towns and rural communities, with no place for making these kinds of relational connections. One lady who came to a service said, “I have been praying for many months that a new Hispanic church would be started in our town. And now God has answered my prayers.” At another meeting, a couple who visited the service asked if they could open their home to hold Bible studies to help start an Hispanic Church of the Nazarene in their town. And after planning the services in another community, District Superintendent Roberto Hodgson discovered an unused church building that would be donated and available for them to conduct services for another new church. The sense of excitement and camaraderie among the various Nazarene churches reveals again the Kingdom principle of replenishment. As existing churches invest themselves in efforts for extending Christ’s Kingdom in these kinds of new church efforts, renewal and revival come back to bless the sponsoring congregations. New baby churches continue to revive and renew for healthier mother churches. Starting Over in a Small Town: Stevenson, Wa When Chad and Leslie Leeson moved back into her grandmother’s home in Stevenson, Washington, they ended up about two blocks away from the old Stevenson Church of the Nazarene. The church building which had been closed for several years, sat deteriorating and empty. Pastor Chad said, “When my wife and I moved to Stevenson we initially had no idea why God had led us here. I wanted to attend college in the area, but had no idea where that was going to lead. During my time in school, a number of different people began talking to me about starting a new church. “I had no idea there was such a thing as a new church pastor. So I began investigating about new churches. The more I learned, the more I got excited. I am very entrepreneurial and have started a couple of my own companies. I really like the challenge of starting something from the ground up. The more I learned about church planting the more I felt that this was what God was calling me to do.” Then a series of events began to confirm the idea of starting a new church. In July of 2005, Pastor Steve Barnes of Carson Church of the Nazarene offered Chad the opportunity to join his staff. This new ministry assignment provided Chas with some of the student ministry credits he required for his ministry degree. During those weeks of ministry together, Pastor Steve shared his vision for the Stevenson area. They discussed holding an alternative service that would appeal to the younger people in the community. Pastor Chad looking back on those days now says, “To some degree the vision to start the new Stevenson Church came out of Steve’s vision coupled with the immense burden Leslie and I felt to see the Stevenson Church up and running again. “The more I prayed about being a new church pastor, it became more and more clear that we were to start the Stevenson Church of the Nazarene. So we got connected with a group of other church planters in the Vancouver area and began to talk about the possibilities. “We went through assessment and began attending training events as often as we could. We began to study everything we could about new church evangelism. “We were pretty familiar with the community but we also began talking to different people about what a new church would and should look like. I also started getting to know the various pastors in the community through our local ministerial association to get a better feel for the types of churches that already existed. Through all of those efforts in research, the vision for the new church began to take shape.” One of those visits illustrated how Pastor Chad and the launch team began to create a new ministry focus. He described “walking around the neighborhood knocking on doors. There was one house that was rather well kept and I almost thought about skipping it and going to the next house. God sort of nudged me and so I went to the door. “I knocked and a lady answered the door. I started my little spiel, ‘Hi, I am Pastor Chad from The Bridge Community Church of the Nazarene and we are going to be out in the community doing different projects—just serving the community.’ “Her jaw was on the ground. I wasn’t sure what to say but she finally said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I wasn’t sure what to think but I said, ‘No.’ She went on to say that less than an hour ago she e-mailed her friend saying, ‘Where is the church? Why don’t we ever see the church doing nything in the community?’ She was flabbergasted that I was standing at her doorstep looking for ways to serve the community. “She said that she had been feeling very discouraged with the church. She felt that the church was failing to be the church, and then here I was, looking for ways to serve. She was so impressed and we talked for a quite a while. I have a feeling that we are going to see her one Sunday.” That exchange and many others began to give a new sense of mission and direction for the new church. “We spent numerous hours talking about our community and what the needs are. We focused on the new church serving the needs of our community. The focus became where we wanted to be—where Jesus would have been. “One of our new church pastor contacts, Rick McKinley of Imago Dei Church in Portland, calls this being “Jesus in the Margins.” We wanted to be a church in the margins—that operated outside the church walls where the hurting and broken are found. In today’s culture the hurting and broken are not coming to the church, so we want to be going where they are.” Since the previous property had deteriorated beyond use for worship services, the launch team made contact with the elementary school that was only one block from their property. Pastor Chad recalled, “They were very open to having us meet there. By meeting in the school and changing the name to The Bridge Church of the Nazarene, two very important things were accomplished. “By changing the name and deciding to meet in the school, we were distancing ourselves from the negative history of the previous church. We were telling the community that this is in fact something new and not just a ‘restart’ of something old. It was new people with a new vision—in short we were a new church. “We approached this as a new church from day one and we don’t think of ourselves as restart. Technically there are only three people from the ‘old church’ who are part of this new venture. They have been very supportive and are excited to see the church alive again. “With a new place to meet, we decided it was time to plan for a preview service on Easter of 2008. The launch team started planning and inviting people. We also started to write little two paragraph ads that we published in the local paper to give people a sense of who we were. These ads were thought provoking ideas to help get people thinking about religion, faith, the church and God. “When Easter service came, we had about 110 people in attendance. It was incredible! God showed up in a mighty way! From there we continued to do monthly preview services. Each time we met, we built relationships with the people who returned, in hopes that they would make this their church home.” In closing his interview with GROW, Pastor Chad shared several takeaway lessons. The process of starting a new church in a small town where a previous work had closed had its challenges. Knowing this situation is the reality in a growing number of places across the USA and Canada, he offered the following suggestions. Vision. When the vision is clear, people are willing to get involved. Vision is essential to starting over in a previous church situation. The over arching vision for the church has been we want to be a church that exists outside of the church walls. Everything we do is moving us toward the idea of being a church known by what we do, rather than where we meet. I preached a sermon at the county fair which was a play on a famous structure in our area known as “The Bridge of The Gods.” The sermon basically took the