Well, here we are on this side of two worship services for The Bridge. Open House went well on the 21st of February and 75 people attended the "launch" service on the 22nd. I was elated that well wishers from three churches attended and representatives from our association and state agencies were also there (they were a great encouragement); but I was a little disappointed that not many from the community attended. Despite canvassing the neighborhood, passing out many brochures, talking to a lot of people, radio advertising, signs, etc., only about 8-10 showed up.
But, Hey! Praise the Lord! It's a great start for us. Two days later, during our "debrief" our Core Group members agreed that we were still too "churchy". The idea for The Bridge is to present a comfortable and casual atmosphere where folks could come and feel free to be open to the message of Christ presented by our teaching pastor.
So, we will be trying new things (we've actually put a couple of cafe tables in the room) and reaching more people. Here's a couple of other things we're trying: the teaching pastor insists on talking to the folks in a "living room" type atmosphere (thus the tables--maybe a couch?), the band has recruited a guitar player and is praying for a drummer, and we're looking for more creative ways to influence the community around us.
If you have tried things in your multi-site or new church venue, please feel free to comment to this blog and pass along the things that have worked for you; any suggestion will help us develop our innovation and creativity.
Thanks for all your prayers...keep it up...we need you! |
