Transformation, Volume 2 Issue 4

TransformationM i n i s t r y M a g a z i n e o f t h e D e s e r t s o u t h w e s t C o n f e r e n C e

Vo l u M e 2 i s s u e 4

winter 2010 | Desert southwest ConferenCe CoMMuniCations | www.DesertsouthwestConferenCe.org

A Place for All God’s

People

Cont

ents

Win

ter 2

010

2 | Transformation | Winter 2010

Special Features

Contents3 Publisher’s Pen

4 Sacred space for others to know Jesus

5 The new math: multiplication

10 Planting churches takes a pioneering spirit

12 The one, two, threes of why we must start new churches

18 The expansive reach of just one new faith community

22 Are you ready to plant a church?

Photo courtesy of UMOM

7 What we can do when there is an area without a church

16 A vision to start 100 new churches through multiplication

UMNS photo by Mike DuBose

Publisher’sPen

By Stephen J. Hustedt, D

irector of Comm

unications

TransformationMinistry Magazine of the Desert southwest ConferenCe

Winter 2010 Volume 2, Issue 4

Contributors

For general inquiries or subscription information, e-mail: [email protected], call 602-266-6956, or mail Communications Department, 1550 E. Meadowbrook Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014-4040.

Transformation is provided quarterly in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter by the Communications Department of The Desert Southwest Conference. Transfor-mation is also available online by going to www.desertsouthwestconference.org/transformation. Individual articles and photos may be used by DSC churches and organizations. Views in Transforma-tion come from representatives of official Conference groups or by request of Conference Staff. Viewpoints may only be those of the writer and may not be representative of the entire Conference. Questions about the reproduction of in-dividual articles or photos should be di-rected to Stephen J. Hustedt, Conference Director of Communications (602-266-6956 ext. 220 or [email protected]).

Winter 2010 | Transformation | 3

It is not just hard to find a church; it is too hard to find a church.

That is to say, we know our world is starving for the message of hope and love that we, as Christians, are blessed enough to hold as truth, but we also know we have a very hard time reaching the world with that message. There are many discussions taking place around The United Methodist Church about why we are too often unable to reach the world with the story of the transforming power of Jesus.

These discussions may lead to sweep-ing changes in how and why we do things as a denomination, but in the midst of all of this there is one thing we know we do that does reach those who most desper-ately need to hear our story. When we start new churches and communities of faith we not only reach new people; we inspire and motivate all those who are connected, regardless of how long they have been part of a faith community.

When we start churches we make disciples.

This issue of Transformation will focus on how, where, when, and why we start churches throughout The Desert South-west Conference. It will be packed with research and insight around new churches. It will explore church models that work, inspiring ministry done by new churches, and the great voids that are left where there are not United Methodist churches. Perhaps most excitingly, it will cast a vision adopted by The Desert Southwest Confer-ence to nearly double in size in the coming years.

There are debates over the best ways to start churches, and some people even question if we should be starting churches at all. Unfortunately, in the midst of all this debate there is a hurting world waiting for

us to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This issue of Transformation will be focusing on how we use a method that we know works to bring the good news to the people who need it most. The time for action is now. We cannot continue to make the world wait for us. †

A place for all God’s people

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Stephen J. Hustedt, Tom Butcher, Valerie Fairchild, Dan Morley, Jim Nibbelink, Mike Pear-son, Sharon Ragland, & Joanie A. Faust

Stephen J. Hustedt

United Methodists have benefitted from the many who came before us building the ministries that are housed in the buildings we usually think of when we think of church.

Photo courtesy of UMNS

Sacred space for others to know Jesus

In this issue of Transformation you will read some excellent articles about why we in the Desert Southwest Confer-

ence should be planting new churches. I commend to you the wonderful witness of Rev. Thomas Butcher and Rev. Michael Pearson. I also want to affirm the fact that The United Methodist Church is com-mitted to planting new churches not only in the U.S., but around the world. This commitment comes out of a deep love of Christ Jesus and neighbor. How are others to hear the good news if not through the lips and deeds of Christ’s own disciples? Do we love Jesus enough to create sacred space that will allow others to also become disciples of our Lord and Savior?

I am so very aware of the fact that my family and I were blessed unto faith in Christ by a new church start. There was already a Methodist Church in our town, but we were people of a different culture and language. We needed a space where

we could worship and serve Christ Jesus in our own way and through our own tongue. El Buen Pastor Methodist Church became that sacred space for us. Today my home church is a growing bilingual congregation that is planting two new churches and helping to revitalize another church. It has sent forth out into the world hundreds of disciples of Jesus Christ, 18 of whom have responded to the call to ordained ministry. All of this happened because others loved Jesus enough to share their faith, and the goodness of God’s abundant grace.

One day I found myself in Cuba visiting the Methodist Church of this island country. We were gathered in a long-established Methodist church, but in the basement was a group of Russian women who were going about the task of planting a new church for Russians living in Cuba. I asked the young woman leading the group how it was that she had come to know Christ. She shared with me and others a tender and touching witness: “My neighbor loved me so very much that she shared with me the greatest love of all—the love of Christ Jesus. Now I want every Russian living in Cuba to also know the love of Christ.” That established Methodist church had found a way to allow sacred space for the birthing of a new church, one for Russian brothers and sisters.