legend behind the famous bridge and flipped it so that we talked about the true “Bridge”—Jesus Christ. That sermon helped introduce the idea of the new church “The Bridge Community Churchof the Nazarene.” Our motto is “making connections as we go.” Building relationships everywhere we “go,” rather than hoping they will come to us. By being here first and getting involved in the community, we developed their trust and built relationships. I coach football at the high school, my kids go to the area schools and my wife is very active between the kid’s events and so forth. We were part of the community first—then decided to start a new church. Study the area. We got to know the area and the churches that already existed. By learning about the area, we were able to fine tune the vision for who we were going to be as a church. We worked through questions like, “Who we were targeting and why? What are their objections to church? What do we need to do differently while not jeopardizing the Gospel message?” Less is more. Don’t do things just because you feel you need them. Early on focus on what you do best and do that. As the church grows, and new leaders develop, then you can add new ministries. But if it interferes with the things you do well—get rid of it. If your worship team is one guy and a guitar, do it well. You don’t have to have a full band. Less really can be more. This important lesson came from Pastor Jeff Austin and our friends at Real Life Community Church of the Nazarene in Vancouver. Children’s ministries are vital. If your focus is families, you must do children’s ministry well, or you won’t have a family ministry. Since families are what we seem to be attracting, we are looking to develop a holistic approach to ministering to families. We are making a conscious effort to address the entire family. We want to continue to grow our children’s ministry and hope to institute a VBS in the next couple of years. There is no one doing a VBS in our community and we feel that is one area that we can capitalize. Know what you are getting into. When starting over with a new church, you need to know the full history behind the previous church. Why did it close? What happened? How can you distance yourself from any of the negative history? What ministry resources are available for the new church? No dead wood. We had no one from the old church who was sold on the old church. They all wanted something new—so there was no struggle to get people to let go of the old ways of doing things. They welcomed the new ideas and they got behind the new vision. Beverly Gallipo and Barbra Acker are wonderful additions to our new launch team from the previous ministry. We’re so thankful they welcomed us and all these crazy ideas of ours. Distancing ourselves from the negative history of the old church came by changing the name and moving to the new worship location at the school. This became crucial because it communicated to the community that we are in fact new and different. Since starting their preview services, Pastor Chad knows of several people who have made a decision for Christ. After one of their services a young man came up to Chad and said that he really appreciated the message and for one of the first times ever, he understood and he ‘got it.’ He wanted to read more about the passage and asked if he could take one of their Bibles home. He returned the following week and listened to the message again. After the service he came up and said, “I get it—It makes sense to me and I want to be a follower of Jesus.” Pastor Chad and his new church retell this story and agree their mission is working, as they continue to build bridges of faith to the community in Stevenson and beyond. Crossroads Heartland Church: Better Together When Scott and Wendy Hubbard moved to Lodi, California, they already knew they had accepted another challenging pastoral assignment. The official church records for the Lodi Church listed membership and worship attendance at zero, since the church had been closed five years earlier. Pastor Scott accepted the assignment to start a whole new ministry, as he had done in two other pastoral assignments. Over the next six years under his leadership, worship attendance grew to an average of 129, with a Sunday School enrollment at 119. But then he received an unusual phone call that has dramatically changed their congregation’s ministry. The caller was Pastor Chris Chavez from the new independent Heartland Community Church in their town. After some initial greetings and small talk, Pastor Chris explained that his congregation had been researching different denominations and their theological teachings. As an independent church, they were interested in joining a denomination that taught and functioned like the Church of the Nazarene. His question was “Do you think our two churches could be merged into one larger Nazarene congregation?” From that inquiry a process began for the two pastors and their congregations to get to know one another better. For over a year, there were shared board and staff meetings, combined worship services and even town hall type meetings to process questions from both congregations. Sacramento District Superintendant Stephen Scott came to meet with the Heartland Community Church and their leadership to discuss further the details and requirements for a merger of the two churches. As the congregations began to fellowship and worship together, an enthusiasm grew for the merger to take place. They planned for that special Sunday in October, 2008 to have their official service for uniting the two separate congregations into one community of faith. The name they chose for the new church became Crossroads Heartland Church of the Nazarene. Their ministry tagline explained it well; “Better Together” was printed under their new church name. The formal service for merging the two churches had an announcement and invitation for the public to attend in the local newspaper. A large wedding cake was prepared for the fellowship time after the service. At the appointed time, each church stood separately to take their vows for this congregational union. And, the marriage of these two churches has been a blessed event. In fact, instead of having two different groups worshiping together, now is has become three: the original Lodi Church of the Nazarene, the Heartland Community Church and a new group of attenders that hadn’t worshipped in either church before the merger. And now, the third group is about to outgrow the other two existing congregations. With the merged congregations worshipping together at the property of the Lodi Church of the Nazarene, space for worship and Sunday School classes has been very limited. Due to their growth, the church now has four worship services each weekend, with two on Saturday evening and two on Sunday morning. Pastor Scott and Pastor Chris share the pulpit each Sunday, with both of them preaching the various points of each sermon. As unique as that sounds, it seems to be working well for them. On Christmas weekend of 2008, the church worship services registered over 600 in attendance. Considering that the Lodi Church of the Nazarene was averaging around 130 in worship and the Heartland Community Church had been averaging just over 300 in worship attendance, it appears this merger has made some serious progress in their mission. The church has been averaging around 500 each week in worship, and increased their weekly offerings by $1,000 a week. They have already started to discuss future plans for a 10,000 square foot multipurpose building on their existing property. They hope to break ground within the next year. Both Pastors are encouraged by the progress since their official merger. The membership classes continue to enroll new families. Multiple new ministries have been started that are representative of the needs of both congregations and their ministry area. Each congregation has accepted a role of ministry to assist the other church. And perhaps, this is clearer no where else than the pastors