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A UMNS Report
By Fred Koenig*
Feb. 26, 2010 | KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UMNS)
Grand Avenue Temple is undergoing a spiritual and physical renewal.
UMNS
photos by Fred Koenig.
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The megachurch has come to the city, bringing new life to a historic
downtown sanctuary.
United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, a 12,000-member
congregation based in nearby Leawood, Kan., established a third campus
at the Grand Avenue Temple, a United Methodist Church which has been at
the same location since 1866.
The result is the older church, which in recent years has lacked a
self-supporting congregation even as its Lazarus Table ministry reached
out to the homeless, is undergoing a spiritual and physical renewal.
The new congregation, Resurrection Downtown, averages 240 worshippers
each week, and is developing vital evangelism, music and small group
ministries.
The commitment of members of the Church of the Resurrection goes beyond
time and treasure. Six couples sold their homes and moved downtown.
One of those couples is David and Kelly Sisney. With their kids out of
the house, they were looking to do something new and exciting. After the
Rev. Adam Hamilton, Resurrection’s senior pastor, shared his vision of
starting a third campus downtown, David Sisney become chair of the
committee for Resurrection Downtown.
A lifelong surburbs guy, he and his wife moved downtown last June.
“It’s cool to be part of the downtown revitalization, spiritually as
well as physically,” he said. “I think Resurrection Downtown will have a
great impact.”
Feeding bodies and souls
In 1909, the growing Grand Avenue Methodist congregation built a
Greek revival building with a magnificent pipe organ that still spans
the 70-foot wall in the front of the sanctuary.
The population shift to the suburbs is among the reasons the church
experienced a steady membership decline to the point it could no longer
support itself. But its social ministries thrived. The Lazarus Table, a
program begun in 1996 to feed the homeless, continues to provide
thousands of meals for the poor.
Many Lazarus Table volunteers from area United Methodist churches
admired the beautiful pews, hardwood floors, plaster relief walls and
historic pipe organ at the Temple. Wouldn’t it be a blessing, some
wondered, to see the historic church filled again with a vibrant
congregation worshipping there every week?
The Church of the Resurrection took action. Hamilton started working
with the Rev. Ron Brooks, pastor of Grand Avenue Temple, a few years ago
on the idea of the building serving as a downtown campus for the
Leawood church.
Staff and volunteers from Church of the Resurrection conducted a
feasibility study, which looked at issues with the building and local
demographics. The Leawood congregation committed $350,000 to refurbish
the Kansas City Church and pay for start-up expenses.
Brent Messick, the director of operations for the Church of the
Resurrection, says the Leawood church will probably invest an additional
$25,000 to $30,000 for temporary air conditioning, and the church will
hold a fall campaign to raise funds for capital improvements to Grand
Avenue Temple.
Making connections
Others pitched in.
The Missouri Annual (regional) Conference Congregation Development Team
agreed to provide $75,000 to support the launch, and the Rev. Scott
Chrostek, an elder in the Detroit Annual Conference, was appointed to
serve Resurrection Downtown.
“I’m answering to three bishops, three cabinets, three charge
conferences and a conference new church start staff,” Chrostek said.
He wasn’t complaining. He was complimenting.
“It shows the power and potential of our connectional system,” Chrostek
said. “I left a career in investment banking to live into this
connectional system, and it’s been unbelievable. It’s been a blessing.
Everyone has been great to work with. I’m benefiting from a lot of hard
work from a lot of people.”
November launch
The church was officially launched Nov. 29, 2009, with 368 in
attendance. Hamilton preached the sermon.
The church now averages more than 200 people at worship each week.
“The best part of that is that these aren’t 240 people who are coming
here from Leawood. It’s almost all new folks,” Chrostek said.
He sees enormous potential in the large number of young residents
concentrated in a few downtown buildings.
Most downtown residents are in their 20s and 30s, Chrostek said, and if
they have children, the children are under the age of 5. The next group
is empty nesters, who are typically in their 40s or older. There are few
families with school-age children, as they typically seek out more
stable schools in the suburbs.
The worship service is at 6 p.m. each Sunday. The evening schedule gives
people an opportunity to sleep in and enjoy their day, but then to
begin preparing for their week by attending worship on Sunday night.
The worship leader has a master’s degree in music and a strong jazz
background. Music is a stripped down, acoustic style.
The motto of Resurrection Downtown is “Building Community, Changing
Lives.” Although the church is still in its infancy, that’s already
beginning to happen.
*Koenig is editor of publications for the Missouri Annual Conference.
News media contact: David Briggs, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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