During the past year or so, I have been introduced to several models for “launching” a congregation. One of them is the “Grand Opening” approach. This model parallels the “Grand Opening” of a restaurant. In this model, you engage in a large & expensive mass-marketing campaign, and come out “smokin” with as much as possible in place on your first Sunday (services, nursery, discipleship hour, and the like). Those who have taken this approach plan for a large crowd for the “Grand Opening,” hoping that about 1/3 will come back for week 2. While that approach has merit, we have taken a different approach that retailers refer to as a “soft” opening, but we might call “organic.” Here’s the metaphor: the Lord planted a seed early in 2008 for Living Hope Church. In the past six months he has watered that seed and the shoot of what will become a large tree has surfaced. We refer to that seeding as the “Launch Team.” It includes about 25 people committed to being used by God to start Living Hope Church. Now, we pray that in the coming weeks, months and years, the Lord will water this seedling so that it grows into a beautiful tree. All that to say that we will begin with a very basic ministry: reformed, charismatic and multi-cultural worship. In the process, we will trust the Spirit to guide us into new developments for the ministry of Living Hope Church.