themselves. They have become close partners in ministry. They both agree their styles in pastoral ministry are very different. Pastor Chris is more of a rancher type pastor, while Pastor Scott is more of a shepherding type pastor. But they see those styles as complementary for each other and this growing congregation. Pastor Scott emphasized as he closed his interview with GROW, “We have learned how important it is that as leaders we are committed to each other. We’ve agreed to keep pride and ego out of this process, so the growth of the ministry can’t be stopped. With every critical decision, we have learned to consider the perspectives of both groups. “We really believe we are better together.” Insights: How shall they come if no one tells them? The best source of prospective attendees and church members is among the acquaintances of existing participants. Inviting friends and family and co-workers to join us in worship is effective outreach. But most churches regularly have opportunities to minister to people with no prior connection to the church. In some small churches, that could mean a new couple or family will attend every other month. In large churches, new arrivals may come weekly. A review of my own church’s guest book, when the church was still averaging less than 30 in worship, showed a consistent pattern of first-time local visitors about every six weeks. And these were people that none of the regular congregation had invited. Churches that attract new people usually make an effort to let the community know that it is welcome. Church signs are a simple way to invite guests. A banner can announce special events. A changeable message attracts more attention than a permanent sign, but even a static list of service times gives a slight invitation to the neighborhood. Our banners for special events regularly drew in unanticipated guests who became regular attendees. Media advertising can be expensive in large metropolitan areas, but many of our churches have taken advantage of these opportunities. About 40% of our churches used newspaper advertising in 2005, with only about 15% using radio in 1997, the last time all churches reported on this medium. Less than 5% used TV spots. One drop-in guest at our local church noticed our revival ad in the newspaper which told him there was a Church of the Nazarene close to him. Weeks later, he decided to get back in touch with the denomination he was raised in and he came to our church. Such advertising can often be tailored for specific neighborhoods, making it more affordable for the typical church. Direct mail can inform specific neighborhoods about church activities. Churches on a tight budget sometimes deliver flyers by hand. Such advertising is said to be about 2% effective. That is, sending out 100 generic invitations may yield 2 contacts for the church. Some churches combine this with neighborhood visitation, establishing stronger ties to people in the community. About half our churches in the US and Canada have Web sites. Rural areas and inner cities are less likely to use this tool, but it can be very effective in most communities. Increasing numbers of people shop online or get their news from the internet. These same people check the web for stores, restaurants, and even churches. A Web site can be maintained for a small financial investment, but does require time investment by someone who sees this as an important ministry. What do potential guests need to know? Banners are already on the church property, but any off-site advertising should mention the church name and location. Even people within a few blocks of the church may not normally drive that direction. In most other advertising, it is simple to include at least an address. Even if the advertising is for a special activity, such as Vacation Bible School or a Friday night concert, a list of service times can be included. At least the major worship service times should be mentioned. Pictures or videos of people at a service will answer questions about normal attire without specifically telling people what they should wear. In our local church, most of the dropin guests were more formal than the rest of the congregation, probably because they remembered earlier churches where dressing up was expected. A denominational name is usually a short-cut to credibility, but if space allows then mission statements or doctrinal positions can be included; for example, “A Bible Believing Church”, or “Loving God, Connecting Others, Serving Everyone.” Web sites can easily include answers to other questions about location, the best places to park, worship styles, smaller group activities, and involvement in compassion and evangelism. Effective advertising, whether print, broadcast, online, or even signs, keeps the needs of the recipient in mind. What does someone need to know in order to respond? Is there enough information so that someone can attend? Would another few words add important details? When designing surveys, the Research Center tries to do a field test. Asking non-involved friends to review a proposed layout or blurb may give additional insights that will make a big difference in whether people are able to respond. First Person Report: Ministry as a Homeless Shelter Chaplain Chaplain Aaron Knapp was selected as Chaplain of the Year for 2009. He had been a senior pastor for 37 years when he sensed God leading him into chaplaincy ministry. In his own words, he said “God led me to let go of that congregation to give myself to this ministry.” Now, his flock is with Open House Ministries, serving approximately 150 people in both the shelter and transitional housing programs in the Vancouver area. In this interview with GROW Magazine, Chaplain Knapp shares a glimpse behind the scenes in his work as a chaplain in this busy homeless shelter. For many years as a pastor I had an interest in outreach ministry that focused on the underprivileged. To some extent we had even targeted bus ministry as part of that concern because it took us into housing projects, trailer parks and apartment complexes with low income families. A good friend, who was a Salvation Army Captain, accepted a position as a director of a faith based homeless shelter. My interest grew through that connection, while at the same time God was providentially arranging my life circumstances toward this change in ministry focus. Then God began making it increasingly clear that I would relinquish my post as Senior Pastor after so many years. It was at one and the same time the most difficult and most rewarding experience in my ministry. On April 1, 2001 I began my ministry as chaplain at Open House Ministries. The Open House Ministries offer a full range of programs, including alcohol and drug recovery, counseling, marriage and parenting classes, childcare, and a work center. The transition between pastor and chaplain was unique because of my age at the time and the uncertainty of the job description. Although I would be doing pastoral assignments like jail and hospital visitation, counseling, spiritual encouragement, teaching and preaching, and advocacy, my ministry was made up of an entire congregation of people who were in perpetual crisis. Everyone had one or more of the following: addiction, legal complications, medical or mental health problems, child custody issues, financial issues including child support, eviction history, bad credit and/or a poor job history. For most family relationships were problems along with a host of accompanying issues. In this environment I was called upon to define my approach and manage my schedule to the best possible impact. I was to care for and give spiritual balance and guidance to the staff while I was giving pastoral care to the residents. At the time I started there was no assurance as to how long the funding would support a chaplaincy ministry. I have now been here for eight years. God is so faithful. We minister to about 500-700 people each year in some stage of a recovery process, providing multiple program options to address the