Multiple-Services Interview

We interviewed 7 PCG pastors from a variety of church sizes and demographics that currently hold multiple worship services each weekend.  They each had a unique perspective on multiple worship services, and were gracious enough to share some insightful information.

Church Location:

West Coast.

Please list the multi-services that you currently have:

Saturday, 6 PM
Sunday, 8:30 AM
Sunday, 10 AM
Sunday, 11:30 AM

*During the Easter Weekend, we offered eight services.

When did you start holding these multiple services?
Approximately 4 years ago, when moving into our current campus.

Was the reason for adding multiple services logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?

Our primary reason involved expanding our reach and giving options for people to attend. Multiple services also provided us the opportunity to eventually address size constraints, even though that was not the initial reason for starting them.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced:

PRO: Multiple services provide multiple options in a multiple-option world.
PRO: Multiple services provide a place for multiple volunteers to serve.
CON: Multiple services create the need to train multiple volunteers to serve.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a pastor contemplating multiple services?
The Leadership Team of the church must “buy-in” to multiple services and generate a positive momentum in communication, service, and community connection.

Church Location:

Central

Please list the multi-services that you currently have:

Sunday, 10:45 AM (English) and 1:00 PM (Spanish).  We have on our pastoral staff a Spanish speaking PCG pastor to meet the needs of a large section of our community that speaks only Spanish.

We held 3 Easter services to accommodate crowds for that special day and are considering two Sunday morning English services or a possible contemporary Saturday evening service.

When did you start holding these multiple services?

5 Years ago

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?

Both

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced:

Pro-
More options are available to the community.
It is cost effective vs. building a larger structure.
It is evidence of a thriving healthy church.

Con-

It is more taxing on the hired and volunteer staff (IT IS NOT FOR THE WEAK HEARTED!)
It requires a higher level of proficiency and quality of help in the ministries.
It definitely expands your borders.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a pastor contemplating multiple services?

Even if you are not at the point where you need two services right now, a vision, plans, and preparation should already be underway for that to happen. I learned it takes time to acclimate your staff to the idea of multiple services, as well as swallowing the idea of more work. This is something you cannot force down their throat; they must own it themselves.

Also, it is very cost effective to run multiple services vs. building a new building. In my opinion, you get the most “bang for your buck” when you use your facility more. 

You must sell it to your leadership first. In my case I shared and spent time imparting it into my elder and deacon teams. This is done through constantly casting vision and ongoing training.

Church Location:

East

Please list the multi-services that you currently have?

Sunday: 8:30 AM and 11 AM

When did you start holding these multiple service?

2004 (9 years ago)

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?

Due to the building size, we needed to accommodate for our church growth. The shoe does not tell the foot how big to grow. The building had to work for us. When we moved to our new campus, we kept the 2 services, because it became a good option for people and made room for more growth.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced:

PRO: Allows your church to attract more people and give them more options based on their weekend schedules, commitments, etc.

CON: Be careful not to grow 2 congregations in the same place. There can be a disconnection. For example: “I didn’t know they went here.” This is where small groups came in for us; our concept became, “Small group fellowship, large group worship.”

What is one piece of advice you would share with a pastor contemplating multiple services?

Prepare your leadership team a minimum of 6 months out for the transition. Build the team, making sure they are on board and understand the commitment level. We planned for 6 months and then did a strategic launch date. We asked our core group to attend both services for 2 months to help birth the new service, bring some continuity, and set the atmosphere.

Church Location:
Central

Please list the multi-services that you currently have:

Saturday: 5 PM
Sundays: 9 and 11 AM

When did you start holding these multiple services?

7 years ago. Our 3rd service (Saturday evenings) just launched this year on Easter.

