Sermon Notes

Our sermon title last weekend was "Strategy for Multi-Sites".
Why would that be a sermon title in an evangelical church?
Because our church, Grace Fellowship, will be opening a satellite campus in the fall. It will be called Grace North. It will be located in a community about 20 minutes north of here. Why would we be doing this? Well, our pastor explained the "whats" and the "whys" in his sermon. Here is what I learned (all of this info was new to me, so that was exciting in itself...I love learning new things):

WHAT is a multi-site church?

• A multi-site church is one church that meets in multiple locations. (we will still have the same core, Biblical beliefs, one budget, the same vision/mission)

WHY should we follow this approach?

• Because of the example of the early church (New Testament) in Acts 2: 44-47

"All the believers were together and had everything in common.....every day
they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts..."

Also: Acts 5: 42 "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."
And: Acts 6: 1: "In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews amongthem complained against those of the Aramaic-speaking community because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food."

Our pastor explained that proximity encourages deep (intimate) fellowship.
Multi-site church will help us to look like the church in Acts, rather than a "mega-church" where large numbers of people all drive long distances to get to church under one roof.

• Because of the command to GO! (Matt. 28: 19= "the great commission"). We need to get to where the people are! Some of our members/attenders drive over an hour to get to our church here in town. Our pastor has done some research and explained to us that when people have to drive more than 20 min. to get to church it hampers their involvement in the various ministries, and they typically won't invite their unbelieving friends.

• It is both big and small. It is better for us, rather than staying a "mega-church", to open up a satellite church where there are smaller numbers and where the people are now closer (or in) their own community. We need to get the "bread of life" to as many people as possible. People want to stay in their own communities for other services such as restaurants, car washes, banks, etc. Makes sense for church!

• It is brand new and a trusted name. Our methods change, the way we do things, but our message stays the same! Our pastor is always telling us this. He said many methods (ways of doing things) have changed at GF over the last 15 years, but the gospel message has always been preached consistently and our misison/purpose does not change! He likes to say "modify our methods without compromising the message".
  

• Because it will allow more outreach (evangelism) and more maturity (involved people equals committed people) Committed people will grow spiritually. When people have to drive long distances to church, they tend to not be as involved in the various ministries at the church during the week. By having another site, it will also allow more people to step out into their giftings and serve.

HOW will this multi-site approach work?

• There will be live worship: each site will have its own worship team

• There will be video preaching: Pastor Rex is already projected onto 2 screens in our sanctuary because of the size of the sanctuary.....the members are already used to this...he will be projected onto a huge screen at the new site. The 2 sites will be hearing the same doctrine/message

• There will be key ministry staff (we already have hired the new pastor to oversee the new site; he has preached to our congregation here in town and to our teens in the youth center)

• There will still be a small group focus at the new site: our pastor says this is God's design for intimate fellowship.

What can I do as a member of the church? I can pray and think "community"!
Ephesians 3: 20 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasureably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us"

So...here at Grace Fellowship we have about 75% of the people who live within 20 min or less of the church. This means that about 25% of our congregation lives further....come autumn, that will change!
It is a blessing to be a part of something that is new and different yet that gospel, that Word of God, our King of Kings, does not change!
And around our house....that is important..as a family we have faced many changes, usually because of church..our biggest change was leaving the church were we met and dedicated our babies to come to Grace. Leaving our old church (i had been there for 17 years!) was a hard change...many of our friends didn't understand the need for us to be in our own community...some of those friends no longer speak with us...this was hard at first...but...we have embraced our new church and it finally feels like home...I no longer say "our old church" vs. "our new church"....and...we have had to learn to flow with the changes the Lord brings into our lives yet embrace Jesus and His Word...He brings change but He Himself, never changes...He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!