critical needs of their lives. It is our prayer and our vision that those who pass through our doors will experience the love and forgiveness of God, enter a right relationship with Him as the beginning of a journey to wholeness. I’m still unsure which path to take in defining potential for this ministry. It has opened up involvement in arenas I could never have imagined, in places like courtrooms, jails and Child and Family Services through advocating for families in crisis under the care of this ministry. God has also chosen to give me a voice in the business community, the legal system and government agencies. I daily ask for wisdom to respect the opportunity, choose my words carefully, seize the moment and maximize these open doors in the interest of people’s lives under our care and to promote the Kingdom and my King. We also network with the church community in our area to provide both financial support and volunteer assistance in a variety of maintenance and developmental projects. There are probably 50 or more churches that faithfully support our ministry. My own local church where I formerly pastored, Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene, has been a very valuable resource. Among the support they have provided includes covering my health insurance, sponsoring children from the shelter to camps, helping with transportation for special events and supplying so many key volunteer personnel. Our Chairman of the Board for Open House Ministries is Wayne Garlington, who from our home church. The GED teachers for continuing education in cooperation with Clark College, include Anita Lundy, Terry Mash, Marlene Harper and Eldene Cook from our congregation. A vital core of people faithfully assists us with our monthly mailings, and adopting families for Christmas. I am grateful to Liberty Bible Church for their strong support of this ministry. Typical days rarely happen in this chaplaincy assignment. Recently, one morning began with me sitting in a courtroom with a mother and her adolescent daughter. The judge was deciding the custody of the mother’s infant son. A report from the Children’s Protective Services (CPS) case manager revealed the mother had tested positive for use of cocaine and methamphetamines. Since this mother’s rights to keep custody of her children had been based on strict accountability with weekly drug monitoring, she was at risk of losing her infant son for an undetermined amount of time. The judge determined that with the mother’s history, even though she was making substantial improvements, there were enough reasons to take her son away. Later in the day, the CPS case manager came to the shelter and removed her son. The mother and her daughter were understandably devastated. Court adjourned at noon and, after consoling the mother, I hurried back to my office for a staff prayer meeting. We prayed for this mother and daughter and for another lady who is seriously ill. Another request was for a couple who had completed the recovery program and wanted their children returned to them. We acknowledged to the Lord that without His touch, there was little hope for any of these broken and hurting families. After lunch I visited with a colleague living through a very painful divorce process. He’s a young Christian, looking at a confusing and bleak future. But he continues seeking God for understanding and encouragement. We prayed together, shared some scripture, then he left my office to deal with life. While I sat alone for a moment reflecting, praying and catching up with my thoughts, someone appeared in the doorway and asked if she could speak with me. This lady came in for a belated intake interview. She shared how she was taught that religion was a crutch and she had absolutely no church connections, even through her childhood. She related that after a short time in the shelter she immediately became aware of God and at a chapel service she was prayed for and received Christ. Her countenance immediately changed in the conversation, and so did her entire attitude. I was thinking it would be so much easier if all lives were changed that quickly and visibly. Yet, for some, it remains a long and tedious process. Often it comes after repeated painful failures. Thank God the hope and healing is worth the time and effort it takes to see God lift people out of the pit, put them on solid footing, and give them a new song in their heart. Before that particular day was over, I watched and prayed with another family as they released Mark, their beloved husband and father of two teenage girls, into God’s presence. He won the battle with leukemia, but was overcome by the side affects of the cure. His body filled with bacteria and when life support was withdrawn, he was soon with the Lord. It is more than warm words to say all of them experienced God’s grace and comfort on that day. There was a deep sense of His presence. There are also many stories when the Good News brings deep and lasting transformation. One of the examples of the impact of this ministry is a family who entered our program in desperate need. They were only a few days off drugs, had their children removed from them, financially shipwrecked, out of work, unmarried, with a myriad of legal issues and no immediate prospect or hope for putting their lives together. After a short time in the program they found the Lord, put their lives in His hands, started the process of reunification with their children. They found a job, began working out their legal issues and got married. Four years later, they now have their children at home with them, in the house they own. Their legal responsibilities have all been resolved and they are following the Lord. Now they are helping other families in our ministry who are in crisis. That is all by the grace of God. The witness of God’s grace like this has been repeatedly heard in family meetings, at Child Protective Services, in court rooms, in jails and prisons, and in the community by residents who have met and followed the Lord. I’ve had the privilege of visiting with a couple or individuals in my office who in the course of conversation manifested a hunger for God. I asked them to consider God’s love and willingness to forgive and help them find his purpose for their lives. Many have followed me in a simple prayer of repentance and began a new life that day as His children. Sometimes the Holy Spirit moves on a whole class, as people begin to weep and acknowledge their needs, and we offer up a prayer for their salvation. Not long ago, I asked the whole class of a dozen people how many had found Christ for the first time or reconnected to him since coming to our shelter. All but one raised their hand. I am absolutely convinced that every day provides new opportunities for miracles and they are happening all around us. These stories of miraculous grace give us strength and encouragement to the end of each day. Usually, at the end of the day, I will shut down my computer, take my “Chaplain Aaron is in” sign off the door, turn out the lights and go home for the evening. On the drive home, I remember I only have “five loaves and two small fish,” but I give thanks. The Lord continues to bless it and it seems to be enough. by Chaplain Aaron Knapp Small Churches Make a Difference: Helping the Rural Homeless May 3, 2009 was all about one number for the Church of the Nazarene in Drexel, Missouri: that number was 3,563. According to research by Jay Preston, Director of My Father’s House Community Services in Paola, Kansas, the number 3,563 represents how many are homeless across the rural counties of Kansas. Most of them are children under the age of 18. As news of the effects of the recession on cities and large corporations continue to make the headlines, little is heard about the families in rural areas attempting to survive in this economic downturn. “Often thought to be an ‘urban issue,’ homelessness is not limited to metropolitan areas,” shared co-pastors Mark and Stefanie Hendrickson in their interview with GROW. “We’ve learned