The following article (with graphics modified for web format) is among 8 articles in the October 1998 Net Results.

You may print this article for use in your congregation or your regional or national church organization.

Our off-site contemporary ministry holds its worship services in the facility of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. The dream child of its pastor, Linda S. McCoy, THE GARDEN’s first worship service (in September 1995) drew 202 people. Attendance averaged 223 in 1996, 338 in 1997, and 430 thus far in 1998. People of every age attend, most of them casually dressed.

Focus
Studies estimate that 51 percent of Indianapolis residents do not regularly attend church. THE GARDEN outreach ministry thus focuses on these “unchurched” and “dechurched” people, who (a) have never attended church on a regular basis and are therefore unfamiliar with the customs and language inherent in traditional church or (b) quit attending church because they were turned off by boredom, disillusionment, or a feeling that the church had become irrelevant. THE GARDEN provides a safe haven for anyone who wants to experience the love of God in a completely nonthreatening, familiar environment.

Churches are generally architecturally unique, unlike other buildings that people ordinarily enter. They speak a “special” language with liturgy, costumes, music, and rituals: comforting to those who grew up in a church, but perhaps alienating to those who rarely enter a church sanctuary.

How does THE GARDEN break down that barrier between sacred and secular? The worship service planners intentionally try to create a comfortable atmosphere. This happens (a) in the surroundings (a dinner theatre where you can grab a doughnut, bagel, coffee, and juice before heading to your table); (b) in inclusive language; (c) in messages that address the problems people face daily; (d) in familiar-sounding music with a contemporary beat; (e) by the use of humor; and (f) by casual dress of the ministry staff, hospitality staff, and musicians. Although there is a flower-pot container at the door for contributions, THE GARDEN does not ask for money. Announcements about church life are rarely made verbally. Rather, information is available on pre-service videos, in fliers, and in the programs that greeters hand people as they enter.

The service, intentionally shorter than that of a traditional church, runs about forty minutes in length and employs various methods to convey the message. Video clips from contemporary movies, secular music as well as contemporary Christian rock performed by a band, short dramatizations of scriptures coupled with the on-screen Bible passage, a brief message from the pastor with key phrases on-screen, a down-to-earth prayer -- all these elements help convey one theme for the service. By engaging people in their own environment and comfort zone, THE GARDEN tries to say that we can find the love of God in our everyday existence, in the ordinary --not only in the sacred but also in the secular. God can be accessed at any time, at any place.

Planting and Maintenance
The vision took form as seventy-five individuals from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church agreed to be a part of THE GARDEN’s ministry during its initial year, pledging their support in both time and dollars. THE GARDEN is truly team oriented: Individuals are free to express their unique gifts and passions within the church and for God.

Landscape Design: The worship team includes the minister, the music director, a drama representative, and several other volunteers who meet monthly to discuss worship themes for up to six months in advance. Themes center around the congregation’s needs, such as communication; finding peace in a busy workplace; dealing with difficult family members, coworkers, or work situations; facing change; etc. The worship team selects themes and assigns them a calendar date. Scriptures that correlate with the subject are researched at a later date and presented to the team at subsequent meetings.

At these long, monthly worship-team meetings, the group discusses the ideas already assigned for the current month, firms up each theme’s focus, and explores different ways to present Scripture, perhaps in song or drama. Music and video clips that team members have researched are presented for discussion.

Pruning for Healthy Growth and Shape: In addition to the monthly meetings, the worship team meets weekly to assess weaknesses and strengths of the previous Sunday’s service. Then the team moves on to next Sunday’s service, fleshing out the ideas, making suggestions for the order or “flow” of the service, coordinating the timing of each segment, making sure that the intended point clearly carries throughout the service. The team knows that the order in which it presents each element can greatly affect the mood and feel of the service, thus opening the listeners’ hearts to the spoken message. An individual song or video or skit does not have to convey the theme/solution by itself, but each worship element can set up or reinforce the worship theme and support the message.

Perennials: Once a week, the Good Earth Band (keyboard, percussion, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, and several vocalists) rehearses for three hours, preparing three to four new songs for each Sunday service. Generally, there is one “sing-along” (as opposed to hymns) in which the vocalists encourage congregational singing. We project the lyrics on-screen. The sing-alongs can run the gamut from James Taylor to the Beatles to Amy Grant. The other three songs in each service feature a vocalist with full vocal backup, a solo, or a small ensemble.

The drama team researches skits, writes original dramas, and rehearses on an as-needed basis. The goal is to present Scripture in a clever way or to set up a problem or theme element that the message will address. Dramatizations, usually limited to twice a month, ideally run three to five minutes in length.

The video team researches movies, prepares them for the screen, and edits them if necessary. The team occasionally creates original videos, video presentations of the Scripture, or video backups to live music. Clips generally run two to three minutes.

The hospitality teams also meet for planning, although not on a weekly basis. They coordinate parking-lot attendants; give out worship programs; and help with the food, seating, smiling, greeting, and cleaning up afterward. These teams, as well as the loading teams that transport food, supplies, and music equipment between the church and theatre, work every Sunday morning.

Spreading the Fertilizer: Marketing has been a valuable tool for letting people know what and where THE GARDEN is. Comprising mostly professionals in the marketing field who donate their time and talent, the marketing team gave THE GARDEN its name, wrote and recorded THE GARDEN song for the TV and radio ads that it developed, secured air time, and set the marketing strategy (which included newspaper ads).

