This is part of a series of interviews with pastors of churches whose attendance has grown 20% or more in 5 years. We hope this series will be a resource of ideas to help increase worship attendance at your church.

“Staff-led, lay-driven congregation”

As one of the pastors of Oak Ridge United Methodist Church I am extremely grateful for the “good fit” that this appointment seems to be as concerns congregation-clergy relationship!   Gifts and graces; style of ministry; theology type; and personalities of church and pastor appear to be a positive chemistry.   When we arrived at Oak Ridge UMC there was a noticeable hunger for love and leadership.   We felt the very same need and a mutual care and nurture reciprocity was under way.   God’s goodness and grace is experienced in and through this church family.

One of the very first actions we took upon arriving during the first portion of the first year of ministry (Fall 2006) was to set up cluster (cottage) meetings at various homes throughout the parish.   At these cluster meetings it provided a wonderful time for fellowship and dialog.   As a new pastor, I simply did a lot of listening.   In fact, I asked at each cluster meeting for the folks in attendance to address three specific questions:   What are your celebrations concerning ORUMC?   What are your concerns?  And, what are your dreams?  We appointed a secretary at each Cluster and compiled the responses and used those as part of our strategic planning process.   These home meetings were so helpful and successful that we repeated another round as I entered my 4^th year in ministry at ORUMC.

During the Spring of 2007 I along with some church leaders developed a church vision statement, based upon some congregational input and feedback.   We have been consistently led/guided by this Vision Statement for four years.   It consists of our purpose of making followers of Jesus and includes 5 specific components which we believe God has resourced us and blessed us so as to be a blessing to others in our community and beyond.  We are very much a community church. Many non-member community groups use our facilities.  We have a 4-star Weekday School that hosts 150 students each day.  We are visible in the community and take part in community activities and events.  Several Scout groups are sponsored by our church and meet on our campus.

Guided by our Vision Statement…our Strategic Committee meets on average every other year to establish a list of strategies that further the five components of our vision.  During Spring of 2007 we developed 10 strategies.  To date 9 of those strategies have been completed.  During 2009 we developed 6 additional strategies (including rolling over the unfinished one from the 2007 list).  These strategies have provided a clear road map in furthering our vision goals.

We have a leadership – Liaison Team – that functions as a vision team for our church. This Team consists of Administrative Committee chairs along with the Senior Pastor.  So, this serves to help us communicate across Committees, avoiding the silo syndrome.  We also regularly study ministry books together to keep us growing and thinking.  And, we are there for support for each other.   Because of this Team I do not feel alone in the ministry.  This Team also sends the important message of shared ministry, which is one of our core values.

Recently our Liaison Team has read and studied “Simple Church” by Thom Rainer.  This is helping us greatly in terms of establishing a basic and simple process for growing followers of Jesus Christ.  It also will help us to take a rifle approach to ministry rather than a shotgun approach.   We want to be excellent at what we do, so that we may represent Jesus with our very best.  Therefore, we need to say  “no” to some ministries and programs so that we may go deeper and be better at what we are called to do.  Our motto is:   BEGIN, BELONG, and BECOME.   This also summarizes our process of making followers of Jesus Christ.  Begin for us is consistently being a part of corporate worship services.    Belong is to plug into a TLC small group, a Sunday School class and/or a Bible study – a place where we connect with God and with one another.  To Become is to be involved each year in at least one ministry inside the church and one mission outside the church.  These are the basics at ORUMC for growing a Jesus follower.

Small groups have been a big part of our growth and development. We identify and train leaders on a regular basis and also provide support for our small group leaders.  This intentional small group ministry was begun during the spring of 2007.  We made the intentional decision to start small and grow strong with permeation into the congregation and beyond.   It is working!   In 2007 we started with eight small groups.  In 2008 we had 16 small groups.  And, in 2009 we had 32 TLC small groups.  Over half of our worshipping congregation is involved in small groups.   We just recently hired a part time program ministry personnel to administer our small group ministry and take it to the next level.

Our Christ-like Hospitality includes over 200 persons who have signed on to give guests multiple welcomes and contacts.   Our Welcome Center is staffed and persons are placed throughout the campus to welcome and guide all who attend.   Yet, we are reminded that Christ-like hospitality is not just on Sunday and not just on our campus.  We have opportunities to practice this every day in a multitude of ways.

We strive to be a staff-led, lay-driven congregation in the spirit of the ministry of the laity and the priesthood of all believers.  Texts such as Exodus 18; Acts 6 and Ephesians 4 guide us in these matters so that ministry might be shared and multiplied.

We have a process of matching spiritual gifts with ministry/mission menu opportunities.   We affirm our ministry sweet spot is that point where our giftedness and resourcefulness intersects with the needs of our community and world.

Rev. Dr. Michael Kurtz – michael.kurtz@oakridgeumc.org

Oak Ridge UMC – http://www.oakridgeumc.org