Change!?!, Decline/Growth, Leadership
Two Gatherings a success…
On Sunday, we made a shift that, in my experience is one of the hardest shifts for “brethren” to make… and that is to go from one worship gathering to two! What an amazing group of leaders I work with… they were afraid and left to their own, would not have made the shift, but they allowed me to do what I thought best and WOW! We went from a 10:30 mix with a heavy lean toward contemporary to a 9 a.m. traditional and a 10:30 contemporary gathering. The first week we jumped in attendance by a little more than 50%! I think that is HUGE!
Can’t wait to see what next week brings!Â
 Yes, this shift means we have to adapt and sacrifice some valued things for gaining other things of value… we will have to do carry-in meals differently and we will have to work at community building, and we will have to depend on leaders to lead all the more… but all those things are doable especially when growth happens. The value of growing the kingdom usurps all other values in my mind!
 Just wanted to share an exciting moment in the history of Community of Joy Church of the Brethren!
 For more info check out my blog.
01 Oct 2007 Martin Hutchison
Martin,
Good to hear from you and catch a bit of what is happening at Community of Joy. I wonder how being new in your space helped make this easier to do? As I have thought about that kind of transition here in Modesto, all you have to do is voice the idea and you can hear those voices getting going about the community and who will we be and so on. I still think the time is coming when we will need to make that move, but there are pieces that aren’t in hand or clear yet. Or maybe those are just my fears and anxieties creeping in.
I have recently found the Nooma video series by Rob Bell and have thought they might provide an interesting format and centerpiece to an alternate worship experience on a Saturday night or other time.
Blessings, and may the good things continue to come.
Russ
Hey Russ… you are alive! Jeff told me that you were doing a new spiritual discipline… a post every Monday… get on it! I’d love to see this blog heat up! LOL!
Anyways, you are right being in a SMALL space made all the difference in getting people to sign on… didn’t have to deal with the community thing etc until much later. But then it was too late.
More later… off to District Conf…. wanna go for me??? lol!
Hey Russ,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Modesto and two services. I would love to see two services at my home church. I think a second service would be encouraging for your youth and young adults, in addition to helping to build some new leadership skills among them.
You mention “fears and anxieties. . .”. I wonder sometimes how many things don’t get done for God that he desires because of our fears, anxieties, and low self esteem. This isn’t a statement directed at you as much as it is me and the Body of Christ in general. In my personal devotions, I’ve been stuck in Ephesians now for many months. Chapter 1:3-10 are so full of meaning. I wonder how much we would risk for Christ, if we truly lived as richly as Paul writes that we are blessed.
Thanks for sharing!
Jeff
Just an update… this past week… second with the two gatherings had the same attendance as the last with one less duplication! So, we are definitely up almost 50% in attendance for the two weeks we have had a second worship gathering. And the neat thing is that folks are loving it! They are loving having a traditional and a contemporary gathering. We always had a contemporary gathering with a slight twist of traditional. I think the spirit in both is much more free and sweeter!
An update… after 4 Sundays with two gatherings…. we are still up in attendance almost 50%!