Three months ago I sent off my only child to a college in a city hundreds of miles away. Like every parent in the same

situation I worried about whether she would be safe, cared for and loved. On the weekend that I helped her move into her dorm she and I took time to go to church. It felt like a last effort on my part to try to help her see the importance of being part of a community of Christian faith. I asked the bishop of that area about a church to visit and he suggested one. He smiled broadly as he said to me, “Your daughter will love this church!”

It was a new church in the heart of Chicago started by two young, bright clergy persons who had even raised their own salary! On the beautiful Sunday morning we visited, this new church was celebrating its fifth month of life. There were more than 150 people in worship, and on that day they announced that they were launching a second congregation in another part of town! In their seventh month of life, they did indeed birth yet another new church start! Great worship, powerful, inspired preaching, committed lay persons ready to share how Jesus has transformed their lives and ready to serve others in the name of Christ Jesus is what I saw that morning.

Something wonderful happens when we love Jesus enough to plant new churches, sacred space for others to know him, love him, and serve him. We are all transformed by God’s great love! Thanks be to God! †

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño

By Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño


Many churches have worries about the future and wonder how they’ll keep going, how they’ll continue in ministry. One great answer is to plan to multiply. As the concern shifts to planning for reaching a brand-new group of people for Jesus and chang-ing the lives of new people, something special happens within the existing congregation.

What does it mean to be a vital congregation? What does it mean to be an effective congregation? Well, there are several important characteristics, but I want

to touch on just one for now. A vital and effective congregation multiplies itself. A congregation that multiplies itself reaches more people for Jesus Christ and extends God’s love and justice to more new people than a congregation that is focused simply on the comfort of its current members.

Just what does multiplication mean? When a congregation begins a small group ministry for new people, folks who are not members, it’s multiplying itself. When a congregation starts a home Bible study for non-members, it’s multiplying itself. When a congregation starts regular worship for new people in someone’s home or in a retirement facility, it’s multiplying itself. When a congregation invites a new group of people with different demographic characteristics than the host congregation to share its facilities for worship and Christian education, it’s multiplying itself. There are other ways to multiply. The key is deliberately

reaching out and inviting people in the communities surrounding our churches to take part in a new experience of ministry.

It’s been my experience that congregations that plan to do something new to reach new people in their neighborhoods are the congregations that are revitalized and grow themselves. Multiplication is a double-win. The enthusiasm that comes from reaching out to start a new faith community lifts up existing members and results in renewal within the original congregation.

Many of our congregations are concerned with renewal and revitalization. They have worries about the future and wonder how they’ll keep going, how they’ll continue in ministry. One great answer is to plan to multiply. As the concern shifts to planning for reaching a brand-new group of people for Jesus and changing the lives of new people, something special happens within the existing congregation. The focus is on sharing God’s love with others and we realize just how much we are loved. It’s like the movie, “Pay It Forward.” The more we do for others, the more we feel loved and supported as members of our United

story continues on page 6

The new math:

multiplicationBy Jim Nibbelink, Conference Lay Leader


UMNS photo by John Gordon UMNS photo by Mike DuBose


The new math | Continued from page 5

Methodist community. Good things happen in congregations involved in multiplication. We will revitalize ourselves by sharing what we’ve found with others.

As I travel through the Desert Southwest Conference and visit with our people in congregations small and large, I’m struck by the wealth of love and talent we have. I’m convinced that Desert Southwest has the right people in the right places with the right resources to transform Arizona, southern Nevada, and our small slice of California for Jesus Christ right now. How? We need to believe that we can. And we need to try. It’s time to start our engines and pull out into traffic. Even God cannot steer a parked car.

It’s been really exciting to hear what some congrega-tions have been doing in the multiplication arena. One example is the congregation of Desert Spring United Method-ist Church in Las Vegas. Their vision of multiplication has resulted in regular worship ser-vices at several retirement and senior living facilities in the area around the church. In one new faith community, a retirement home resident felt so good about the opportunity to worship on a regular basis that she invited her adult children to join her in the weekly services. Together, they enjoyed family time in a way that had been unavailable to them for years. Recently, the woman passed away. The family felt so connected to and supported by the lay worship team that led the weekly worship, that they invited the worship team to conduct the memorial service for their mother. Lives were changed and love extended through the actions of a United Methodist congregation that cared about reaching out; that decided to multiply itself.

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Tucson is involved in a similar ministry. They provide regular worship in a retire-ment and care facility near the church. For a number of years, a lay-led team of Lay Speakers has served a new faith community that otherwise would have no opportunity for regular worship. Through the services of willing volunteer clergy, the team is able to offer Communion experiences as well.

Other congregations have started home Bible studies. Current members have offered to host a group of neighbor-

hood folks who are not active in a church. Sometimes, these are friends from down the street. In other situations, invitations have been placed in neighborhood papers or posted in grocery stores. What’s needed is a desire to reach out to new people. A facilitator guides the new group in studies for spiritual growth

and occasionally leads worship. In this way, new people are being reached and embraced in Christian community.