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?
In the beginning it was to give us more room, because we were out of space in our auditorium. However, in adding a 2nd and 3rd service, it not only gave us space, but it also added to the dynamic of the different personalities we began to reach. Even with the services designed alike, each service began to take on a whole different feel and personality of their own, reaching completely different people.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced.
PRO: You can stay in the facility you are in and continue to grow. 
CON:  More work on your current church staff.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a Pastor contemplating multiple services:
Make sure that you are training new teams and volunteers. One group of staff and pastors cannot do all of the services at your church. We were able to carry a lot of the load with 2 services, but our Saturday night volunteer crew has had to be a new group. This is something that our pastoral staff is still working on, developing that team to a complete foundational level for that new service—meaning it can run all by itself.  This is important so that everyone on your staff can continue to grow, train, and release. Also, the service time choice is very important. We tried a couple of years ago to run a 3rd service on Sunday morning at 1 PM.  I would never suggest this. If you want to do 3 services on Sunday, do it all before lunch.  We (our staff) were all “zombies” between 2 and 3 PM and people just did not want to go to church in our area on Sunday afternoon. We tried for about a year and never could get it over 100 people. That was our average. It's funny, with our recent new Saturday night launch, we started with 300. Time is important!

Church Location:

Central

Please list the multi-services that you currently have:

Sunday: 9:00 AM, 10:15 AM and 11:45 AM

When did you start holding these multiple services?

April of 2012

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?

Two Reasons:
1] The Perspective of Growth and keeping my congregational mentality on Multiplication, Growth, and Evangelism is the most important reason. We have always been proactive with adding services and challenging our people to fill it. We have never had to remove a service to date. Once we launch it; we stick with it no matter what.

2] There are some logistical issues with our facility as well. Parking and our kid spaces are smaller.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced:

Pro: It sends a positive message to your people: don’t get comfortable; we are growing. It also
allows for more potential leaders to step into roles and serve.

Con: It is harder to administrate the logistics of multiple services. Quality Control becomes more of an issue.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a pastor contemplating multiple services?
Be sure you have the right Leadership structure before you launch multiple services. If your Staff Team cannot reproduce themselves now, don’t launch multiple services, but if you have a Team that can reproduce, multiple services is the best way for them to train up others to serve.

Church Location:
East

Please list the multi-services you currently have:

Sunday: 8:30 AM & 11 AM.

When did you start holding these multiple services?
October 2012

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?
We were in a season of growth, and were constrained by our seating limitations. We were running over 80 percent full in the 11 AM service. We also felt it may appeal to those who like to get up earlier, as well as present an option for anyone who may have afternoon engagements or family events, to still attend a service on Sunday without missing altogether for the sake of a 1 PM reunion.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced.
PRO: An earlier service created the opportunity for our children’s ministry workers who normally work during the 11 AM service to participate in worship and the ministry of the Word. Although the 8:30 crowd is significantly smaller than the main service, it has opened up many more seats to be filled. It has taken our average for the morning from around 300-325 in the winter, to this March’s average of around 380 for both services. On another note, the earlier service has become a sort of “trial run” or sound check for the main service. We seem to get most or all of the kinks worked out by the 11 AM service.

CON: The atmosphere is a huge challenge! Most everyone there is far less energetic than in the 11 AM service. The older saints that attend are reserved, while everyone else (sometimes including the ministry team) seems very tired. While we try to mirror the worship set and sermon in this service, there is a marked difference in the atmosphere. The excitement, buzz, and effect we normally experience at 11 AM haven’t translated yet. This makes it very hard to minister, whether through the Word or music, as the usual “flow” of service we experience does not seem present. Also, many of the people sit in the back of the sanctuary, leaving literally 12+ rows of empty chairs between the stage and congregation. Pastor has begun to remedy this by specifically requesting they sit closer.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a pastor contemplating multiple services:

Don’t walk by your sense as you endeavor! If you go by what you see (lack of involvement or energy) or don’t see (people in every chair), or what you sense (sometimes NOTHING), then you will be very quickly disheartened! Choose to understand that if only 30 people attend, you have effectively just opened up 30 new seats in your other service for newcomers or home folks! Every seat we have opened up has been filled by someone! And no doubt, someone who was able to find room in the main service has come to know Christ! Therefore, the work, the early hours, and the commitment are not in vain!

Church Location:
Central

Please list the multi-services that you currently have:
Sunday: 9 AM and 11 AM

When did you start holding these multiple services?
November of 2012

Was the reason for adding multiple services: logistics (size constraints), to expand your reach, or both?

There were many reasons why we went to multiple services. One of the biggest reasons is that we were running out of space in our sanctuary. We were 80 percent full. Another reason is that we wanted to provide other opportunities for people to worship because of work schedules. It also provides people with an opportunity to serve in one service and attend the other.

