United Church of Christ Celebrates Planting of New Churches

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Energy and optimism permeate new church celebration

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> July 1, 2011

> Push to Play

Buoyed by encouraging numbers and boldly

optimistic that the trend will continue, the Rev.
David Schoen led a rousing celebration of new
church plants Friday afternoon in the Plenary
Hall of the Tampa Convention Center.

"This is the greatest amount of new churches
planted and received in a five-year period since
the first decade of the UCC," said Schoen,
minister and team leader for the UCC
Congregational Vitality Discipleship Ministry,
during the opening day of General Synod 28. "And
here are the rock stars among us."

With that, about 100 members of new church plants
- many of them youth and young adults - streamed
forwarded in two lines, one at each end of the
stage, wildly waving arms and placards. "We're
excited about these growing numbers," said Schoen.

Since Synod 27 in Grand Rapids, Mich., 78 new
churches have sprouted. Added to the 95 churches
gained from 2006 to 2009 - including newly
planted, affiliated and in-process churches ? the
five-year total increase is 173.

"The Central Atlantic Conference has had 10 new
church initiatives in the past two years, and the
Southern California Conference has added 23 in
the past five years," said Schoen. "Some
Conferences that haven't seen growth since the
1980s are increasing numbers as well."

Newly planted congregations, affiliating

congregations, churches birthing churches and
several existing churches starting outreach
worship to new communities and generations are leading the way, said Schoen.

"New churches really live that UCC DNA of

continuing testimony, a Stillspeaking witness,
extravagant welcome and changing lives."

Schoen made note of the imaginative names of some
of the new starts: El Epicentro, Victorville,
Calif.; A Different Christian Voice, Middleton,
Mass.; Recovering the Promise, Springfield,
Mass.; Least of These UCC, New York, N.Y; All
Creatures UCC, Phoenix; Unchurched, Colorado
Springs, Colo.; Open Table Community Church in
Mobile, Ala.; and El Nuevo Camino (A New Way), in Buffalo, N.Y.

"As good as this is, our goal is to continue to
increase, and even double the number of new
churches in the next five years," said Schoen.

Notable among the new starts is New Covenant
Community Church in Baltimore. "We've gathered a
core group to start the first
African-American-led new-church plant since the
1960s," the Rev. Brian Murray said from the
podium. "We're a new solution for the contemporary belief."

Following Murray to the podium, the Rev. Cameron
Trimble, executive director for the Center for
Progressive Renewal, enthusiastically pronounced,
"This is just the start. There is a new church
waiting to be birthed in your conference, in your community.

"The Center for Progressive Renewal will work
with conferences and local church ministries to
recruit, assess, train and coach new-church
planters and multiplying congregations," said Trimble.

> "With you, imagine what is possible."