The church was started as a small group and grew around solid Bible-based teaching and a rural friendly family-oriented appeal. As the church grew, community primarily happened organically and through affinity-based adult Sunday school classes...
Being a small groups minister in a large church in the mid-south is an interesting challenge all by itself.The “bible belt” runs through the heart of our churches influence.The vast majority of our membership comes from some denomination, previous church experience or religious expression.They come seeking everything from anonymity to finding a spouse, from seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus to seeking a meaningful influence in the marketplace.You want it?We have it.They hear great preaching, perhaps three of the finest expositors in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region>.They come for great worship, with moving music, dynamics lighting and comfortable seating.Church members and guests immediately recognize the excellence of the education programs for adults and their kids.Some may seek relationships through on-campus studies and gatherings, but thousands never opt for the excellent classes, studies and programs.They are quite satisfied with worship.Worship is “King Cotton” here.
Our congregation is a 130-year-old congregation in a rural community of 700 people where we are the only evangelical church in town and, in fact, the only one in a 6 town “radius”. For a large part of our history (100+ years), we existed as what I would term a “family” church. One where most additions came through pregnancy. The small number of other additions came when people from our church heritage moved into the area and sought us out.
Underground: a movement or group of people who seek to win others and grow their movement through relational experiences and communication with others in the course of everyday life. Typically this movement exists outside of traditional organizational structures and accepted traditions and procedures.
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