Please list a PRO and a CON of multiple services that you have experienced:

Pros
Provides more space for our guests.
Provides more opportunities to serve.
Provides more parking spaces.
There is more excitement because of the growth.
Provides more worship opportunities.
Creates and raises up other Leaders.

Cons

At least one service will be less attended.
Momentum will decease.
The full feeling is not there.
Pastoral staff can become worn out by the second service.
One service seems to be a stepchild.
More staff and volunteers are needed.
Pastor can become burned out.
Services have a time limit. 

What is one piece of advice you would share with a Pastor contemplating multiple services:
Don’t do it until it is necessary.
Timing is the key.
Training the staff to handle the pressure of multiple services.
Requires more staff and volunteers.
Children and nursery workers are essential to both services.
Raising up other leaders is the most effective tool in the success of the multiple services.

 

A Word Study on Steward/Manager by Vernel Ingle

Since I was a kid I have had a love affair with baseball. I couldn’t play it that well, but I loved the game. I only played one season in Little League. My manager used to say to us, “No excuses, just results.”

Professional baseball, as in other professional sports, gives us an accurate picture of biblical stewardship. Every team has a manager and an owner. The manager is the “hands-on-guy.” He runs the team; he’s the one in the dugout; he juggles the daily lineups; and he’s responsible for the overall strategy of the game. Ultimately, the team does not belong to the manager. The team belongs to the owner, and the manager is accountable to the owner.

The basic premise of biblical stewardship is the same idea of owner and manager. A steward is simply a manager. A good/godly steward understands this, for their attitude is “God is the owner and I am the manager/steward.” God is the Owner of what? In keeping with the analogy of baseball, He not only owns the team, He owns each player. We know who God is and we understand who we are in relation to Him—we live, move, and have our being in Him. Therefore, we live to please the Owner. Again, the proper attitude to maintain is “God is the Owner and I am the manager.”

In the Old Testament we see many illustrations/examples of this idea of stewardship/steward. Right from the beginning Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and given the responsibility to tend to it. They were to be accountable to the Creator-Owner. In Genesis 15:2 the head servant of Abraham, Eliezer, is called a steward. The term there is mesheq, which is difficult to translate. It literally means “the son or heir of acquisition.” Eliezer was not Abraham’s natural son or heir, yet the idea of being the chief servant meant he was the steward/manager of all that Abraham owned.

Joseph is a classic example of what it means to be a steward. The English term used is “overseer, the Hebrew word paqad, and it means “to put in charge, to commit to, or to deliver to someone so as to keep.” Joseph was the steward/manager of the household and business affairs of Potiphar. When he was cast into prison, God continued to give him favor, and he was made a steward/manager/overseer of the prison. Joseph was then placed over the entire administration and economy of Egypt under Pharaoh.

In the New Testament there are a number of related terms in the Greek that relate to stewardship/steward. The primary word is oikos, which means “house, home, or household.” The most common word for steward is oikonomos, which means a steward, manager, or even treasurer. Oikonomia is the management of a household, its tasks, responsibilities, work, and planning. In fact, this term is where we get our English word “economy.”

Another word that is used in the New Testament, but not as common, is epitropos, which basically means the same—steward/manager, foreman, or guardian. Another related term is diakonos, which means “minister-servant.” Paul used this term in Ephesians 3:7 to project the idea that he was entrusted with a gift of ministry from the Lord. This embraces an important aspect of biblical stewardship—the gifts are for the Lord, and we are stewards of those gifts. Jesus, in His parables, spoke often of the idea of stewardship—laborers in the vineyard, the paymaster and the talents, etc.

Christians understand the principle of divine ownership. God owns us, for we have been purchased by Him. Our bodies are the temple of God; therefore, we have a responsibility over our personal health. It’s His ministry, His Church, His kingdom, His giftings, His money (not just the 10 percent), and we are privileged to be His stewards.

Vernell Ingle has been an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Church of God for 40 years. He currently serves at Messenger College.

Marketing Against The Grain by Valeri Lea

“Marketing” can often be an uncomfortable topic within faith-based organizations. However, the sole purpose of marketing is to change human behavior, which is the common purpose within ministry. So, it only makes sense for those in ministry to practice basic marketing principles to spread the Good News.

