| When
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) established
a goal to start 1,000 new congregations by 2020,
we expected great things. Yet each year, God adds
growth beyond our greatest expectations:
- New
Church Ministry reports that 2006 marked the fourth
consecutive year that Disciples new church starts
outpaced church closings.
- The
new church leadership pool continues to grow remarkably.
Total new church planters and core team members
trained reached 720, as of Pentecost, with plans
to expand training capacity each year as the need
continues to multiply.
- Our
fastest decade of growth before now was the 1890s,
when about 320 congregations formed – many
of which are still around today. In March 2005,
Disciples shot past that mark – and half
the decade is still ahead of us! In fact, of all
the Disciples congregations now in existence,
about 12 percent started since 2001.
- The
new church movement within the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) has one of the highest sustainability
and growth rates among all mainline denominations.
Ed Stetser, who wrote Church Planting in the Post-modern
Era, ranked Disciples first for sustainability
and growth rates among North American mainline
denominations.
- Disciples
touch more than 30,000 new Disciples through this
movement as God transforms their lives. In turn,
these thousands of new Disciples, who have come
to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, respond
to God’s call to be and to share this good
news as they witness, love and serve in Christ’s
name, from their doorsteps to the ends of the
Earth.
The Pentecost
Offering directly supports the development of new
churches all across North America and in every region.
Like the early church, God calls us to respond faithfully
to those who seek God. Today’s Disciples are
called to support the new church movement with new
levels of commitment and enthusiasm!
Your
Gift Opens Doors |
|
Download
Pentecost Worship Materials Here |