how people in rural areas can be found living in cars, abandoned buildings, overcrowded and substandard homes and campsites—anywhere they can find some shelter. An estimated nine percent of the homeless in America can be found in rural areas. Many of these are single women with children struggling to survive in areas with few homeless shelters, not many jobs and limited resources.” My Father’s House (MFH) was started in October 2002 to provide some of those missing resources. Jay Preston not only overcame the skepticism concerning a homeless shelter in rural Kansas, his ministry has filled a growing need around Paola, Kansas. MFH is running at full capacity and their ministries are now expanding to include a thrift store. Jay, MFH employees and volunteers continue to reach out to these invisible and forgotten families in our communities. Rural homelessness isn’t just a quantifiable fact; the rural homeless personify the “least of these” that MFH seeks to serve. And the story of Jay Preston illustrates the redemptive possibilities of this ministry. First reported in GROW Magazine in 2003, Jay had also wandered the streets of Manhattan, Kansas as a homeless person. Like many other homeless, his situation developed from a series of unexpected losses in his life. As a college student at Kansas State University in 1978, he experienced a difficult breakup and began using drugs and alcohol. After spending his rent money on addictions, soon Preston was walking the streets in a full-length army jacket. He slept most nights under the “M” in the Manhattan sign, which can still be seen entering the city. He says he remembers walking by churches during those months of his life and feeling like the church people didn’t even acknowledge him. “When you are homeless, you feel invisible,” Preston said. Jay finally found a job and worked about four months to get off the streets. While he was working in a couple of different jobs, God began working in Jay’s life. He came to Christ through the ministry of Pastor Joel Atwell at Spring Hill Grace Community Church of the Nazarene. After several years of getting established spiritually, Preston served on the church staff at Spring Hill for seven years, starting as an administrative pastor. For 26 years, he’s had a growing desire to help others who were going through similar periods of loss and confusion. Another amazing part of this miracle in the making happened when Americare, which owned a vacant nursing home, donated their property for “My Father’s House” ministry. In good repair, the building contains thirty-two rooms, laundry, rest rooms, meeting rooms and offices. The insurance company values the property at $1.3 million. The building’s construction is just right for all the ministries Preston had hoped to somehow offer this community. Hearing about Jay’s story and the ministry of MFH, the Drexel Nazarene congregation decided they could not ignore this tragedy of the rural homeless. Most of their members live in rural communities with populations of 1,500 and less. “Rural is our reality, and Drexel Church of the Nazarene had to get involved somehow. We’re looking for ways to live out holiness of heart and life, and that means caring for the poor, marginalized, and powerless,” said co-pastors Mark and Stefanie Hendrickson. “Our congregation believes no minimum Sunday morning attendance is required for being involved in the mission of the Kingdom of God. Whether a church runs five or 5,000, God calls everyone to be a part of God’s mission to care for people: mind, body, and spirit.” With this compassionate focus, members of Drexel Nazarene have been reaching out to their surrounding communities, including Paola, Kansas through the ministries of My Father’s House. “Our first opportunity to minister with MFH was last summer. We were invited to prepare and serve a meal for the residents. It was amazing to see all our people jump right in and help—even our children and teens found ways to help” noted Pastor Stefanie. “That was the first of several meals together with MFH and Grace Revolution Church of the Nazarene—a new church meeting in the MFH property. From that original connection a dream began: an annual event called Run4Shelter.” People wondered about Jay Preston’s plan when he started a homeless shelter in Paola. Why would a homeless shelter ever be located out in this country setting? But today, MFH is running at full capacity, touching the lives of people many had never noticed. The Hendricksons observed “Some people in our congregation ride and go on charity rides regularly. So we asked our congregation, ‘Why can’t we host something like that—a charity ride to benefit My Father’s House?’” The Run4Shelter event was born in the hearts of the pastoral and lay leadership of the church. The pastors met with the local Harley Davidson dealer and contacted every biker they could. The laypeople dreamed, planned, and shared with everyone they met. “I’ve never seen a more compassionate, God-trusting community. This congregation has taught me a lot about the Kingdom of God” Pastor Stefanie said. With the help of lay leaders, co-pastors and the congregation, Drexel Nazarene hosted their first charity ride, Run4Shelter, to benefit MFH and raise awareness of the issue of rural homelessness. Riders and committed lay leaders, Gary and Deanna Barton, planned the route and gave guidance to the event, providing from their experiences with charity ride events. After a morning service, Run4Shelter was kicked off with a blessing of the bikes. At noon, those participating in the ride rolled out from Drexel to the first stop—the Lacygne Christian Church in Lacygne, Kansas. “Our congregation has some connections with this church and we wanted to partner with their youth group as they raised funds to go on a mission trip to North Dakota this summer” explained Stefanie. The next stop was hosted at the Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg, Kansas. Louisburg, a bedroom community for south Kansas City, is not immune to the effects of the economy or homelessness. The final stop was made at MFH, where riders were greeted by a cheering crowd. A barbeque meal shared with MFH residents and the new Grace Revolution congregation. “We feel like we’re off to a good start. Thanks to the Bartons for their guidance, Jay Preston, the MFH staff and volunteers, and our congregation, Run4shelter was a success” Stefanie reported. “The potential for the grace of God to spread throughout rural communities is amazing.” “We serve passionate people who are serious about trying new ministries to live out their faith” noted Pastor Mark. “The Drexel congregation was willing to go for it, even if they are trying to do something a church their size isn’t ‘supposed to be able to do.’ We are ardent believers in churches of all sizes being involved in the Kingdom of God. Too often, small churches are dismissed, either by other congregations or even themselves. While this run was organized to benefit MFH and raise awareness of rural homelessness, Run4Shelter was just as much about one small congregation saying ‘Here we are Lord, we will serve.’” Pastor Stephanie added, “Often in ministry we are drawn to the numbers—the tangible, countable components of ministry. While we need at some level to keep track of that information, the Kingdom of God goes deeper than the measurable, like how many people could find shelter or how many meals would be prepared and enjoyed? One of the successes of the ride came when two riders made a comment after the event. Although related to members of the church, these ladies do not attend the Drexel Church of the Nazarene. Before leaving, these two noted that they have never seen anything like MFH and the Drexel church’s involvement in the community. On that day they were seeing the Kingdom lived out authentically.” The potential for these kinds of ministries is the deepening and expanding of Christ’s Kingdom. “If other local churches read this article and decide, with God’s help, they will not wait until they are