Pastor Jim Downing asked members of First United Methodist Church of Sedalia, Missouri -- a long-established rural congregation -- to open their wallets and purses and take out pictures of their children and grandchildren. The congregation happily showed the photos to others in the room.

"Does everyone in these pictures go to church? Do they all have an active faith in
Dr. Bob Farkas thinks twice is nice as the Sedalia, Mo., church opens its second service venue.
Jesus Christ?" the pastor probed. The mood in the room changed. Many shook their heads no.

"What would you do," he continued, "if a church in the town where they lived would actually reach out to them and provide a place for them to say yes to life, to love, and to God?"
The congregation overwhelmingly agreed, "We'd do almost anything to see that happen." The pastor now had both their interest and hearts. "I believe there are Christians in other cities, whose children or grandchildren have moved to this area, who are praying for a church here in Sedalia to do the same thing--to reach out to them. What if God is calling us to be that church?"

So began the decision of an old but growing congregation, with its facility one block off the
county courthouse square, to add a second campus 2.7 miles away. There are only 30,000 people in the entire county, but the church caught a vision for their 7,000 friends and neighbors who do not attend any church. With a say-yes attitude, the congregation was determined to create a new campus with the understanding that it was for someone else.

From those 1997 discussions, when annual attendance averaged 136 for the year, it was a bold step for the congregation to open a new campus in 1999. Today, combining both sites, more than 750 people worship with First Church. Almost 300 of the newest people have come on profession of faith in Jesus Christ. And weekly, there are more than 350 people serving in a ministry area that fits them. The growth does not surprise Downing, who affirms, "There is a whole community around us without Christ."

The church, which named its website www.firstsayyes.com to symbolize its "say yes" attitude, is adding a third site in Green Ridge, a town of 500 some 15 miles away.

Measuring the Risks. . . Evaluating the Opportunities
To decide if multi-site ministry will work for your church, you will have to prayerfully measure the risks and evaluate the opportunities of your situation.
Doctors Mix Religion and Science
A survey of religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife, a surprising degree of spirituality to find in a science-based field, researchers say. In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife, and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine, as reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.


When I Wish. . . It's About Me
If Americans could have their wildest dreams come true, 38% would choose to win the lottery; 1% would pick world peace. Source: Newsweek, January 3, 2005


Christians Best at Relationships, Worst in Bible Knowledge
Nine out of ten adults contend that their faith is very important to them, and three out of every four adults who consider themselves to be Christian say they would like to improve aspects of their faith life, according to a new national survey by The Barna Group.


Culture Shift: Live
on CCN!
Christian Communication Network (CCN) subscribers will join
pastors Wayne Cordeiro and Robert Lewis, authors of the book Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out, live via satellite on November 17 as CCN presents a special Culture Shift seminar for church leaders. To take advantage of this and other upcoming broadcasts, CCN has extended its free equipment offer.
New Communities Forming for Generous Churches, Senior Adult Ministries
Leadership Network is launching two new Leadership Communities for church innovation--one for churches that focus on financial faithfulness and generosity, the other for congregations with innovative ministries for senior adults.
Help for Moving to Multi-Site
Is your church considering multi-site ministry? Contemplating a video venue? Need ideas for how to provide an effective worship experience outside your main venue?

These two Quick Facts: Funding the Multi-Site Vision and Multi-Site Technology offer an at-a-glance comparison of some proven methods being used by pioneers in the multi-site movement. The resources cost $4.95 each, and can be downloaded by clicking here.
Thanks to the connection we made in the last Multi-Site Leadership Community meeting, my senior pastor and I were able to spend a couple of hours with Bobby Gruenewald from
LifeChurch in Oklahoma City--a great connection. He was an incredible person to meet, very transparent and ready to share their experience with us. We gained a lot through those two hours. Thanks for opening that door to us through the cascade of relationship-building that Leadership Network provides.
Dan Ohlerking
Healing Place Church
Baton Rouge, LA
www.healingplacechurch.org