2 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Large churches learn from Florida church

Christ Church shares its ministries and facilities for national training event.

By Michael Wacht

FT. LAUDERDALE — More than 300 United Methodists from nearly 200 churches across the United States met in Ft. Lauderdale for four days last month to learn what makes Christ Church United Methodist here a dynamic and growing church.

“We felt like Christ Church offered significant models for how to do church for congregations of all sizes…” said the Rev. Bob Pierson, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Okla., and chairman of the United Methodist Large Church Initiative committee.

Christ Church’s small groups, community outreach ministries and leadership style, which Pierson described as “permission giving,” were highlighted.

The Rev. Jim Harnish, a participant at the event and pastor of Tampa’s Hyde Park United Methodist Church, which has nearly 1,500 members, said Christ Church offers ministries that are rare in the denomination.

“It’s a church that is passionately committed to reach unchurched people for Christ,” he said. “That’s a rarity in United Methodism today. They also work with folks in small groups. Most of United Methodism has lost that very thing that Wesley said is key to the whole movement.”

The “Meeting the Challenges of the Large Membership Church” event was sponsored by the United Methodist Large Church Initiative committee and the denomination’s General Board of Discipleship. It was a chance for pastors, staff and laity to meet, network and share ideas for ministry, according to Pierson.

Although the Large Church Initiative targets churches with an average weekly attendance of 350 or more, the event was open to all churches.

“The focus of the event is on how to help United Methodism regain life among the larger churches,” Harnish said. “It helps reinvigorate and re-energize the larger congregations.”

Leaders of larger churches sometimes find it difficult to focus on the vision and mission of the church and instead focus on themselves, not their communities, according to Harnish.

“It’s really important to get out and see what God is doing someplace else,” he said. “If we’re centered on our own church our perspective is very small. I got a note pad full of ideas…and I have a renewed commitment to the mission and vision God gave to Hyde Park.”

The Rev. Dick Wills, pastor of Christ Church, said staff and members were “very honored” to be the host church. “It gave them a greater awareness that Christ Church is a teaching church within our denomination.”

Wills said more than 200 United Methodist churches have attended Christ Church’s weekend training events, which focus on how Christ Church has developed its ministry based on values of spiritually accountable leaders, empowered lay pastors and Wesleyan class meetings.

Participants also visited other large churches in the area, including Calvary Chapel and Mount Olive Baptist Church.

“The churches shared…how hard it is to find what God is calling a congregation to do and to focus your energy into doing it,” Harnish said. “Many United Methodist churches are not growing because it’s such hard work, but we heard from some churches that said, ‘It’s worth it.’ ”