Is all this important? Absolutely. Many congregations are looking for ways to revitalize themselves and their ministries. Multiplication is an outwardly focused ministry that will help us to do just that. The mission of the United Methodist Church is to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World. What better way to give new energy and life to our own congregations than by touching new lives with the love of God? We need revitalization and God needs us to reach new people. Multiplication helps us to meet both needs. Creating new places for new faces is a priority that every congregation, regardless of size, can get behind. Start thinking about the people who aren’t connected to your church yet. Can you offer them hope, com-munity, love, support and friendship? Can you offer them God’s grace? Yes.

We’re called to multiply ourselves. Jesus sends us into the world. The harvest is plentiful. Will you say “Yes” by joining him in the fields? †

Just as a farmer must nurture crops through a cycle of planting, care, and harvest, the United Methodist Church must continue to plant new faith communities to make disciples of Jesus.

What we can do when there is an area

without a church


New churches in the Philippines usually start by needs of people being identified in an area that does not have a church.

By Rev. Sharon Ragland

I was skeptical. When Rev. Tom Butcher began talking about the growth he’d seen of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines during a trip there, I found it hard to be-

lieve that more than 500 churches had been birthed there since the early 1980’s. Because of a belief that starting new churches is the best way to reach new people with the good news of God’s love in Christ, I was also intrigued with Tom’s words. Through Tom’s efforts, an opportunity arose in 2006 to visit the Philip-pines to see the growth and talk with lay people, pastors and Bishops.

Led by Rev. David Valera, a Filipino native serving in the Pacific-Northwest Conference, the team from the Desert Southwest Conference included Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Rev. Fred Steinberg (as chairperson of the Conference’s New Faith Communities Committee, and pastor of Gold Canyon UMC, the “mother” church to the new Living Water Fellow-ship in East Mesa), Gary Stemple (a lay person from Gold Canyon UMC), Rev. Tom Butcher (Central West District Superintendent at the time), Karen McFarland (Central East District Lay Leader at the time and a member of the New Faith Committee), and me. I served as Central East District Superintendent from 2004-2010, and am now the senior pas-tor of St. Mark’s UMC in Tucson, AZ.

Protestant missionaries went to the Philippines beginning in the 1880’s. Now we were going to learn from the faith-filled United Methodists in the Philippines. Although some of us were tempted to take along our snorkeling gear to take in the beautiful Filipino beaches, our sole purpose of the trip was to learn from the people about how existing churches had given birth to more than 500 new churches throughout the Philip-pines, how they had mothered, and even grandmothered these new communities of faith. From December 3-13, Tuesday to Tuesday, we visited many towns and cities and two main regions: Manila, in the central region of the Philippines, and Bagiou City, more north.

From the moment we arrived, the pastors and people were anxious to tell us their story. They shared about the com-mitment of churches to give birth to new churches in areas where there were no churches, to share their faith, and help


the people. We were humbled, and struck by how much they were able to do with so little.

This emphasis on birthing new church began about 25 years ago (beginning in the early 1980’s), when Bishop Emerito Nacpil challenged pastors and lay people to start new churches to reach people with the good news. The pastors, and then lay people took the Bishop’s challenge seriously and began to work to birth new churches. Churches were birthed everywhere. Churches started new churches, becoming mothers to daughter churches. While this began as a top-down movement, now it is in the very essence of churches in the Philip-pines—they believe that they exist in order to birth new churches, to reach new people. Now some churches that have been mother churches have multiple daughter churches, and even granddaughter churches. It started in the Manila area of the Philippines with Bishop Nacpil, but was then carried out by Bishops, like Bishops Toquero, Justo, Juan and Soriano, all the superintendents and pastors, and most of all, by the lay people in churches, who have been so inspired and inspiring.

The importance and influence of lay people in the growth of the churches in the Philippines cannot be underestimated. We saw and talked with people who had very little, but made much with what they had, reaching people, sharing good news, welcoming us, giving us gifts.

We got to see the lay people in action, first-hand. While visiting the church in Bagio City, some lay people asked us if we wanted to see one of their daughter churches, Sapuan. Of course, we said, “yes!” They piled us into a large van, and we took a trip up a winding mountain road, slowing and picking our way up this road. At one point we stopped in a small town. We realized that some of the Bagio City church’s lay people were following us in an old pick-up truck. They wanted us to see what they had in the back of the truck, what they were taking to the daughter church in Sapuan. We got out of the van, and as we moved closer to the back of the pick-up, we were treated to a very “fragrant” odor. “What is that?” we asked. It turned out that the people were taking a load of chicken fertilizer to the people in the Sapuan church, to aid them in their farming.

Here’s how a new church often begins in the Philippines. Lay people find out about an area where there is no church, gather a group of lay people together and go visit the people there. The lay people, with their pastor, make a plan.

Lay people are trained, and work to begin the church. They spend time with the people, discovering what their needs are, based on MODEL—Medical, Optical, Dental, Evangelism,

What we can do | Continued from page 7


Photos courtesy of Sharon Ragland

Legal—needs. The lay people begin to work to meet those needs (and others, like the farming-fertilizer needs!), and begin Bible studies. Once a group of people is forming into a church, the lay people tell their pastor, or a superintendent, “we think we need a pastor here now.”