 

Writing the Plan

Plan the work and then work the plan. Never skip the important step of mapping out your marketing plan. It is critical for you not only staying on track and on strategy, but for measurement of your activity as well.  If nothing else, start simple and just focus on one part of your ministry that you’re trying to grow.

·        WHO are you trying to reach? Know your city or your target audience. Some of your tactics will differ depending on the demographics of your city. Useful sites to understand your demographics are:

o   www.city-data.com

o   www.quickfacts.census.gov 

·        WHAT are you trying to do? Beyond just winning souls . . .

o   Increase participation in outreach programs?

o   Increase attendance in youth programs?

·        HOW will the activity you’re going to do reach your objective?

·        WHY?

o   Are there no other churches taking this approach?

o   Are you offering something nobody else can?

o   Has the market been saturated yet?

·        MESSAGE: What’s the one thing you want them to remember?

o   A good common practice in crafting your message is to imagine that you only get 30 seconds with your target audience, so what will you say that will change their behavior? What is the one thing you want them to remember about your conversation?

 

Once you’ve mapped out your plan, ensure that you adhere to these basic principles.

• Be SURE: Simple, Unexpected, Relevant, Engaging
• Everything counts because everything communicates. This not only includes what you say and do, but what you don’t say and do. EVERYTHING counts.
• Perception is reality. Regardless of what you thought you communicated, what THEY thought you communicated IS what you communicated.
• Do Something! Don’t let lack of knowledge (or lack of faith) keep you from launching your plan. You can learn how to do anything. There are tons of DIY sites out there. ehow is your friend. Look it up.
• Have a clear call-to-action for your target audience. In other words, be very clear on what you are asking them to do.
• Measure results. It’s important that your call-to-action is something that you can measure, so you know if your plan worked or not.

 

Two types of communication

Direct:  The one-on-one communication. This is always done either in-person, on the phone, mail, email, text, etc.

Mass: One-to-many. This entails reaching people through PR or advertising, hosting events or being a part of events through affiliations, website or socially.  

 

Direct Communication

•        You don’t need permission for direct mail. Email, you do.  There are lists online you can purchase.

•        Assess how your audience consumes information. Make a guess if you have to. Just do something.

•        Collect the right information from people and maintain a quality database. For example, if you have a young target audience, be sure to ask for email addresses on your visitor cards.

 

Mass Communication

If your budget is tight, PSAs are free.

Public radio and television stations are required to donate a certain amount of time to running Public Service Announcements (PSAs). PSAs are advertisements that announce community events, charity events, or support non-profit organizations. They are similar to press releases, but they are not as detailed.

EVENTS ARE A MUST. Choose the right one and get media involved if you can. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

This goes back to understanding your city and demographic, as well as establishing your objective. For example, in an impoverished community, you could give away free breakfast.  Do it at a local McDonald’s or other fast food places. Choose a local radio station that reaches the demographic you’re looking for and provide them with PSAs as well as an opportunity to cover the event via live remote. Radio stations dedicate so many hours each year on community events. It helps to build their brand. Offer them:

•        Radio exclusivity on site

•        An opportunity to display signage on site

•        Their logos/links will be on your website and mentioned in your social media

•        Give them your graphics for their e-newsletters and website

•        Offer them someone (like the pastor) to do an on-air interview

In return, they’ll want to know how many people you are expecting and the demographics, as well as how else you are communicating the event. They don’t want to show up at an event that isn’t well attended.

 

Consider collaborating with for-profit Christian organizations to build awareness about your church, like Christian Bookstores, for example.

 

Integrate Your Communications

It’s important for there to be consistency in messaging between the site and the vehicle (a specific channel or publication for carrying the advertising message to a target audience) you’re communicating with. People will be confused if they see an ad or a direct mail and go to your site and they don’t marry up with one another. Also, you need consistency in messaging in all of your vehicles at once so you get more “bang for your buck”.

