When Rev. Paul Jorden became pastor of Family in Christ Community Church in Westminster, Colo., he inherited a church that was clearly dying. About 30 people were regularly showing up for Sunday services, and even those loyal members seemed to believe that the church wouldn’t last.
That was 10 years ago.
Today, the church is not only surviving, it’s thriving. Five hundred worshipers of all ages now pack the church each Sunday morning. Two praise bands lead energetic, lively worship services. And all this takes place in a new church building in the middle of a bustling Denver suburb.
This dramatic turnaround was sparked by a mission-focused church grant from Christian Reformed Home Missions.
“[The grant] helped us become more deliberate about reaching the community and bringing them to Christ,” says Jorden.
However, funding alone can’t save a church.
“I realized some radical changes needed to take place in order to get the church to thrive and reach the community around us. The changes really seemed to work; we started to bring in enough new members to generate momentum.”
That momentum reached a high point five months ago, when the church began worshiping in its new home, built with help from another Home Missions grant and additional funding from the CRC Loan Fund.
About the Author
Ben Van Houten is a senior writer for Christian Reformed Home Missions.