larger, how many lives would be changed?” asked Pastor Mark as he closed his interview. “If every church under 50 in attendance would do something...” “... then something would get done!” finished Jay Preston. Believing God Would Do the Impossible: Seymour, Missouri When Pastor Mark Terrill accepted the call to pastor his home church in 1996, the Seymour (MO) Church of the Nazarene faced several common challenges. On his first Sunday, the church had 15 in Sunday School and around 30 in the worship service. He learned from the three existing board members that the church accounts had been totally depleted, and their church building was in serious need of major repairs or total replacement. In spite of those concerns, Pastor Mark said, “My heart was afire. I felt called to lead this congregation and I was obedient. We had two older ladies in particular that believed God would do the impossible. We decided to change what wasn’t working, and build on what was working.” Today, the ministry reflects the prayers and faith of those faithful members and pastor. In his interview with GROW Magazine, Pastor Mark shares some of the significant steps in their journey as a church. GROW: Pastor Mark, thank you for meeting with us to share some of your experiences with our readers about this ministry. Could you describe how your vision developed for the Seymour congregation? Pastor Terrill: In 1989 I answered the call to preach. At that time Seymour was my home church. Our present pastor resigned the very Sunday I yielded to God’s call on my life. During the next few months God began laying on my heart that I would one day pastor the Seymour congregation. In July of 1990 my wife and I accepted a call to be the associate pastors for a nearby Nazarene Church, although answering this call would span the next six and half years. My call to Seymour was very much an everyday reality. We had a great time serving with the Senior Pastor and his wife for those six and half years. When the invitation came from the Seymour Church, God opened every door to make it happen. GROW: When did you first start to see the church moving forward in this turnaround? Pastor Terrill: My wife grew up in the Seymour Church and we were married in 1980. Although we were pastoring out of the community, we still lived here in Seymour. My job enabled me to be a part of many peoples’ lives within the Seymour community. We sensed the church responding from the very first Sunday. I invited people that I knew and God began to do some amazing things. GROW: What have been some of the “sticking points” during this transition? Pastor Terrill: Growing a church is an amazing experience. However there are many obstacles to over come. Some of the more memorable steps involved things like: (1) how to develop new converts in becoming solid believers, (2) dealing with a few people who were in leadership that did not understand the dynamics of growth—and to be honest were not interested in learning anything about it, and (3) transitioning from being a bi-vocational pastor into a full time pastoral assignment. GROW: What has been one of your greatest challenges in this journey? Pastor Terrill: Allowing others to fail. Delegating leadership is a very hard thing to do when you put your whole heart into the work of the church. God has given me freedom to release the church into His hands. This has personally allowed me to grow in ways that I could not have imagined. I have a perfect peace and assurance that we are to make disciples and allow them to minister with the gifts and graces that God has given. No pastor can grow the church without being surrounded by godly men and women who share in the vision. GROW: What are some of the takeaways would you offer to anyone else considering a turnaround situation like this one has been? Pastor Terrill: There are several things that come to mind. First, the pastor needs to know God’s call—to this place of ministry. Second, the pastor must be a person of passion and integrity. The people will go no further than the pastor goes. Next, the pastor must preach God’s word without apology—with God’s anointing. And, the pastor must lead by example, not by force. The lay leadership must be in complete unity with the vision and mission of the church. And, all of the leadership must know this is God’s church, not theirs. I also believe that education is a key element in growing a Bible believing congregation, with Sunday School classes and Wednesday evening programs for all ages. I’m also fully convinced you cannot build a church without solid children and youth programs. GROW: So how does this church now see its best results in outreach and growth? Pastor Terrill: Our people are always willing to reach out in whatever means necessary to grow the church. God has placed around me some incredible adult, youth and childrens’ workers. I will be the very first one to say that much of our success has come from leaders who love the Lord and are committed in making a difference in their communities. GROW: Why did this transition work in Seymour? Pastor Terrill: Seymour is a small town here in Missouri with a population of 1,627. I guess my straight forward and most transparent answer would still be—evangelism. GROW: How many new unchurched people would you estimate have come to faith? Pastor Terrill: This is a very hard question to answer. Some who have been saved here have now moved on in their lives in various ways. But I’m guessing somewhere around 1,000 people. GROW: You’ve come so far in this journey. What do you see are the new future potentials for ministry? Pastor Terrill: We are in many ways a regional congregation. The opportunities are endless. Personally, I shared with this church board and congregation that I have no interest in pastoring a church in decline. I believe our mission is to win the lost. I’m only interested in a church that believes this with all of their being. If we can keep our focus on the real mission, then we will fill our church and build again. I have been through three building programs and though it’s been difficult, I would do it all again and again if it’s needed. GROW: What else would you like to share in this story that we haven’t asked you? Pastor Terrill: I love the Church of the Nazarene. I can’t imagine being anything but a Nazarene. I want all our pastors and people to know that what is happening in Seymour Church of the Nazarene is nothing more than finding the heart of God. In closing, I’d add this list of ten things to think about:
Cowboy Churches Reaching Missing Generations: Three Congregations Having New Impact Ask Pastor Jon Coe about the need for a new kind of church across the USA, and the southwest in particular, and he will describe these missing generations in most of today’s churches. “There are over 30 million individuals who are tied into the western heritage culture in the United States,” Pastor Coe notes. “They don’t feel comfortable in most churches and there hasn’t been anyone reaching out to them. Most of these new Cowboy Churches that have already started are growing, but have not even begun to scratch the surface. Their potential is huge. “Churches using this ‘Cowboy Church Plant Model’ in other evangelical denominations are seeing phenomenal growth. Of the 44 churches we have worked with in the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, all average 300 or more in worship attendance. As a group, they are currently experiencing a 58% annual growth rate.” But beyond the impressive worship counts exists an underlying focus on the sense of mission in these new works. Pastor Jon says, “This new ‘culturally relevant ministry’ is all about reaching unchurched individuals in the western heritage background. We are not focused on ‘already churched’ individuals. In fact, we strongly discourage our leaders in training from trying to reach the already churched as a target group. “Depending on the church, its style, location and leadership, nearly 80% of the people attending a new Cowboy Church have not been attending a