Growing Our Fellowship

Just in the past month or two, I have had several very encouraging conversations about potential growth within our Fellowship:

• There is real potential for a new church plant in one of our extensions.
  
• Two of our pastors mentioned that they have been talking to fellow pastors about potentially joining our Fellowship.
  
• Another pastor called me directly to ask what the process would be for his church to join our Fellowship.
  
• A church that had previously left our Fellowship is now applying to reaffiliate.
  

To be clear – growth is not what our Fellowship focuses on. We focus on working together to support and encourage one another and to further the spread of the Gospel. However, growth is healthy, as it adds resources and increases the impact of our ministry.
In the past, our efforts to grow have been mostly focused on church planting. This is still a vital area, and we continue to pursue it. But several factors have changed since we began planting decades ago.

​For instance, many areas that can support an evangelical church have existing churches from which to choose, and areas of rapid growth are typically in the suburbs, where one can easily drive fifteen minutes to an existing church.

​​I believe that much of our future growth will likely come from one of two sources:

1. Churches who have been independent, and now see the need for mutual accountability, encouragement, and support
   
2. Churches who are currently part of an organization with which they no longer agree on theological or philosophical issues
   

These are the areas where we have seen the most movement in recent years.

n many ways, this is new territory for our Fellowship. We have lots of policies and procedures and shared experiences when it comes to planting a new church, but not so much when it comes to encouraging another church to join us.

Efforts to identify and recruit a new church seem almost pointless at the top of our organization. Cold calling a church to ask if they are looking for something new is not effective. Churches are not posting “want ads” seeking a new fellowship. The most effective way to recruit new churches to join us is through the efforts of the member church pastors, leaders, and congregation members.
​
This could be a pastor sitting over coffee with a fellow pastor and saying, “I think our Fellowship could be a great fit for you,” or a congregation member telling their uncle who is on the board at another church, “Perhaps your church would find a better theological fit with our Fellowship.” These are the types of conversations that will help us grow and allow us to minister to even more people.

Make a connection and see if there seems to be genuine interest. If so, connect them with me. I am always happy to share about our Fellowship with those who are curious. Join with us in watching for ways we can expand our impact on the church in North America.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Stone has been in full or part-time ministry for over 30 years. Before accepting the position of President, he spent 12 years as the full-time Pastor of Worship at Crosspoint Bible Church in Omaha, NE - one of our FEBC churches.