 

Close the Loop

•        Measurement is important

•        Maintain a quality database

•        Have a clear call-to-action

•        Measure results

•        Refine your plan

•        Communicate again

•        For example, if you send out a direct mail piece as just a general introduction to your women’s ministry that you’ve started up, ask them to bring it in for a free t-shirt or free cup of coffee so you know  1) that the communication vehicle is effective and  2) that your message (even the offer of free stuff) is compelling enough for them to act.

Tips for your Website

·        Do NOT program your site using Adobe Flash. It prohibits users from visiting your site via iPad or smart phone.

·        In that same note, make sure you program your site to be responsive for mobiles

·        Content

o   Keep it very visual

o   Keep it fresh with Blogs

o   Videos are attractive to users

·        User Experience (UX) – ensure it is easy to navigate. Do analytics on it and ensure that your top visited pages are front and center. (There’s a Gateway Church example.)

·        Collect information from your target audience every chance you get to aid in future communication.

·        Make it easy for people to contact you— Live chat, Email, phone, etc.

 

Get Found

·        Search Engine Marketing (SEM): spend money on Pay Per Click and Google Adwords

·        Search Engine Optimization (SEO):  the bigger you are, the easier you are to be found. When someone searches for something in Google, crawlers use those terms and go out and find sites that are applicable. How are you applicable? By using those terms on your site.

·        Identify 10–20 key search terms. Think about what terms people would enter to find you and ensure they exist everywhere in writing—in the code of your website and in the content.

·        Make sure that everything links together. The more links you create, the bigger you are. Link to your social media. If you have an external blog, link to that. Link to the district and national sites or other like-minded sites. When you write blogs on your site, be sure to include links to other relevant websites within your blogs.

 

Social Media

Facebook is a good place to start…

1. Be sure that the tone/personality of your Facebook page reflects your church.
2. Content is “King” so don’t reinvent the wheel by duplicating your church website on your Facebook page. Don’t just post info about the church, but relate to your audience on common topics of interest. Draw them into a conversation.
3. Comments spur conversation, so encourage engagement.
4. Keep it fresh: never let your Facebook page get stale; users expect constantly changing content.  
5. We Have a Winner: utilize contests, drawings, and etc.
6. Leverage any visual assets you have: pictures, videos, etc. Your logo should be your avatar/profile picture so you’re recognized.
7. Let Users Guide Content: be flexible in execution.
8. Set Engagement Goals: thank users when they help goals be reached; let the fans do marketing for you.
9. Start a Conversation: ask questions, show that your church is always listening.
10. Fans Only: Fan totals are the most transparent metric on Facebook, but not the only. Engagement is important as well.

 

11. Don’t forget to implement an Influencer Strategy. Connect with other influential pages and you’ll get exposure to their followers.

 

Facebook Frequency:

·        Quality, not quantity, counts when publishing to your wall. Posting less often results in a 40% higher engagement rate compared with posting more than 3x/day and 5x/week.

·        Best Times: Work time of 3 PM Wednesday and “off-work” hours of 8 PM-7 AM Wednesdays/Sundays (all ET).

·        Format:

o   Ask questions: Generate more than double the amount of comments than non-question posts.

o   Fill in the blank: 9x more comments.

o   Post manually: FB algorithm doesn’t look favorably on auto-posting and 3^rd party publisher tools. When publisher tools are used, content had 61% less visibility than manual posts.

·        Length:

o   Posts less than 80 characters in length receive 66% higher engagement than longer posts. More concise posts generate the most engagement. Only 5% of all retail brand wall posts are less than 40 characters in length, even though these receive 86% higher fan engagement.

·        Be realistic:

o   Average engagement : 23% comments, 77% likes

o   Meaning that out of 100 posts, you will get 23 comments on average and 77 likes on average.

**Research from Buddy Media, social software. Analyzed user engagement of Facebook Wall Posts from 100 of the world’s largest/most prestigious retail brands for 6 months in 2011.

 

Twitter:

·        Again, maintain the personality of the church

·        Content should be more newsworthy than Facebook, because it’s not an open forum for conversation.

·        Follow influential tweeters and comment on their posts.

·        Tweet and Retweet.

·        Play the hashtag game. Common topics. Goes viral. Also, helps you track popular trends.

·        twitter.com/search – this site allows you to see what conversations are happening about a certain topic—it’s important to listen to those conversations. Listening helps to craft your message.