The lay people travel to where the people are, learn about them, spend time with them, begin to share God’s good news of love in Jesus Christ with them. They begin worship. They begin schools.

After we wound our way up a mountain road, we finally arrived at a little stop in the road. The van pulled over and the driver said, “We’re here.” We made our way down a little hill to find a small stone building, brimming over with people, who were waiting for us. Children, women, old people (most of the men were out working). This was a daughter church of the Bagio City Church. In a village, Sapuan, of about 125, about 50 of them were in this United Methodist Church. Waiting for us, they greeted us with songs, words of welcome, and stories. Children sang and did movements to Christmas carols. It was awe-inspiring. Here were children and families with so little, giving so much to us.

We got to meet Pastor Felipe, who pointed to the mission statement of the Sapuan Church, which was printed and hanging on the wall. Written in the native language of the people, we couldn’t read it, but Pastor Felipe told us….one of the main mis-sions of the Sapuan Church—this little village church—is to begin a new church, to birth a new church. And they have already identified an area, about 2 or 3 hours further up the mountain, where there is no church.

We were touched by the passion and compassion of Pastor Felipe. All around the Philippines we saw young pastors like him. We asked him, and began to ask other young pastors, “how did you come into ministry? How did you develop such a passion for evangelism?” They all said the same thing. “I was inspired by the youth ministry. I was led into ministry by my church’s youth ministry. ” This young pastor, Pastor Felipe, is leading the lay people in making plans to start a new church.

It was very interesting to me, as a woman and a pastor, that even though

we saw very few women pastors, and realized that the system there is still very patriarchal, they readily and freely use the language of birthing – of mother & daughter churches - when talking about new churches. Churches can’t wait to give birth to a new church!


Existing churches have given birth to more than 500 new churches throughout the Philippines.

Planting churches

takes a pioneering spirit

The pioneers left their marks through trails across the West.

They weren’t the first to journey through the Desert Southwest; many wagon trails actually followed older ab-original trails blazed long before. One old trail became known as the Beale Wagon Trail (a main street in Kingman bears its name) and then historic Route 66.

Oh how we have romantic and idealistic notions about Ole Route 66. But in reality, blazing those trails for the pioneers was hard, daunting work. When walking stretches of those old pioneer trails I remember clearly seeing evidence of wagon wheels and a challenging life. The pioneers persevered with a dream and vision calling them forward.

We have benefited from those pioneer dreamers, especially within our faith communities. I know I have.

I have served as pastor in several local churches and in each I have been immeasurably blessed. Many sacrifices were made to plant those churches. In two of those settings I have been directly impacted by the faithful and blessed

service of a team of church planters who blazed the trail—St. John’s UMC in Kingman and Desert Spring UMC in Las Vegas.

I name St. John’s because though at the time the congregation began its second century of ministry in Kingman, it made a bold decision to relocate to a new site. The community was changing and the church needed to change, too—not in its heart and message, but in how and where it could more effectively be in mission. The people of St. John’s relocated from that historic site just off Beale Street in old downtown and into the new neighborhoods.

With the visionary leadership of their pastors, Paul Daniell and Susan Brims, along with many dedicated laity, the congregation acquired new property and began to rebuild. It was a time of rebirth (in many ways St. John’s was born anew by rediscovering its calling) to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Though all did not see the pos-sibilities, a majority of the congregation caught the vision of the great potential of welcoming new people into a new loca-

tion and a new ministry. I was blessed to become a part of that new day. It was there I experienced the power and bless-ings which are at the heart of creating a new faith community as we continued to rebuild with bricks and mortar; in emerging ministries, and by seeking new persons thirsty for such a community of faith.

As the ministries of our local churches mature, we tend to distance ourselves from the vitality of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and reaching new people. We begin to focus upon maintaining our facility and programs to serve our inward needs. We forget that our purpose in having beautiful church plants and programs is to reach new people for Jesus Christ.

It was only four years into service with the people of St. John’s when I re-ceived the next call from our Cabinet to serve in another location. Upon receiving the invitation, I dug in my heels because our family was settling into a comfort-able, nurturing place and we wanted to stay. It felt good where we were. Through continued struggle with the cabinet and

By Rev. Dan Morley


prayer together, Bonnie and I discerned that the next appointment to Desert Spring in Las Vegas was in fact where God was calling us. After we made the move and had time to reflect, we could see how the experience at St. John’s prepared us for the ministry needs at Desert Spring. I had learned a key lesson—there is energy and vitality in forming new faith communities.

New faith communities are new Bible studies and action groups reaching out from our congregations. They are small groups which church plants in neighbor-hoods without a United Methodist pres-ence. They are new church plants which are seeded by strong lay leaders from an established and mature congregation.

It was six years earlier that Rev. Ed Ramsey planted Desert Spring. I would once again be the beneficiary of the hard

service of a faithful church planter. Desert Spring was entering into a vulnerable phase of its life. Many church plants do not make it past this point in their journey. Af-ter six years of meeting the challenges and meeting in the rented space of community centers many persons want to locate, build and occupy. It is hard to maintain the stamina needed for pioneering work.

