Click here for mug shots of the senior leaders of Church Shrinkage in the Wisconsin Synod.
The younger members of Church and Chicanery need to be recognized for their accomplishments, before they leave to join the Pentecostals, the Babtists, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, or The Love Shack staff.
Bible Babes - is a women's Bible study and friendship group that meets every month at the Franklin Public Library. Women of all different backgrounds and life situations are invited. Childcare provided. Pastor Ben's wife, Sarah, leads the group.
Pastor Ben got himself a theatre:
From the get-go, we’ve prayed that our church would be a place where people could come as they are and meet their Savior. It’s in our mission statement even that we don’t want to just hunker down and wait for people to come to us, but we want to love people enough to meet them where they are. And to reach particularly unchurched people where they are…I don’t know, I think it’s hard to do any better than being in a movie theater. In fact, I think our opportunity to impact the community being at Showtime Cinema is at least as good as if we had our own building, and I even think probably better. God is giving us a huge opportunity in being able to worship at Showtime. I’m thankful to Him and to the folks there at the theater for working with us.
Congregation finds new way to share the gospel
One leadership, one vision, one plan for ministry, and one staff—but two church buildings. This is the new approach that St. Andrew, which now has sites in both Middleton and Waunakee, Wis., is trying to reach out to more people.
“[This multi-site approach] grew out of a vision that we gathered about three years ago now,” says Randy Hunter, pastor at St. Andrew. “We said, ‘We’re blessed with a new, beautiful facility, but we just know there are people that would never come here. So let’s get out of the building, go into the communities, and see if we can reach them in other ways.’ ”
After a two-year study, the congregation decided a satellite ministry might work. They also thought about different ways in which to present the gospel and came up with an approach that Hunter refers to as “casual about church; serious about God.”
“We studied our culture: its movement away from church and its movement toward community and the desire to get together at a café or a Starbucks,” says Hunter. “Our goal was to recreate that atmosphere and bring the gospel to it.”
St. Andrew looked at possibilities for its new satellite location, such as storefronts in area strip malls, but instead was able to acquire an existing church building.
The only problem was the interior didn’t match their “casual about church” approach. So the congregation hired a popular coffeehouse designer—coincidentally someone who didn’t attend church—and asked him to design the kind of place where he’d feel comfortable coming to hear about Jesus.
Hunter says the result looks and feels like a café, complete with chairs, couches, coffee tables, and coffee machines in the back. In the front of the room is a simple altar and a screen where Hunter’s prerecorded sermons are projected.
“After the sermon, the worship leader invites everyone to take a break, refresh their coffee, and get settled down in their chair or couch for a Bible study on the sermon text,” says Hunter. “If you think about what it would be like to have some people over to worship Jesus in your living room—that’s the atmosphere.”
Hunter says that approximately 50 to 60 people attend each week, many of whom had not been attending any church. “Several families are very interested in growing in the faith with us and partnering with us,” says Hunter. “We’re trying to keep it from becoming the thing that turned a lot of people away from church. We’re trying to provide a casual atmosphere where you’re free to talk about what this means to you and how it applies to your life. We get the chance to give the same teaching that we do in any church, but just in a different setting.”
Hunter says this new venture is a great addition to St. Andrew’s services in Middleton, which features a more traditional liturgical style. The congregation has a thriving music ministry—more than 150 musicians and soloists perform throughout the year. The congregation also reaches out to Middleton and surrounding communities through its school, where more than 60 percent of the students are nonmembers.
“The most important thing is determining what it is going to take to reach people that aren’t coming to us,” says Hunter. “Anything that isn’t unbiblical is fair game. Let’s just try it! It’s up to our churches to step up and see what we can do to get the gospel out there.”
For more information, visit www.st-andrew-online.org.
Worship
We're casual!
When you visit CrossWalk, the very first thing we want you to know is that it's OK to relax. You can dress casually and comfortably if you'd like. You'll feel right at home in jeans or shorts. On the other hand, if wearing a suit and tie seems best to you, then bring it on! We simply want you to come as you are and hear loud and clear—you matter to God!
We're hungry!
Bring an appetite. Our CrossWalk Cafe puts out a huge spread every Sunday, with great coffee, bagels and donuts, along with fruit and juice for the health-conscious. If you didn't get a chance to have breakfast, don't worry! You can count on CrossWalk to feed you body and soul!
We're friendly!
We strive to create a warm, friendly environment for you. We won't surprise you by asking you to stand up or stick out in any way. We also won't ask you to give us any money. We want you to be able to check us out without feeling singled out. No pressure!
We're relevant!
Our messages are meant to apply to your everyday life. They're practical and filled with comfort. We believe that everyone needs to know what God expects of us, and what God offers us in his love. If you come to CrossWalk, you'll hear just what God has to say about this—straight from his Word, the Bible! With our upbeat music and our fun and creative worship, you'll go home encouraged and equipped each week!
Life Out of the Box
Do you feel trapped? Do guilt, failure or fierce expectations box you in? You're definitely not alone. We understand. That's exactly why you need to know the truth about Easter. That's right—EASTER! Easter's not about bunnies, bonnets, or jelly beans. Easter is about freedom and life outside the box! Come to CrossWalk for an unforgettable Easter service, and then come again in the weeks that follow. Bring the entire family. Once you know about life outside the box, your life will never be the same.
Released...
•From the Box of Death - Easter - April 12th
•From the Box of Plans - April 19th
•From the Box of Memories - April 26th
•From the Box of Criticism - May 3rd
•From the Box of Guilt - May 10th
