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.

“People come to Christ, grow in Christ, and reach others for Christ in relationship.  This is the primary tool and context of evangelism,” shares Rev. Bryan Collier, Lead Pastor.

The Orchard: A United Methodist Congregation was launched in December of 1998 as a parachute drop of the Mississippi Annual Conference.  In the last 12 years it has grown to nearly 2,000 in weekend worship attendance now worshipping in four sites throughout the region.  The vision of The Orchard is to be devoted to the cultivation of fruit for Christ’s Kingdom (John 15:16) by helping people grow deep in the love of Jesus and branch out to others with that love.  The heart of living out this distinct call in its region can be best expressed by The Orchard’s attention to 5 specific strategies.

1. An Alternative Expression of the Gospel: The Orchard often gets labeled as “contemporary” because we sing music that is called by the same name.  However, we describe what God has called us to as “an alternative expression of the Gospel.”  What we mean by that is that in whatever way the Gospel is being expressed in the community in which we exist—we want to express it in an alternative way.  This also means that as other churches begin to speak in the same way we are, we learn new cultural languages so that we become alternative again.  These alternative expressions certainly include music types, but also expectations about dress, service times, opportunities and outreach partners in the community.  We want to be doing what no one would expect the church to do when it comes to advancing the Kingdom of Christ.  The key is, however, an alternative expression of The Gospel.  We are not working to advance our Kingdom—but Christ’s. That is the direction all our efforts are focused in.
2. Simple and Accessible: For many the Gospel is not simple; it has been enculturated by people’s opinions about every topic imaginable.  The Gospel should not be confused with a particular denomination or political party or lobbying group’s opinion about the Gospel.  The simple message that all humanity is separated from God because of sin; that humanity can do nothing about this separation; that God can and does do something about this separation in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus; and that by faith in him we can be reconciled to God and transformed into the image of Christ—is the message that often gets lost in all our rhetoric.  The constant expression of these simple truths demands our constant attention.  Expressing these truths in the common language of the people, and especially the language of those outside the faith and outside the church is essential if they are to hear, understand and respond to this message.
3. A Focus on Relationships: People come to Christ, grow in Christ, and reach others for Christ in relationship.  This is the primary tool and context of evangelism.  Embracing people who are far from God, loving them even while they are far from God and walking with them in the difficulties of life is essential if we are to have an opportunity to speak to them about Life that really is Life.  We encourage our people to build relationships and intentionally seek out those who are far from God and then we create an atmosphere in which they can bring them to a church service or event as a way of deepening that relationship.


Bryan Collier, Lead Pastor

4. Doing a Few Things Very Well: In our opinion, gone are the days when a church can effectively be all things to all people—this is the role of the Body of Christ, but not of one particular congregation.  We don’t do a lot of things that are expected of churches in our community because we want to focus all our attention on being exceptional at a few things.  No one (and no church) can be good at 20 different programs or emphases—we try to limit ourselves to five and then immerse ourselves in working for those emphases to be as effective and powerful as possible in helping people grow deep and branch out.
5. Balanced attention to Growing Deep AND Branching Out: One of the hardest messages to get across is the need for balance between growing deep and branching out.  That is because people are most naturally one or the other.  We have people who prefer discipleship and would be here for ten classes a week if we offered them.  But growing deep without branching out produces spiritually obese disciples.  They get fat and happy, but since they aren’t giving anything away, they are fine, but the rest of the world is degenerating.  We also have people who prefer branching out—missions and serving—but devoid of growing deep, these people become the equivalent of a civic organization.  They can do good things, but they can’t do eternal things because they aren’t motivated by being loved by Christ—only by trying to love like him.  These people grow weary because they love in their own strength and that strength wears out.  We want a balanced disciple who invests in their relationship with Christ and who invests out of that relationship in the world.  So, we encourage our people to coach park and recreation teams, to tutor, to lead scout troops, to read in the schools (and many others areas) not because they want to “make it a better world” but as ambassadors for Christ.  As John 15:27 says “testifying about him to the world because we know him best.”

I know even as I write this that these principles can be misconstrued and I could even be misunderstood to say that we have mastered them all.  That is not my intent.  We miss the mark on most every one of these in any given week.  However, when we are clear about the direction, we can evaluate our steps and missteps and by the Spirit’s power be ever re-orienting toward the fruitful life that Jesus calls Disciples in every age to live.

Rev. Bryan Collier, Lead Pastor – bryan@theorchard.net

Church website – http://www.theorchard.net