"GET ORGANIZED" CHURCH LEADERS TOLD AT GROWTH SEMINAR

 ST. LOUIS, Mo -- "Getting organized for outreach" was the common theme as a pastor and missions consultant, an oriental pastor and a black pastor shared ideas and strategies for church growth with 36 pastors and church leaders in a pre-convention gathering here July 22 of the 1999 joint MC/GC Mennonite Convention.

Citing I Chron. 11/12, Dale Bauman of the Elmira (Ont.) Mennonite Church and newly-appointed missions consultant for Mennonite Board of Missions, challenged the group to "look for persons of valor whom God is raising up in your communities of faith." He said these are people, often the quiet "pillars of faith," who tend to be overlooked when planning our outreach efforts. Our strength as a community often resides with these people--persons who build community, who are salt and light where they work and live.

"We need to focus more on what we are doing right, so that our love can flow freely to our neighbors." But while arguing that we want our "actions to speak louder than words," he also encouraged the group to be more vocal about their faith. Passing around a tongue screw used to "quiet the tongues of our persecuted Anabaptist forefathers and mothers," he called on the group to be courageous in speaking out for Jesus Christ, modeling those in our heritage who couldn’t keep quiet about their faith, even as their detractors were leading them to their drownings, burnings and beheadings.

April Yamaski, pastor of the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, B.C., outlined a 12-step program she found effective in reaching out to the Indo-Canadian neighbors living right around the church. As a result of their efforts to "be a good neighbor initiative," a traditional congregation discovered its potential to do "very ordinary things" that helped a distinctive international culture find its way in a new world.

They engaged in such things as teaching them English as a second language, providing facilities for frequent gatherings of the Indo community, inviting in religious leaders to talk about the Sikk religion and culture and working with family needs. From this attempt to identify rather than to reflect negatively on a foreign culture, the congregation was able to identify the strengths of the Indo culture while introducing the Christian message in a less threatening manner.

Leslie Franciso, senior pastor of the 1,200-member Calvary Community Church, Hampton, VA, also gave some 10 pointers in moving a congregation to community ministry. "If you want to see a miracle, get organized," he said. "Often we believe in what God can do, but are we ready to handle what God can do?"

Among his counsel was to move out of the "holy huddle" we are accustomed to on Sunday morning, be sure the church leadership is unified and working together, expect fruitfulness (don’t be surprised by it!) prepare a good meal for Sunday morning worshippers, advertise it well in the local media, take time for yourself as a leader (both for renewal in marriage and resourcing for leadership), develop a clear vision, make every person in the congregation feel important, put much emphasis on prayer and fasting and expect your people to tithe.

To carry out the mechanics of these goals, Calvary, which has grown from 50 to 1,200 members since 1959, Francisco publishes a Membership Manual which outlines some 40 ministries available to new members, and an annual "Vision" statement. They have an annual "corporate fast" for 21 days before issuing and promoting the "Vision," and follow that up with an annual Tithers Appreciation banquet.

Seminar participants then broke into small groups to discuss the strategies. Bob Shreiner, pastor of the 566-member Clinton Frame Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN, said he sees his Sunday school classes as pastoral teams and has organized them into 20 groups to help carry out the ministry in church and community.

The seminar was sponsored by New Life Ministries and was moderated by Marilyn Miller, Boulder, CO, director of Outreach Ministries for CHM/GC and Ed Bontrager Newport News, VA, minister of evangelism and church growth, MBCM/MC; other partner representatives were Jack Suderman, Winnipeg, from the CMC and Dick Benner, Harrisonburg, VA Shalom Foundation.

Reported by Dick Benner, 9-4-99

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