Church growth is pastor's dream
By Craig Stephens
LABELLE — “I’ve been a pastor for 25
years, and I’ve only had one other experience like this,” said the
Rev. Jay Goforth, pastor of Carlson Memorial United Methodist Church
here. “It’s a pastor’s dream.”
Within the last year, the church has grown by 50
percent. It now offers a contemporary service along with its
traditional service and has 150 to 200 people attending each. Sunday
school attendance has grown to 110 each week, and the church is
operating at 100 percent capacity.
All of this is happening in the small
agricultural town of LaBelle, population 6,000.
Two years ago, Carlson’s members decided to
develop a plan to make disciples for Jesus Christ. They created five
ministry teams, each with a unique name and purpose: Serve the World,
Save the Lost, Study His Word, Share His Love and Seek His Will.
The teams have reformed the administration of
the church, which now puts more effort and money directly into
ministry. The church has begun four Disciple Studies and is launching
three Alpha Classes this month.
“We are trying to reach out to the community,”
said David Westphal, Carlson’s lay leader. “If it doesn’t have
to do with shepherding, or bringing in new people, then we probably
shouldn’t be doing it.”
Goforth was appointed to the church in June
2001. Initially, the congregation was concerned about having a
pastoral transition in the midst of significant changes within the
church, but Goforth’s approach relieved members’ concerns. He
helped the church adjust to the new contemporary service and suggested
that contemporary and traditional styles simply describe a preference
in reaching God. He preaches a different sermon to each service in
order to communicate that God has something to say to them in the
realm of their worship preference.
Goforth says he believes the change the
congregation has made over the past several years has created a strong
desire to do God’s will and credits his predecessors and God with
the church’s new outreach focus. He also praises Carlson’s
members. “This is an extremely loving church,” Goforth said. “The
biggest fear that they have is that they will somehow stop being
excited.”
Westphal agrees. He said he has seen God warming
the hearts of Carlson’s members and is also seeing new faces at the
church. His said his hope is to see them come first to salvation, then
to service.
“Everything seems to be going in a very
positive direction,” Goforth said, adding his strategy now is to
stay out of God’s way and “try not to mess it up.”
|
