“Our congregation is just stuck. It’s like we can’t get out of neutral.”
“Our church is disconnected from the neighborhood. Everyone in town used to know who we were; now no one even knows our church is here.”
“Financially, we’re having a lot of trouble and we’ve been withdrawing funds from our church savings account to pay the bills.”
Does your congregation have too much space?
If the comments above sound familiar to you, your church may want to consider a New Beginnings Assessment. This service from Hope Partnership Services is specifically created for Disciples congregations in decline who face mounting challenges with regard to their sustainability. During the 6 to 8-month process, you will clarify your context, explore your options, and make an informed decision about your future direction.
Over 1,000 congregations have engaged the New Beginnings process, with 99% finding clarity and embracing a new vision for their future ministry. Of those churches, 60% chose some form of mission re-visioning, 35% chose to redevelop the church, and 5% chose to close, providing their assets for creating a new local congregation.
If your congregation can say ‘yes’ to at least three of the five characteristics below, it may be a good candidate for New Beginnings:
Water damage and deferred maintenance can be costly.
• Less than 70 people attending worship
• Significant building issues (too much space, inadequate parking, deferred maintenance)
• Aging membership
• Changing neighborhood
• Trouble paying off a building loan
Hope Partnership Services can help you determine if New Beginnings would help your congregation. For additional information, please send an email to info@hopepmt.org or call us at 800 274 1883.
In addition to New Beginnings, Hope Partnership Services also offers Epiphany, a service designed for the congregation longing to become a transforming presence both inside and outside of its church walls. You can learn more about it on our Epiphany page.