There are strategic stages which must be met and journeyed through before the next steps can be taken in strength. There needs to be a strong foundation of leaders and then a breadth of a worshiping congregation along with a healthy financial undergirding. However, the key ingredient I have witnessed is for a church planting team to have a passion, drive and spirit to create another outpost of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ—to have the heart of

a pioneer. Even before the Desert Spring

congregation moved into its first build-ing, another call was discerned—a call to participate in starting another new faith community in a developing area several miles south. Though that new church plant took new directions through the years, the people of Desert Spring have retained their initial DNA of church planting and so have kept connected to the very heart of who we are and why we are: the people of the United Methodist Church seeking to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

As a church and Annual Conference, may we remain connected with our faith-sharing pioneer heritage and experience the great joy of multiplying for the Lord. †


The one, two, threes of why we must start

new churches

One hears arguments against planting new congregations along three lines. First, “We

have plenty of room in our existing churches; let’s fill them before we start new churches.” Second, “The church-going population is shrinking, and there is already increased competition for those people who are currently not attending.” Third, “Help the struggling churches first! We need better churches, not more churches.”

Although these arguments seem to reflect common sense, they rest on several faulty assumptions. These errors will become clear if we ask as a beginning point, “Why is church planting of critical importance?” I believe it was that very question that set our Council of Bishops on the road to declaring church plant-ing the United Methodist Church’s first pathway into the future. The outgrowth of that declaration became the General Conference action that created Path 1, directing our efforts towards church planting.

The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ. Study after study by such respected church commenta-

tors as Lyle Schaller, Lovett Weems, Aubrey Malpers, and Steve Compton have documented this fact. Nothing else—not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes—will have the consistent impact of extensive church planting. In the history of Christianity, no method for reaching new believers and making new disciples of Jesus Christ has ever been as effective or as efficient as starting new churches. This reality should not surprise us because we almost instinctively know that new people are more likely to be involved in new things. Most mainline churches, including our own United Methodist Church, went through an intensive period of starting new churches, but then as our churches grew more stable we altered our focus.So why is church planting of crucial importance?

First and foremost it is a Biblical mandate. The Great Commission directs us to “go into all the world making disciples and baptizing them…” The United States is a huge mission field. In his book 44 Questions for Church Planters, Lyle Schaller reports statistics that reveal in 1820 there was one church

for every 875 US residents; by 1912 there was one church for each 430 people. In 1912 fully 1/3 of the churches in the United States were under 25 years old. In our own denomination our greatest era of church planting was between 1890 and 1940. In those years, United Methodists (and predecessor denominations) made up 6.7% of the population. We currently comprise only 2.6%. Furthermore, this percentage is much lower in the Western Jurisdiction, where the number of United Methodist congregations per capita stands at only one for each 45,000 people. To take a specific example, in our Las Vegas area we have only 12 congregations amid a metropolitan population of 1.9 million.

Second, planting churches is the most effective way of reaching new residents, new generations, and new groups of people. New congregations can be planted in areas with significant population growth with greater ease than asking existing congregations to relocate. Younger people are statistically more likely to be found in new congregations. In addition, new socio-cultural groups in a community are always better reached by a new congregation. Please note: a new congregation for a new people group

By Mike Pearson, South District Superintendent





One, two, threes | Continued from page 12

can often be planted within the overall structure of an existing church. It may be a new language Sunday service, a network of Bible studies, or an outreach program to a specific group.

Third, and most importantly, new churches do the best job of reaching the unchurched or seekers. It is widely acknowledged that the rate of evangelism tends to be higher in new churches than in established churches. Study after study by a variety of denominations, including several United Methodist studies, have confirmed this fact. For example, a recent study in Texas by Lovett Weems showed new churches bringing in three times as many new people (professions of faith) as similar congregations that were more than 25 years old. One might ask why this might be, inasmuch as an existing church usually has better and more extensive facilities and programs. One answer is that as a congregation ages, powerful institutional forces lead it to allocate resources to the concerns and needs of its

members. This does not mean that longer existing congregations can not reach new people, but their ability to do so dimin-ishes with time while a new congregation must focus on the needs of non-members (this is, of course, understandable as they have no or only a few members). Also, a new congregation will appeal to a certain segment of the population who likes the notions of pioneering the new, getting in on the ground floor, and operating in less rigid ways.

Of course, there are benefits for all the churches that derive from planting new churches. Church planting done well benefits both new churches and estab-lished churches. Established churches get infused with missional energy generated by helping start a new church. New churches benefit from the stability, wisdom, and assistance of established churches that support them. New churches collectively develop innovations that can have crossover benefits back to many established churches.

It is important to understand that new congregations are often the Research and Development arm of a denomination. There is much less resistance to new ideas in a setting where no one can say, “We never did it that way before.” Often a congregation will think a certain idea or program won’t work here, but upon seeing it succeed in a new church, they are likely willing to reconsider. A new congregation’s success can also prompt an existing church to a do a serious self-appraisal.

Another benefit to a denomination such as ours in today’s mobile society is that people reached in new churches who become

lifelong followers will seek a United Methodist church when they relocate. Just last week I had dinner with a couple from Atlanta who shared that, having moved again, they are currently in a church that is more than 100 years old, after attending two new church plants in their previous locations.

