?Church in a box? concept expands ministry
A volunteer unloads equipment for an offsite worship
service in Aurora, Ill. Batavia United Methodist Church uses the "church
in a box" to expand its reach beyond its historic downtown sanctuary in
nearby Batavia. UMNS photos by Jon Kaplan.
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By Jon Kaplan*
June 27, 2007 | BATAVIA, Ill. (UMNS)
With everyone pitching in, setting up for a worship service takes just minutes.
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Batavia United Methodist is a church on the move—literally.
The thriving downtown Batavia congregation, 45 miles west of Chicago,
has outgrown its historic building and 11 parking spaces. So, out of
sheer necessity, the 850-member church has embraced a unique community
outreach concept called "church in a box."
Each Sunday, in addition to holding three worship services in
Batavia, the congregation sends a missions team with a 24-foot trailer
to the nearby family-oriented community of Aurora. Inside the trailer
are wheeled containers filled with an altar, hymnals, musical
instruments, audio and video equipment, signs and even a
coffeemaker—everything needed to provide a worship service, Sunday
school classes and a nursery.
Substituting brick and mortar for teamwork and elbow grease,
volunteers and worshippers convert the auditorium of Herget Middle
School into "church" in just minutes.
"Church in a box allows us to quickly set up a place of worship in a
place where you wouldn’t have worship," explains the Rev. Jeffry Bross,
Batavia's associate pastor.
Batavia calls its portable worship space "Flowing Grace," and Bross
is the modern-day circuit rider in charge. The plan is eventually to
take the worship experience to other locations.
An average of 100 worshipers attend the Flowing Grace service each Sunday.
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The ministry began last March, and Batavia's senior pastor, the Rev.
Mike Stoner, says Flowing Grace is helping to keep the anchor church
vibrant and welcoming.
"If you’re in an old building that has no parking, you’re
landlocked," he says. "… The central message all along was this was
about going to where the people are. It really embraces the United
Methodist passion for going where no one’s been."
A different way of thinking
Not everyone embraced the concept at first. "I was leery," says
long-time member Jim Hansen, "but once we visited, I can see why we
needed to do it."
"We had to overcome the notion that we were going to become two
different churches and that we’d just be one church worshipping in two
sites, and I think we have overcome that," says Hasana Sisco, another
member.
One church in two locations is a concept that more and more United
Methodist congregations and other churches are adopting. Batavia
purchased its "church in a box" resources for $85,000 from Portable
Church Industries of Troy, Mich. The company’s Web site lists close to
1,000 clients.
Flowing Grace volunteer and lay member Joanne Mendicino understands
the appeal. "We’re able to minister one on one a little bit better in
the way that people need it," she says.
"It’s great to take the church to some place else as opposed to keeping the church here," adds Batavia member Rodney Sisco.
"Church in a box allows us to quickly set up a place of worship in a
place where you wouldn’t have worship," says the Rev. Jeffry Bross.
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Thus far, Flowing Grace is averaging about 100 attendees each week and
has added 11 members since March. Batavia members are encouraged and
excited about the blessings.
"I see more personal growth at this location, providing more
opportunity for people to get involved and engaged than I had at the
standard site," says Flowing Grace member Mike Harvey.
"A lot of people that are participating are experiencing changes in their personal faith journeys," adds Joanne Mendicino.
Church and lay leaders alike say the ministry has allowed church
members to use gifts and talents they didn't realize they had and to
develop as leaders themselves. They believe the potential is limitless.
Says Stoner: "I would dream of having some people from Flowing Grace
who have caught this vision, to go do it at another place and then
another place."
*Kaplan is a freelance producer and writer in Chicago.
News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Video Story
Church in a Box
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Resources
Batavia United Methodist Church
Board of Discipleship
Committee for New Congregational Development
Igniting Ministry
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