Pastor’s Column ( Page 7 )

Urban Church Planting Q & A Series: Antioch Community Church

For our Urban Church Planting Q & A series, we interview pioneer church planters who, having firmly planted churches in urban areas of the Twin Cities, look back and share their wisdom and reflections. Here we interview Andy O'Rourke, lead pastor of Antioch Community Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Antioch Community Church is also affiliated with the Acts 29 Network Upper Midwest Region. Antioch Community Church is the second church Andy has planted.
Read more

Urban Church Planting Q & A Series: Hiawatha Church, Minneapolis

The general trend in urban areas is that as the density of the population goes up, the presence of the church goes down. In response, many churches are being planted in some of the most densely populated parts of the Twin Cities. For our Urban Church Planting Q & A series, we interview pioneer church planters who, having firmly planted churches in urban areas of the Twin Cities, look back and share their wisdom and reflections. Here we interview Chris Wachter, Lead Pastor at Hiawatha Church in South Minneapolis.
Read more

Pastor’s Column: Serving the Poor, Ministering in Mobile Home Parks

For our Pastor’s Column series, Jeff Urban of Bear Creek Christian Church in Rochester, MN shares how Bear Creek does ministry and outreach in mobile home parks. The Bear Creek community has a heart for providing for those who lack material goods, relationships and connections to others. They model their home repair program after Habitat for Humanity, yet Bear Creek serves those who don't have adequate income to quality for Habitat. This church believes the gospel calls the Church to use its resources to meet real-world needs, in this case for repairing homes in disrepair. Photo Courtesy of Post-Bulletin.
Read more

Pastor’s Column: How To Be a Missionary in Your Community

For our Pastor’s Column series, pastors in Rochester, MN are sharing how their churches do ministry and outreach in this growing diverse medical community. One of the unique situations that POBLO (People of the Book Lutheran Outreach) has in Rochester is the effect that the Mayo Clinic has on the immigrant population. The POBLO International Friendship Center often reaches out to Muslim students and Chinese students who are in Rochester as research fellows at the Mayo Clinic or family members of a research fellow. FInd out how POBLO staff and volunteers reach out to Rochester's immigrant population by forming real friendships during the short-time they are living in Minnesota.
Read more

Pastor’s Column: Loving God. Serving People in Rochester.

For our Pastor's Column series, pastors in Rochester, MN are sharing how their churches do ministry and outreach in this growing diverse medical community. C. John Steer, Senior Pastor at Autumn Ridge Church, the largest evangelical church in Rochester kicks off our series. He shares how this 159-year-old church, which was founded before Minnesota became a state, is living out their mission of “Loving God. Serving people."
Read more

Pastor’s Column: Small Town Church Reaches 5-County Region, Doubling Attendance in Five Years

For our "Thriving and Growing Rural Churches" series, Paul Jorgensen, Lead Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Church shares how God is at work in Litchfield, a small town of 6,700 people. Amazingly, Cornerstone Church welcomed more than 1,200 people to their five Easter services this year. Over the past five years Cornerstone Church has more than doubled its attendance, with 120-180 people per year choosing to put their trust in Christ. Read more about what is drawing people to drive from all over the 5-county region to be a part of Cornerstone’s worship services.
Read more

Pastor’s Column: Bringing Life and Health Back to a Flat-Lining, Hurt Rural Church

For our Pastor’s Column series we are focusing on thriving and growing rural churches. We asked Marlin Mohrman the lead pastor at Morris Evangelical Free Church to share how Morris EFC overcame a season of conflict, distrust and hurt to achieve reconciliation and health. As well as how when church membership was flat-lining, Morris EFC managed to double its members within a decade by focusing on worship style, ethnic outreach, and defining roles in leadership.
Read more