Finally, church plants by their very nature are ventures requiring greater measures of faith and confidence in God, but not just among their own clergy, leaders and members. Church plants require faith and confidence from exist-ing churches, Conference leaders, and Conference clergy and members. Our Conference is currently about to embark on such an act of faith as we look at ways to multiply 100 congregations. Our faith will have to be strong, but imagine the lives we will change! †

Photo by Francisco M. Litardo

New churches do the best job of reaching the unchurched or seekers. It is widely acknowledged that the rate of evangelism tends to be higher in new churches than in established churches.


Even though we didn’t see very many women pastors, there are very crucial ways that women help the churches to birth and grow. A key role in this is played by deaconesses. These are young women who are trained, mostly at Harris College outside Manila, and are then coveted in churches because they direct and lead key ministries, especially the Christian education programs.

Many churches have schools, and we got to visit several of those. The deaconesses run the schools, but not only that. God was truly leading us to dig into some deep waters here, as we learned that the education ministries, including well-run vaca-tion Bible schools, led by the deaconesses and lay people, were not primarily for the church’s own children, but were used for evangelism—to reach children and families in the neighborhoods, as part of the commitment to birthing new churches.

When we got back, I was even more committed to helping Gold Canyon UMC be a parent church to Living Water United

What we can do | Continued from page 9


The education ministries, including well-run vacation Bible schools, led by the deaconesses and lay people in the Philippines, are not primarily for the church’s own children, but are used for evangelism—to reach children and families in the neighborhoods, as part of the commitment to birthing new churches.

UMNS file photograph by Kathy L. Gilbert

William Tolentino (left) and Mighty Rasing, youth from the Philippines, sing during worship at a meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Most of the vibrant young pastors in the Philippines were inspired through active youth ministries.

Methodist Fellowship in east Gilbert.Although we may not be able to apply some of the specific

methods used in the Philippines to birth new churches, we can inspire churches to multiply, giving of their talents and re-sources. I am no longer skeptical about the growth of the church in the Philippines, or about our ability to birth new churches out of existing ones. With almost no resources, the Filipino people have transformed lives for Jesus Christ. With many resources, we surely can follow their example. It simply takes the willing-ness of a church to say, “There is that area up north of us that has no church. How can we start something there? What is needed? A Bible study? A parenting group? A house church? Who can we send to begin that? When will we start?” In other words, how can we multiply ourselves—give birth—so that others can hear good news of God’s love in Christ. †

In the forward to the book Exponential, Alan Hirsch (author of The Forgotten Ways) writes, “the church must move from addition to multiplication: it cannot ‘just’ be

about adding numbers to existing churches until they grow very large. It must ‘also’ mean multiplying the actual number of churches, as well as empowering all of God’s people in every sphere of life to be the church.” Then he states, “This is going to take lots of new thinking and a whole lot of coura-geous action.”

I whole heartily agree with Alan Hirsch. For us in the Desert Southwest Conference to start 100 new churches through multiplication, it is going to take lots of very new thinking and a whole lot of courageous action.

The good news is that already throughout our country there are the beginnings of a “multiplication network” when it comes to starting new churches. Many independent churches as well as denominational churches are already giving birth to new churches through such models as “mother-daughter,” “multi-sites” and “second campuses.” In United Methodism, several pastors (including our own Adam Hamilton) are multiplying themselves several times over using these models.

And it’s not a moment too soon to start this multiplying process because the church in America is losing ground fast: -Today, fewer than 20% of Americans attend church regularly and only 22% have a positive view of church. -Half of all churches in America did not add one person through conversion last year or what we call “professions of faith.” -Every week, 43,000 Americans are leaving the church for good and looking elsewhere to have their spiritual needs met. (For United Methodists, this number is 2,000.) -One hundred years ago, there were 28 churches for every 10,000 Americans, and today there are only 11 churches per 10,000.

If we do the math, we are not being very successful at obeying the great commission that Jesus gave us.

Starting new churches through multiplication is a way for us to go to the ends of the earth. If we rely on church growth at a single church with a single site, that pathway simply won’t take us to all the places we need to be in making

Editor’s note: In a recent fall meeting The Desert Southwest Conference Covenant Council officially adopted a vision to start 100 new churches over the next two years.

disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.In the spring of this year as I was preparing to leave Nashville

and return to our Conference, I prayed for a vision that was so big and awesome that it would only come to be if God were truly in it. After several days of prayer, this is the vision that I believe God placed on my heart: that the Desert Southwest Conference would start 100 new churches through the process of multiplica-tion in the next two years.

Knowing that our Conference only has about 140 churches, this does seem like a mighty big vision, even a bit of a crazy one at that. And there is absolutely no possible way this will ever happen unless it is totally blessed by God. However, the need for this vision to come into reality is there. Demographically there are more than 100 places within the boundaries of our Confer-ence where there are 25,000 people or more without a United Methodist presence. Across the country, there is one United Methodist Church for approximately every 10,000 persons. In Arizona this number is one United Methodist Church for every 63,000 persons. In Clark County in Nevada (predominately Las Vegas,) the ratio is one United Methodist Church for every 124,000 persons. For us, in this Conference, the mission field is in our own backyard!

