Blog

by Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections and MultiSite

I’m still processing a question posed to marketplace businesses in a recent Inc. article. Senior writer, Ilan Mochari, suggests we ask ourselves, “What business am I really in?” He writes:

Had Starbucks, at any point, convinced itself that it was strictly in the coffee business, it might never have ventured into the realm of music. Likewise, had Apple, at any point, convinced itself that it was solely in the computer business, it too might never have ventured into the realm of music. And Amazon, as we all know by now, has become far more than a book retailer. In fact, the Wall Street Journal has reported that Amazon is working on a pilot program to do its own deliveries in the so-called “last mile” from distribution centers to consumer/business addresses.

I know, I know. The local church is not Starbucks, Apple or Amazon. I also know we are criticized for adopting “business” practices, but that’s another conversation. (For now, I’ll just say—get over it. If similarities result between church and business because we strive to be responsible to God and people—well, leadership is leadership.)

Back to the question.

What if what we do as the local church is actually more than growing the local church?

Continue reading on Mark’s Blog...

Pastor Mark Beeson casts  New Normal vision  for Granger Community Church 

How audacious is your vision?

Is it bold? Is it calculated? Is it uncomfortable? Does it challenge the status-quo? Will it force you to make a lot of changes?

Most importantly - is it God-sized?

Change is hard. Change is not popular. But, change often yields much needed renewal and growth.

At Granger, we are in the second year of our 5 year New Normal vision.Part of that vision includes BEING the church in our community, Activating our campus beyond just a place to gather for church services, and Reproducing at every level through missional communities. 

Another part of this vision is to expand our multi-site reach to include a couple more campuses. A few years ago, we expanded to Elkhart, IN - a smaller manufacturing town about 15 minutes East of our Granger campus. We started in a movie theater with a broadcast of an earlier service, then rented space where we could have live worship with video message.

Now the Elkhart campus is in a fully-functional space belonging to the church. It's a great story, and the community at the Elkhart campus is rich. Attendance has grown to more than 400 average each week across multiple services.

Now, we have another opportunity to lean into God and dive deeper into our 2016 vision.

As Pastor Beeson explains, we're asking God if this is a change God is inviting us to make. And, we're trusting he will provide the direction and resources needed to take our next steps.

So, challenge yourself for a minute - how big is your vision? What is changes could God be asking you to make?