church, except when they were children. In the current new Cowboy Churches on our district, 70% of the people have not attended a church in the last 15 years, from one survey we took. And, only 15% attended worship a couple of times in the last 15 years, for any event including Easter and Christmas. “Of those who have come to faith, 73% are adults and 70% of these are males. In those conversions, 23% of the new believers are over the age of 65. This shows an older generation who wants to know God, but has not been reached by our typical churches. Cowboy Churches are reaching the generations of individuals that other new contemporary and older traditional churches do not reach.” Looking toward the future, Pastor Coe remains optimistic for this new kind of new church. “The potential is unlimited. We have found in the cowboy movement we are only limited by the vision we have of lost souls. God has sent more people to the church each year than was in my five year plan. “My parents had 25 acres of pecan trees. As kids we used to harvest the pecans for spending money. At the start of the season the pecans were everywhere. You just walked out and loaded up a sack and off you went. But as time went along there were less and less pecans to harvest. It got to a point that we were going up the tree to harvest the pecans. “Right now in the cowboy movement the fruit can be plentiful. These opportunities are everywhere just waiting for individuals and sponsors to come along and reach them. By planting churches now, instead of later, we could be reaping a great harvest. This may not be the case 10 years from now. The western heritage culture is ‘ripe for harvest.’ “If we have the faith and do our part God will always exceed our greatest expectations. Each time that God has asked us to step out in faith and do our job, He has always followed it up with great results. I am really learning the hard lesson of getting out of God’s way and letting Him do His job.” And Pastor Coe describes many people who have been transformed by the Good News from these new ministry efforts: “people like Sam, who work as a day rider off a horse rounding up animals and doctoring cattle for a living. “When Sam came to the church, he had not been in church since he was a teenager. Sam has given his heart to the Lord and is working on cleaning up problem areas in his life. “Today Sam is so excited about God that he shares that excitement with others,” says Pastor Jon. “There are probably 20 people now coming to the church because of Sam, his testimony and his sowing efforts. “Not long ago Sam came to me and informed me that he felt God was calling him into the ministry. Sam will probably be the next Associate Pastor we hire to help us start another Cowboy Church. God is changing lives and raising cowboy pastors in our midst.” But Sam is just one of the many who have found new faith and this new church. When they launched the first service of the Lone Star Cowboy Church, Pastor Coe remembers “It was a day of joyful celebration on July 15, 2006 when 27 individuals showed up in a tractor barn to celebrate the occasion. “The church was only able to meet in the tractor barn for four weeks before it outgrew its first meeting place with an attendance of over 100. We had to move the service to a hay barn on the property. Lone Star has watched God add to the church weekly. “In 2006, we saw 48 individuals become new converts with 36 of them being baptized in a horse trough. We saw 51 of those attending become members of the church. By the end of December, we had an average attendance of 108, with a high Sunday of 167 in worship. It has been unlike anything any of us has ever experienced. “In 2007, the growth continued,” Pastor Coe recalls. “We had our lowest attendance the second week of January with 93 in worship. Then our high attendance of 302 came on Easter Sunday.On the church’s first year’s anniversary in 2007, we had 324 in worship. And, we saw 51 individuals become new converts, with 39 of them being baptized as the church’s membership grew to 113. We went through three building phases to enlarge the facility so that we could handle the growth. Then, during this time we felt led to sponsor a new satellite Cowboy Church. “On April 8, 2007 we went 45 miles from our current location and started our first satellite Cowboy Church, Lone Star Cowboy Church of Navarro County meeting at 8:30 on Sunday mornings. “The band, my wife Mary and some other members of the Red Oak Church would drive down to Corsicana every Sunday morning and set the building up for service. We would hold service there and then drive back to Red Oak to do the later service. “We had 46 new individuals from the community show up for that first service. By the end of 2007, we had 83 new people attending the church in Corsicana. We saw 21 individuals become new converts, with 15 being baptized and 47 becoming members. It was also in Nov. 2007, when this sponsoring church and pastor began working with their second sponsorship project. Pastor Tye Howard began to lead a Vaquero Ingelsia Movement on their existing property. Pastor Coe remembered how “Tye, his family and five others came onto the church property to start a Hispanic Cowboy Church. This new church grew to 80 individuals in the first year. This new Hispanic congregation has been going now for some two years with an average attendance now over 130. “In 2008, the Red Oak church climbed to an average of 255 in worship attendance, with a high of 435 on Easter. There were 31 new converts with 28 of them being baptized and the membership grew to 160. The Corsicana church had an average attendance of 101 with 9 people being saved and 3 baptized. The membership grew to 63. “Then, in October of 2008 we brought Jarvis and Esther Smith on board as associate ministers. We hired them to be Campus Pastors for the church in Corsicana. We did this so we could get ready to start our second satellite church out of the Red Oak and Corsicana churches. “Now we have identified five new cities where we want to start new satellite churches. We have already begun to pray and fast, asking God in which cities He wanted us to start the next of 10 churches. By this time, we were being led to go to Mexia to start the third Lone Star Cowboy Church. “On April 5, 2009 we had our first interest service in the town of Mexia, Texas. We had five people from the community come and say they would help us start a new Cowboy Church. We decided to start the next week with our service. We hired Jake and Christie Hershey as the Campus Pastor for Mexia satellite, and did a week of heavy advertising, including hanging up banners on a building we were renting. The next Sunday we had 101 individuals show up for service. We actually had new people drive off because we ran out of room in the parking lot. In that service we had three people who got saved and wanted to be baptized. “From January 2009 to date, the sponsoring Red Oak Cowboy Church has an average attendance of 313 in worship, seen 57 new converts, 27 baptized and 22 received into the church’s membership. “The Corsicana Cowboy Church has an average worship attendance of 203, with five new converts, four baptisms and nine new people joining the church. “Between the Lone Star churches we saw 728 new individuals in worship, 35 salvations and seven baptisms. If you add the Vaquero Church there were over 878 people on our property that day. “The story is about the same between each of these new churches: the greatest percentage of people who attend are un-churched, the age groups of those being saved, and the growth rate are about the same. “Of the people coming to faith, 70% of them are adults. The average growth of the Cowboy Churches is between 46% and 62% per year. “To date, our church has not only planted two other satellite Cowboy Churches, but we have helped sponsor two others in Waco, Texas. One is running over 250 in morning worship and the other around 70 in attendance. We have also sponsored two other congregations, one in Springtown, Texas and the other in Lucus, Texas, both are running over 100 in weekly worship. We are now looking at starting one in South Houston in the next couple of months.” Research & Trends: Most Churches Add New People Every Year