Our plan is to challenge every church in the Conference to multiply itself through a variety of models; mother-daughter, second campuses, multi-sites, house churches, etc. We’re begin-ning by presenting both the need and the vision to the pastors of the largest apportionment-paying churches and listening to their responses. We asked them if they believe this vision is possible and, if so, how do we make it happen. As one pastor said, “There must be 100 ways of doing this.” By the time of Annual Confer-ence in June, we hope to have every church in our Conference think about how they can embrace the challenge. Having seen the example of church multiplication in places like the Philippines, we know that any size church can actually multiply itself when they see the need and have the desire to do so.

To be sure, a vision this big certainly will need more than just a few committed folks to make it happen. God has made it in creation that all living things multiply themselves or they cease to exist. This is also true of churches. Virtually all of us, including the Lord God Almighty, will need to work together in bringing this vision of the Great Commission into reality. †


By Rev. Valerie Fairchild


What an amazing and blessed call it is to be a part of a new faith community. It is exciting and challenging to have the opportunity to bring the good news of God’s

love and care into a new community. No, it isn’t easy, but what a blessing to rely on God’s guidance through the Spirit and to watch God do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20) This describes the new faith community journey.

I am blessed to serve Spirit Song UMF in far northwest Peoria in a com-munity called Vistancia. There are 1,500 children from the families in Vistancia filling two elementary schools and a 55+ com-munity, Trilogy, di-rectly adjacent. We are the only church here! This is an amazing opportu-nity to invite people into worship with their neighbors, be in ministry in the community, and grow the kingdom of God.

Jesus says, “Go.” We are sent forth to make dis-ciples for Christ and a new faith community is the perfect setting for fulfilling this call. Often when we have church buildings we forget the ‘go’ part and expect people to ‘come.’ This is a luxury new faith communities don’t have. We go to the community through service and ministry. Our vision at Spirit Song is “Impacting our communities as the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus.” We strive to be the church through our love and action by going to the people.

We hosted a family picnic with craft projects for the children in a community park. Church members involved the children in building checker boards, treasure boxes, or bird houses. While the children worked, the parents had the opportunity to visit and make connections with their neighbors. Parents commented that it was wonderful for a church to provide family activities. One woman noted that churches tended to have separate ministries for men, women and children, and she really appreciated the family emphasis. New faith communities seek to meet community needs

and Spirit Song has committed to hosting fam-ily opportuni-ties every other month.

In Decem-ber we are of-fering families the chance to have their child’s picture taken with the holy family. As we looked for a location to display the nativity, a comment was made that hav-ing a church building would make this easier. Yes,

it would. But then we would expect people to come rather than going to the people. This nativity will be in front of a store in the shopping center. Imagine the numbers of families, a large percent-age seekers, who will stop for this great (and free) photo oppor-tunity of their child in the nativity scene. Imagine the discussions this might spark at home and each time they look at the photo or share the photo with friends. Imagine the focus of Christmas


There are 1,500 children from the families in Vistancia filling two elementary schools, including the school that houses Spirit Song UMF.


The expansive reach | Continued from page 19

Spirit Song UMF works monthly building wood crafts with HopeKids: an organiza-tion that provides events and activities for children with cancer and other life-threat-ening medical conditions.

Spirit Song UMF hosted a family picnic with craft projects for the children in a community park. New faith communities seek to meet community needs and Spirit Song has committed to hosting family opportunities every other month.

on the Savior instead of consumerism. This is a part of what it means to reach out as a new faith community.

As we strive to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus, we place a priority on “hands on” ministry. We work monthly build-ing wood crafts with HopeKids: an organization that provides events and activities for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions. This has been a great blessing to the church participants. Several church members expressed discomfort in working with the sick the first time but the experienced helped them grow spiritually and they have since expressed the wonderful blessing of working with the children and seeing their smiles. The parents appreciate the excitement in their children when they work with the church participants. One mother said, “Our adopted daughter has HIV and we never know when the Lord Almighty will take her. To have this gift made by her little hands is priceless!” Another wrote, “Oh my, you guys are great. Thank you so much for the time and thought and cost that you put into our kids (especially mine.) He loves

Photos courtesy of Spirit Song


the checker board and is playing it now with me. I could not get him to play before.” This is being Christ in the community.

Spreading the word that a welcoming church is present and demonstrating that we are being the church for the people requires connecting with the people. We participate in clubs, ac-tivities, business groups and community events. We partner with the home owners association and with the school. Spirit Song is working with Vistancia Elementary to partner in providing a food box ministry in the community to help families stretch their food dollar. We seek opportunities to build relationships everywhere.

In the recent election, Peoria Schools’ override initiative looked like it had failed. This override was to allow countless teachers to keep their jobs and to maintain the “specials,” which are classes such as art, music, and physical educations. We took a bag full of chocolate bars to the school with a message on each which read, “Know that the voters do not determine your value and worth. Look into the eyes of your students. May you know peace today.” One teacher shared that when she received the

candy she felt encouraged and that other teachers had responded the same. We are to be God’s encouragers. Since then the final votes were counted and the override narrowly passed. We were able to celebrate with those same teachers that we had provided encouragement for.

