but was haunted by the question: if all of this is so great and life changing,
why is the Church so small? He began studying church growth in various
denominations. He found that most people come into a church through people
already connected. But nothing lasts forever – including churches – and unless
we keep planting new congregations the Church will never grow.
Austin was targeted as ripe for a church plant because the city itself was
growing. It was a progressive area with religious diversity. He took the plunge
– with help from the General Church and a small staff, and the New Way
Church was born.
He found it is possible to open a new church and people will show up – but
growing and sustaining a church is a real challenge.
With the truths of the Church we have a lot to offer. The New Church
message is decidedly different and does resonate with some people. If it is seen
as “cool and different” they will tell friends – but only if the pastor is saying the
right thing and the message is working.
Newcomers are evaluating you:
Does this feel like a place where people
are living their religion? If they see this
happening they may get excited.
But Mac found they were attracting
people mostly from poor communities
who had no experience with what
he was preaching. Many had been
homeless, in prison, on drugs. Most
were single young adults and there
were few children. They brought a
sense of being judged. So the way they
were welcomed was really important.
They have to see and believe that you
love them.
With all of this to work with, Mac
decided to give them full-on New
Church doctrine. They were wary, but
they listened. But he quickly realized
that a pastor-centered model is fragile.
We are in a Noah state as a church, he
feels, with the priesthood at the top,
and this may not be the best for growth.
When he was preaching he was
always open to interruption, such as,
“Did I hear that right?” He found he
could get from A to B in his sermons,
He had launched the
plant knowing the
failure rate was high
but with a lot of people
telling him it would be
great. He knew they
would make mistakes
and might fail, but had
to try. The Lord, he said,
loves when we trip and
fall, and learn from the
experience. And, “We
as a church need to get
better at this” – making
the effort and learning
how to do it better.
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