| Church DevelopmentSecond Campus Outreach
By Dr. Montfort C. Duncan Jr.,
Executive Director, Church Development
 A
sign of a vital, healthy congregation is its desire to reach the lost,
the broken and the unchurched. This is an indicator that the church is
outward focused and mission oriented. It is operating on the biblical
text of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20. It is saying that the
church has as its target the making of disciples. Membership is not the
end result, but discipleship is.
Throughout the United States the concept of
churches having a second campus is growing. Churches with a vision for
the lost are moving in this direction. They use their resources, their
passion and their outreach focus to begin a new community of faith in
another geographical location other than that which is their immediate
neighborhood. This is usually in the same city.
How does this work? A local congregation secures
permission from the district board of missions and church extension,
the Florida Conference Cabinet, and the Florida Conference Committee
on Church Development. It defines the target area, secures a location
to begin the new ministry, usually in an existing building that is
rented, and uses its staff and financial resources to start. The
Conference Committee invests one-half the usual pastoral compensation
package over a three-year period to assist this new outreach.
Have we done this in Florida? Yes. Beach United
Methodist Church in Jacksonville began a second campus ministry in
January 2001. Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville also
began such a ministry without conference financial support. The
Jacksonville District is considering such an option for June 2002.
As God continues to bless our local
congregations, they are responding in ways that say to the community,
“We care about you and your relationship to the living God.” With
faithful and obedient congregations such as these, we are showing our
acknowledgment that we are in a missionary context and that God
expects us to reach out to those who have no vital relationship to
God.
In a growing state like Florida where two-thirds
of the population have no involvement or very little involvement with
a community of faith, there is plenty of room for more of our
congregations to pray for God’s leading about starting a second
campus ministry. If you have questions or if this office can help, I
am available at 800-282-8011, extension 147. |