One of the impacts of actively being the church in the community is the change of heart that community leaders have had regarding the presence of the church. There was a time when community developers set aside land for a church and saw the presence of a church as positive. This community, and other new developments, now includes guidelines in the bylaws prohibiting anything to do with religion. However, as community leaders have observed the service and ministry of Spirit Song, God has softened hearts and leaders have expressed their appreciation. They have found that a caring, active church and a people who desire to serve is a positive influence for the community. God is changing hearts through this young church start. †

In a thank you letter one parent said of Spirit Song UMF’s work with Hope Kids ‘Our adopted daughter has HIV and we never know when the Lord Almighty will take her. To have this gift made by her little hands is priceless!’ This is being Christ in the community.


Are you ready to plant a church?

With a plan in place to start 100 new churches in the Desert Southwest Conference (see page 16) there are important roles

that need to be filled in order make this vision a reality. The Lay Missionary Planting Net-work [LMPN] exists in order to equip lay people to do just that. Sam Rodriguez, Director of Hispanic/Latino New Church Starts, is one of the many mis-sionaries setting about to make a big change for the Confer-ence. But it’s going to take more than Directors and Leaders to churn out 100 new churches in just two years.

The key component of the LMPN is going to come from clergy and lay people who

consider themselves ready for the challenge of starting a new church. “I’ve learned that not everyone can be a church planter,”

Sam says. “It is a very different venture than just being an existing church. It’s like starting from zero; you have to have an entre-preneurial, risk-taking, outgoing personality.” And pastors aren’t the only ones who fit the bill of one who can command a flock. Sam sees potential in those church members who may not have been involved in any sort of leadership position within the church before, but have a unique connection to the people the LMPN are trying to reach. “Lay people can sometimes reach other subcultures that clergy

are not reaching because clergy are limited,” Sam says. “There’s an

By Joanie Faust, Writer-Editor

The Lay Missionary Planting Network is designed to equip gifted and called people to engage in planting new faith communities.


opportunity for lay people to reach out to more diverse groups, such as Spanish language speakers, whereas an English-speaking pastor could not.”

Part of the plan to take an ordinary lay person from church-goer to church-planter involves an in-depth, six-month train-ing curriculum where participants will learn everything from “Church Planting 101” to “Engaging the Community.” Those who go through the program can either be leaders or part of a team that helps starts new churches—all with support from mentors and teachers who have experience with planting new congrega-tions. “For me the biggest thing is that we give people the oppor-tunity to do training and to learn about church planting, which may spark in them a desire or calling they might have for planting a church.”

Even for those who don’t hear the call to become church planters, changes are ahead for congregations that become the anchor or “mother church” to a new start. “There’s no doubt there are going to be changes,” Sam says. “There are going to be chal-lenges of using the space, so it’s very much a challenge of a church adapting to doing things differently and thinking of a church as being outside of the four walls they’re used to.” Sam does point out that although there may be some give and take between

anchor churches and new starts, the most difficult changes will also be the most rewarding. “We support missions all over the world, but this will be a closer mission field work,” Sam says. “The anchor churches and church partners can see how their support is making a difference and helping support a new church in their backyard. Hopefully that’ll mean most churches, more Hispan-ics within the Annual Conference, and more people coming to Christ.”

David McPherson, Director of Connectional Ministries for The Desert Southwest Conference, is excited about the prospects of having more clergy and lay people entering the mission field in their hometowns, and expects all involved to benefit from the mutual pastoral work. “All Christians are called to become missionaries and be disciples for Jesus Christ—it’s a great blessing that the LMPN and our New Faith Communities are bringing that mission to the forefront and using the talent and resources that we already have to spread our message beyond the places we’ve already been.”

For more information on how you can become involved in plant-ing new churches, or to register online, go to http://desertsouthwestconference.org/LMPN

Planting Network participants experience, learn, and grow in the areas of: - Spiritual disciplines of prayer, worship, and study in the Wesleyan tradition - Reading and evangelizing the mission field - Preaching and teaching - Pastoral responsibilities in the United Methodist system - Discipling and mentoring leaders - Growing and multiplying ministries - Creating ministry action plans - Basics of Church planting

Individual subscriptions to Transfor-mation Magazine are available for only $20 a year. Each subscription

includes four full-color issues packed with stories of ministry from around The Desert Southwest Conference and The United Methodist Church.

Transformation is intended not only to serve as a tool to inspire cur-rent members of The Desert Southwest Conference, but also to help tell visitors the story of what it means to be United Methodist in the Desert Southwest. It is because of this, the DSC Com-munications Commission is asking every member of The Desert Southwest Conference to prayerfully consider not only purchasing one subscription, but two. The first subscription would be for you to read before giving it away to a

church seeker in the spirit of evangelism. The second subscription would be for someone you know who may not other-wise become connected, or someone who may be looking for a means of evangeliz-ing. What a wonderful way to be a part of telling our story!

To subscribe, simply fill out the form below or place an order online at: http://desertsouthwestconference.org/transformation.

If you have any questions about the return of this exciting ministry tool or anything else, please contact the Communications Department at [email protected] or 602-266-6956. The Desert Southwest Conference Communications Commis-sion and Communications Department are always ready to help. Let us work

together to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.

Order your copy of Transformation today!

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