Springfield Church Builds for Mission

by Don Harkey

Six years ago, a Springfield community church asked the question, "why are we here?". Messiah Lutheran Church, located on Seminole street just west of St. John's Hospital, was a 44 year old congregation with a history of being a steady family church. The church was strong, but its members new it could be stronger.

Over the next several years, the congregation spent thousands of hours using hundreds of members to answer this simple question. The answer came out in the form of a mission statement that most members of the church can recite from memory. "Guided by the Gospel we: Welcome All to Worship, Make Disciples, Hunger for Ministry, Nurture Youth, Gather Resources for Growing Ministries, and Offer Healing and Care to All in Need. These are just words... right?

When the process was begun, the church saw an annual income of around $400,000 and attendance right around 80% of its seating capacity. Members knew that the capacity was keeping the church from growing, so they had been talking for many years about expanding the church or moving to a new site. Once the church's mission had been defined, the newly focused congregation began to plan to grow on its existing site.

The subsequent capital funds campaign raised a whopping $1,000,000 over the next 3 years and collected almost every penny of what was pledged (despite the downturn in the economy). With these pledges, the congregation launched a $2.7MM building project that is nearly completed.

This Sunday, barring any significant construction issues, the congregation will worship in its new sanctuary for the first time, within a few months of its 50th Anniversary.

Yes, the congregation is in debt now, but this past Spring, the congregation launched a 2nd capital funds campaign that has already received almost $675,000 in pledges over the next 3 years, which will easily make payments on the loan and pay down principle.

In the past month, the congregation is talking more and more about its vision for what Sunday morning will look like in the newly expanded church. Visitors in the fall should expect to enter Mission Hall and be greeted with opportunities to worship, learn, or just hang out and eat breakfast or drink coffee. Messiah is truly an exciting place!

The point of this story is to show how any organization can transform itself by becoming focused on its core purpose. Messiah was a strong congregation before, but becoming more focused has only made it stronger and more energized. The building project is only the beginning. This fall, the church will host the Lighthouse Daycare Ministry.

Is your organization energized? Do you know why you exist?