A “Real Letter” To Help A New Church “Really” Grow….

Pastor Bob,

I enjoyed having coffee with you this past week. As I listened to you, I heard areas where you talked about your church growing and ideas that you are considering. My own church planting experience and evangelism experiences are still very fresh for me. I am convinced that a great church can happen anywhere. Location is not everything in matters of the Spirit. Examples of this are everywhere. The more disadvantaged a situation, the more God can and often will be glorified. God loves to be glorified in our weakness, so we can see how strong God truly is…and that God is for us (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Three things that I heard while I was with you (in my own language):

1. Meeting in a Community Center has its strengths and struggles

2. A desire to reach young families and develop a thriving children’s ministry

3. Outreach in the community

Some ideas that may contribute (or may not)…I always say to try on ideas like clothes…leave the ones that don’t fit on the rack. A few thoughts…

First, Bob you are right on when you say that meeting in a Community Center is a real plus. You mentioned the great facilities you have access to use. Perhaps there is additional outreach value/impact in having a tag line like _____ Church, in the community with the love of Jesus Christ… some statement that says you are living your values in the community for the community. The authenticity of where you meet communicates your love. Meeting in a Community Center is obviously mission driven. If you do not already have it, we could make a small invite card with a map which explains what you are doing and reaches out to invite others. Having this invitation as part of the Sunday bulletin puts an invitation into your attendee’s hands every meeting every week. It also helps to control your printing costs.

Your locals will like your realness and authentic loving proximity. Not being in a “church” is a great advantage in reaching the un-churched! And, the mission of Jesus Christ is driven towards the unreached. “Those who are well have no need of a physician,” Luke 5:31. 70% (Dr. Ed Stetzer) to 90% (Dennis Gingrich, South Florida church planting expert) of your locals have no interest in being connected to a church. You are genuinely and intentionally present for those who have not experienced the joyful Good News of Jesus Christ – experiencing the joy of being part of God-at-work healing our broken world. There are also the realities of attractional verses incarnational ecclesiology to consider. Seeking the currently churched requires a full-service church. Seeking the unchurched does not….seek out the unchurched.

Second, your location has ample space for a thriving children’s ministry. Some initial steps to take you there would be to have lots of good pictures demonstrating your children’s ministry and ways to involve your children in every service before transitioning them to your children’s ministry program. This gives you the chance to “sell” your ministry to everyone every week and to educate your attendee’s to spread the word. Communicating what you are doing in your children’s ministry at the start of your service allows parents time to let go of their children. The group experience of the church’s children leaving both helps the parents to let go and helps the children to go. Children’s sermons are great for this. But, there are other ways to do this as well. You can simply have a time for children’s ministry. Remember that your parents want both a “safe place” to help raise their children in faith, and the parents need a moment of child free rest. But first, parents want to “see” how you will love and care for their children in several ways before they go of them.

PortableChurch.com has easy children’s ministry in a large durable box on wheels that can store easily, unpack quickly, and be packed up easily after service. You can purchase programs, curriculum, systems for checking in and tracking children, as well as pagers to alert parent when they are needed. I had everything portable in my Church planting. It is easy to do. Getting a few young families involved can always start as a church focus and kick start or revitalize your children’s ministry. Be sure to get pictures into your invite materials and onto your web site.

Third, and good to have after you have a children’s ministry in place, you mentioned an outreach. This is an excellent training web site http://noba.e-quip.net/presentations/show/1344 for block parties which can help you think through most everything. It may have some ideas that fit and some that don’t. Overall, it is an excellent resource. Partnering with another church plant or smaller church of equal size and development can defer your cost and increase your resources for the event without feeling uncomfortable.

God bless and I am looking forward to getting to know you better,

Rev. Roy D. Shaff

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