A new Nazarene is a person taken into church membership either by a profession of faith or by transferring their membership from another denomination. The Church of the Nazarene in the USA and Canada received 31,239 new Nazarenes in 2008; however, not every church takes in a new Nazarene each year. Even more noteworthy is that the percentage of churches that do receive at least one new Nazarene within the year has been declining. Chart 1 below shows three trend lines. The red trend line with the yellow triangle is the percentage of churches that received at least one new Nazarene within the year. The highest percentage was back in 1974 when 79% of Nazarene churches took in at least one new Nazarene. The lowest percentage was in 2008, when 68% of Nazarene churches received at least one new Nazarene member. Although the line has almost as many points of increase as it does points of decrease, the overall trend is clearly lower. The blue trend line shows the percentage of churches receiving at least one person by profession of faith. The line closely mirrors the red new Nazarenes line because professions of faith are a large component of new Nazarenes. The other component— membership transfers from other denominations—is very small. However, there is a growing space between the new Nazarenes line and the professions of faith line, indicating that we are recognizing more new members from other denominations. Christian groups are increasingly likely to grant transfers between denominations, so this figure may continue to grow. Just because a church does not receive a new Nazarene, that does not mean there is nothing happening. The purple trend line shows the percentage of churches that reported an increase in average worship attendance even though they did not receive a single new Nazarene. The line is consistently between 7% to 9% of Nazarene churches. When looked at in combination with new Nazarenes, about 4 out of every 5 Nazarene churches in the USA and Canada adds new people to their congregation each year. How Nazarenes Perceive Other Organizations Focus on the Family received the highest “very favorable” response, with over half of the lay members choosing this reply. When combined with “favorable” responses, more than a 90% of both pastors and lay members have a favorable opinion in regard to Focus on the Family. In contrast to this, Planned Parenthood received a “very unfavorable” or “unfavorable” opinion from 79% of pastors and 50% of lay members. However, 33% of lay members have either a “very favorable” or “favorable” view of Planned Parenthood. Many people indicated that they “didn’t know or were unfamiliar” with the organization in question. The National Council of Churches is the least familiar organization for both pastors and lay members, with just over half (51%) of the lay members and 24% of pastors choosing this option. In addition to revealing our unfamiliarity with many organizations, the data also helps to remind us that no matter what our opinion is there is probably someone else with a different opinion nearby. Editorial: Changing Methods for a Changeless Message Even a casual reading of the gospels reveals how multiple methods effectively communicated the gospel message. A great host of heavenly messengers proclaimed the birth of the Christ child to awaken shepherds and motivate them to go to the stable where Jesus lay in a manager. In the same event, a brilliant star guided some of the most educated leaders from their far away home to draw near enough to see the new Messiah. But sleeping shepherds would probably have missed that subtle signal in the stars. To the faithful worshipper Simeon, the message came in a time of private prayer. For Mary, who faced one of the greatest challenges in the Word becoming flesh, a visible revelation and announcement seemed more necessary. For Joseph, the truth was clearly revealed through a dream. Interesting isn’t it, that God selected so many different ways to communicate the Good News for the sake of so many different kinds of people? And who can forget the unorthodox style of the prophet and evangelist John the Baptist? Or the confirmation that came through Elizabeth’s prenatal nudge or Zachariah being stricken dumb? And that wide variety of methodologies is just in the opening chapters of the gospels. The common objectives for all of these revelations brought faith in Christ. Time and space won’t permit an exhaustive registry of methods throughout the rest of the gospels. Miracles of nearly every imaginable form energized faith and heralded the establishment of Christ’s new Kingdom. From turning water into wine, healing the lame, opening blinded eyes and even raising the dead back to life, Jesus enlisted dramatic and diverse tools to communicate the Good News. And the Spirit of Christ seems to continue to do so. Follow the ministry of the Apostle Paul and early church through the book of Acts and the epistles, and the variety of approaches only grows. Every new context seemed to call for a new approach to deliver the message in a new way: the focus was to help bridge others to faith. Even our spiritual roots in the holiness movement trace back to John Wesley’s innovations to preach on street corners, in mining camps—even from his father’s grave stone. His use of itinerate preaching from villages and towns had previously never been attempted, forming class meetings in each place to promote discipleship and holy living. Many of the church leaders of his day criticized his innovations as unorthodox and undesirable. For whatever the reasons, each new generation of the church has continued to face criticism—and even opposition—to adapting methodologies to increase the impact of the gospel. For many critics of change, their confusion has grown from an inability—or refusal—to distinguish the message from the methods. The gospel remains timeless. Scriptural truth is sacred. But styles and forms of delivery of that message continue to change. In effective missional leaders and ministries, change and innovation are expected and embraced. For those focused on their mission, most refuse to criticize other methods working in different contexts when they assist in extending the Kingdom. As in the revelations in the Christmas story, different people come to understand the Good News from different kinds of revelation. The message remains consistent. Some critics of innovation have tried to connect theological accuracy with ministry conformity. They suggest that only certain ministry methods are acceptable in particular doctrinal belief systems. But the most effective missional leaders rarely make those assertions. And church history and the scriptures deny any connection. For most of the critics, the truth is they just don’t like to deal with change. One of my mentors in ministry told of his family’s experience dealing with change in their church. He recalled as a child when his mother seemed deeply distressed. He even heard her weeping alone at night. When he asked his father, he learned that his mother was enduring unkind criticisms for playing the new organ in their church’s worship service. For some in their congregation those many years ago, “an organ belonged in the movie houses—not in God’s house.” And they weren’t shy in saying so. “Now,” he said with a smile, “I’ve lived long enough to see worship wars over guitars and drums, from those trying to keep the church organ.” Missional ministry moves us beyond our preferences and comfort zones. To reach others with the Good News, new ministries and new approaches continue to develop. Sometimes, if we live long enough, old approaches may be revived and adapted to effectively implement again. But the heart of the issue involves reaching the hearts of others with the Good News. — JIM DORSEY
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