 

Twitter Frequency:

• The five most-engaging brands tweeted 45 to 70 times per month, whereas the five least-engaging brands averaged 95 to 115 tweets per month.
• Best times: Tues/Wed/Thurs, 5-6 AM; 7-8 AM.
• Bit.ly (URL shortening service) suggests Mon-Thurs, 2 PM (so evidently before they check Facebook, they’re on twitter!)
• Format:
• Mix up tweets/retweets: Employ a mix of tweeting your own content and retweeting related content.
• Keep it original. Don’t duplicate content from FB or another source. Use the mediums differently.

**Source: Research from Yesmail, a company that makes email-marketing software, tracked and analyzed the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and email campaigns of leading retail brands during the first quarter of 2012. The brands studied include Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, H&M, J. Crew, and Ann Taylor.

 

So What if You Asked?

Use free online survey tools to allow you to receive feedback from your audience: surveymonkey.com.

Ask your congregation what they want communicated to them: when and how often.

Breaking all the Rurals by Shannon O'dell

The Pentecostal Messenger had the privilege to sit down with Pastor Shannon O’dell of Brand New Church and discuss his heart and vision for rural America. The following interview will discuss both the opportunities and the challenges of pastoring in rural America.

PM: Tell us about the community in which Brand New Church is located.

SO: Brand New Church is located in Bergman, Arkansas, population 407. There are currently about 20,000 residents in the county and the two largest towns within that county have populations of 12,000 and 800. There are a lot of small communities. Our campus in Bergman is literally located across from six chicken houses.

PM: How broad is the reach of BNC (Brand New Church)?

SO: In April of 2013, BNC will celebrate 7 years of being in existence. We currently have 13 campuses, as well as an iCampus (Internet campus), and we currently broadcast 3 live services through our BNC app. The BNC app is the most effective piece of technology we use. We have 2600 people in attendance each weekend at our campuses, with an additional 400-600 viewers weekly on our iCampus and BNC app.

PM: Share with us a little about what you mean by “Unwritten Rural Rules.”

SO: The Unwritten Rural Rules are unspoken rules that many people have concerning rural America. Expanding from the original thoughts in my book, I’d say the number one Unwritten Rural Rule is that you have to have small vision or small mindedness. This type of mindset keeps leaders from abounding in rural America. Another Unwritten Rural Rule is that people are not called to rural America. For example, let’s say you come out and say you are called to rural Africa, to a village of 88 people. Churches would send you, commission you, pay you, pray for you, and send you Dr. Pepper every month. But if you told them you were called to a small town of 88 in rural Arkansas, they would be left with a totally different impression. You would be called crazy, and it would be considered vocational suicide! However, what if God IS actually calling people to be used in a place of obscurity? These are things that are unspoken and unwritten in ministry. Another Unwritten Rural Rule that exists is that people believe things have to be as they’ve always been and they should never change. However, God wants us to live and dream the Ephesians 3:20 dream, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (NKJV).

PM: BNC is literally out in the middle of nowhere, yet you guys are so cutting edge. What is your response to the pastors and ministers who say “we don’t have the money or funds for that?”

SO: Excellence doesn’t cost a lot of money. Excellence is just a matter of preparation. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to communicate to a rural community that we have an expectation that God might show up at this service! Those are simple things. Paint is cheap. It doesn’t cost much to ditch foam cups and get the nicer coffee cups with the little sleeve. That is a small example that costs only pennies extra. It costs little to keep the children’s area cleaned and painted with fresh paint. Another easy upgrade is to spend a little extra and move your TVs into the 21^st century! Get rid of the big nasty 500 pound square televisions; there are affordable flat screens available that will make everything look much nicer. Going to the next level doesn’t cost much. Unfortunately there are those that resist change saying “this is the way we have always done it.” We need to realize the goal isn’t to benefit ourselves; it is to benefit the families who have not yet attended our church. We need to do everything we can to draw people and young families in. People are drawn to excellence and excellence glorifies God. Much of what we do at BNC is on a small budget. We make sure our restrooms are clean and the paper products are top quality. We want people who come to our church to know “We’re ready for you; we have been waiting for you to get here!” We need to host those who attend our churches as if we were hosting them in our own homes.

