|
By Steve Weatherbe
THE Meeting Place (TMP) aims to be a church for the ‘unchurched.’ And as it gears up to celebrate its 10th anniversary this month, the Nanaimo
venue seems to be succeeding.
Starting with two founding couples, it now has 600 members of all ages, in
various stages of living up to the church’s central vision: “turning irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”
And that phrase, pastor Dave Koot frankly admits, was gratefully but completely
ripped off from Willow Creek Community Church, the Illinois megachurch started
by Bill Hybels in 1975, which now hosts 17,000 attendees at its Sunday
services.
Fully aware that they were opening their doors onto a post-Christian world a
decade ago, the founders created a model designed to welcome the curious, the
wary – and the downright gun-shy, who had unpleasant childhood memories of church.
“We are aiming for the people who are kicking the tires,” said Koot, “and there are a lot of them out there looking for answers and for meaning that
our pluralisms don’t provide.”
Over the long term, the church has grown by building personal relationships
first and by aiming for men rather than women.
“If you get the woman to come,” said Koot, “she will bring the children, but the husband will stay home. If you get the man
to come, the whole family will come.”
Much of the church’s website material is clearly written with the skeptical, practical male of the
species in mind. Repeatedly, the site urges newcomers to bring their tough
questions. As well, casual dress is encouraged, and the promise is given that
no one will be pressuring the newcomer for money or drawing attention to them
at all.
Old-style religious words like “preaching” or “sermon” are also no-nos. Instead there are “messages.”
Those messages are delivered in ways the unchurched are used to: worship opens
with pop songs from U2 or Coldplay that tie in with day’s theme. These are often supplemented by movie excerpts or references that
reinforce the message. TMP even has software that hunts the internet for free
videos by theme as well.
The actual sermon is no longer than 20 minutes, and the service is over in an
hour – because “people tell us that’s how long they want to be in church,” said Koot.
Continue article >>
|
An extensive team of volunteers, meanwhile, is ministering to the children,
divided up into youth, several levels of primary school age children, followed
by tots, tiny tots and teenie tiny tots. The church is clearly geared for young
families.
Koot said TMP arose from frustration. He could see that the popular Alpha
program, as well as home-based groups, were effective ways of delivering the
Christian message to the curious newcomer – but left a huge gap between them and the larger church community. Lots of
people never jump that gap.
“Alpha is about them: it is centred on the newcomer,” he said. But when they get to a traditional church they are just one of the
flock.
TMP’s congregation is about one third “tire-kicker” or newcomer, one third new Christian, and one third who have become full
participants in the life in Christ. TMP is intended to serve each group where
it’s at, said Koot, which is particularly important with newcomers and new
Christians.
The church is affiliated with the Fellowship Baptist denomination, which
provided considerable startup support and now gives oversight. Financially, The
Meeting Place is self-supporting. None of the staff are full-time, however – with Koot, for example, supplementing his pastoring income with consulting
work.
“I’m just considering the possibility of doing this full time,” he said. Relying on volunteer support as much as TMP does has its advantages,
he added. In fact, the volunteering has made for a very decentralized, grass
roots style of church, which he believes is all to the good.
September 2009
|