PM: In your book you make the statement: “We find church buildings on most street corners in small towns. The prairies are dotted with churches everywhere. But that is part of the problem.” Can you share a little more on that?

SO: I believe the most churched and unchurched place on the planet is rural America. People often think because their grandmother chartered the church or their family donated the pews, etc., that they will inherit their place in the kingdom of God. This is based on something that has nothing to do with a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It’s like the quote, “Just because you enter a donkey in the Kentucky Derby doesn’t mean he’s going to win.” There has to be life change and relevance in the church in order for people to grow. Revelation 20 tells us the fruits of the labor will make declaration to our eternal inheritance. This is done through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, not what we inherited from our family. Rural towns aren’t seeing a lot of life change. They aren’t thriving and seeing people hungry for the word of God like they should be; many just exist.

PM: What would you say to a rural pastor who feels like they are stuck?

SO: The first thing I would ask him is, “Are you doing everything you can to meet with Jesus every day?” Secondly, if he is married, I would ask, “Are you passionately pursuing your own bride before you pursue God’s bride?” If pastors will grasp those two things it will exponentially grow their churches. You’ll never be able to grow a church just because you have a great building or just because you have a great sermon. A church grows because the Spirit of God is channeled and working through the pastor’s life.  If he is married, then it will be channeled through the replication of Jesus’ passion for His bride, the church, in the pastor’s marriage. When God is high and lifted up, He will do the drawing. That is all the marketing you need. The last thing I would tell them to do if they want to see rapid growth is to go out and meet the needs of the poor. If you are in rural America, then you have poor people in your community.  

My son came to me one day and asked me if he could cut the ends off of his shoes. I had no idea why he was asking this. He told me his friend Sean had the toes cut off of his shoes and he wanted to be able to run in P.E. like Sean. Then I realized it. Sean’s family couldn’t afford shoes, and the ones he had didn’t fit, so they cut the toes off so he could get his foot in them. So, I went to the school and spoke with the counselor. I asked her if there was a possibility that a second grade child needed new shoes. With tears in her eyes, she looked at me and said, “Yes, there is a possibility that may be true.” I went to my team and said, “I know there isn’t much we can do because we don’t have a lot of money, but I think we can supply shoes for every impoverished kid in our area. We were able to get $21.00 shoes for $10.00, and we bought hundreds of pairs of shoes for the kids in our area. As soon as we did, the promise made in Isaiah 58 fell on us, and God became the breath of our ministry. He went before us and He guarded us at our back. Ever since we have begun to bless the last and the least, God has exponentially blessed us. We now have Mercy Malls that reach hundreds of families each month. We feed them, clothe them, provide child care, we have even put tires on cars. It was like God could not wait for us to get on board with His heart. There are desperate people all over rural America. We have to have a large vision to reach them. One of the greatest tools of the enemy is to shrink our vision. When we allow him to make us small-minded, then he keeps our ministries from being effective and flourishing the way God desires. But God wants to show up in those places of obscurity to reach the lost, the last, and the least.

PM: What is the biggest challenge of pastoring in Rural America?

SO: The biggest challenge is that in rural America everyone shops at the same Wal-Mart, attends the same school, and shows up at the same community events. When you as a pastor face betrayal, you still have to see the people that betrayed you on a consistent basis. But betrayal is just expected. Ed Young Jr. says, “When you’re great, people hate.” It’s almost a promise that if you love people, you’re going to be betrayed. When you live in a small community, betrayal is tough, because people gossip and word moves quickly. What may be a whisper in a large city is a megaphone in a small rural community. We have to realize that we are called to go through it and love people enough to risk being betrayed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t escape the fire. God let them go into the fire to prove to them that they are fire proof.  In the ministry you have to realize that you’re going to go through the fire.  

PM: What is the biggest opportunity of pastoring in Rural America?

SO: The biggest opportunity is that the same “megaphone effect” of betrayal, gossip, and slander, could also be life change, inspiration, and evangelism. Because word moves quickly in rural communities, a positive message moves just as fast as a negative one! It is because of this that people in our community know where they can go if they need food, clothes, or to just be loved. Growth can happen very quickly in a small community, and when God does it in a small town, you know it’s Him.