Mulching and Edging: On Sunday morning, the various teams meet at the dinner theatre to set up sound and music equipment; tables with information brochures; and tables with doughnuts, bagels, juice, and coffee. At 7:30 a.m., “cue-to-cue” rehearsal takes place. This abbreviation of the service involves moving from one “cue” to the next (to set lighting, sound, and placement) and making any necessary adjustments in flow. At 8:20, all team members gather in a circle for prayer. At 8:30 the doors open for the attenders.

The Worship Format
After being greeted in the parking lot by hospitality attendants, each attender is met by the hospitality team at the theatre entrance with a worship program, a smile, and a helping hand. Recorded music plays. The lights glow on the stage. Families and friends share cups of coffee at four- and eight-person tables on six levels of the horseshoe-shaped amphitheater. The musicians and worship leaders are on the stage area at the lowest level, between the ends of the horseshoe. The programs that greeters distribute at the door do not contain an order of worship; they have names of the worship team members and information such as small-group opportunities. There are no ushers. Announcements run on the large screens on both sides of the stage. Backstage in the green room, the band goes over last-minute harmonies.

At 9:00 a.m. the service begins, unfolding in the following way:

[Beginning on Easter 1998, a second service at 10:15 a.m. was added.]

This kind of contemporary worship service is not right for everyone, nor is it meant to be. The traditional church setting of music and rituals is important to many Christians. THE GARDEN is not in any way meant to replace that. However, THE GARDEN provides an alternative for those who are not comfortable with the traditional church.

The concept of the contemporary service is not new, of course. Other churches have employed video, drama, and contemporary music for several years now. Churches such as Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, and Community Church of Joy in Glendale, Arizona, have all been very successful with their contemporary services. But THE GARDEN is unique in (a) its laity-empowered team concept of preparation, (b) presenting secular rock as opposed to praise music, (c) its theological approach, (d) its setting, and (e) its blatant use of theatricality without the loss of human warmth and compassion.

Weeds, Bugs, Varmints
A multitude of challenges must be addressed in presenting this type of service -- one of which is quality control. People today do not necessarily go to the church that their parents attended or to the church down the block. They are mobile. They shop around. They want what best suits their style. Accustomed to fast-paced entertainment on TV, they expect excellence. With so many demands on their time and money, they will not tolerate mediocrity. If the church wants to compete for their time, it must provide a quality product. (The quality of the message of God’s love is not the issue, but the quality of the vessel that bears that message is.)

Abundant preparation provides a key to quality, but several unique problems accompany the teamwork method:
· Planning ahead works well for the various teams involved, but that puts limits on the “last-minute inspiration” method of preparing a sermon.
· Empowering as it may be, this type of teamwork can also be labor-intensive.
· Care must be taken not only to accomplish the team’s task but also to nurture the team members. That is one reason the worship team holds its monthly meetings in team members' homes. Before the brainstorming session begins, the group shares dinner and conversation, catching up on events in each other’s lives outside THE GARDEN. Nurturing each other is as important a ministry as caring for those who seek out THE GARDEN’s service each Sunday morning.
· Being contemporary and relevant in today’s world means using the language and music of today. A copyright license is available from CCLI (800/234-2446 or 503/257-2230) for the use of contemporary Christian music and traditional hymns. However, copyright issues regarding secular music must be addressed, as well as the problem of finding musical arrangements appropriate for the group.
· Excellent musicians and equipment are a must.
· Copyright guidelines regarding video presentation must be researched and followed.
· Equipment for sound and lighting, editing, and projecting computer-generated images and videos -- all of these are considerations for starting this type of contemporary service.
· Quality can also be expensive. Since we do not take a collection and never make a request for money, financing is an issue. Currently, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church provides office space for THE GARDEN and underwrites the minister’s salary. The theatre owners, who are active members of St. Luke’s, donate the worship space. But all other expenses are the responsibility of THE GARDEN. Up to now, THE GARDEN has relied on (a) the financial support of St. Luke’s, (b) the generosity of individuals who have underwritten specific Garden ministries, and (c) funding grants from our South Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church Council on Ministries and the New Church Development and Redevelopment Committee. But clearly, THE GARDEN is looking for creative sources of financing.
· Holding services away from St. Luke’s building creates its own set of challenges. We must hold meetings and rehearsals elsewhere (not at the theatre). We must transport equipment, food, and bulletins to the theatre each Sunday morning.
· The tables create ready-made “communities,” helping people become acquainted. Families enjoy sitting together. But this also becomes awkward for those who wish to sit alone, especially as the service has burgeoned in attendance.
· The theatre’s Sunday matinee performance schedule initially limited THE GARDEN’s time in the facility. However, the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre owners -- Doug Stark and Bob Zehr --generously agreed to change their matinee schedule for a second GARDEN service to be added this year. Beef & Boards employees and customers, plus THE GARDEN teams, have had to adjust to different schedules.

In summary, although ministry effective, THE GARDEN’s operation is not simple. Leadership complexities and challenges are formidable.

Advantages and Challenges
A primary advantage of being off-site: THE GARDEN does not have to worry about “bricks and mortar.” Leaders can concentrate on the ministry itself, as opposed to facility upkeep.

Much of THE GARDEN’s focus has been its worship service. It is also, however, an entire ministry--involving task-oriented small groups (such as the music team, the worship team, etc.) and groups under the ministry team’s umbrella. These groups meet for support, education, recreation, or mutual interest. In these small-group gatherings personal relationships evolve, questioning and learning take place, and caring happens. The leaders of these small groups are volunteers who receive special training through THE GARDEN’s ministry.

Other aspects of ministry, such as requests for weddings, funerals, and baptisms, are considered on an individual basis.

THE GARDEN continues to seek solutions for youth education, as space is limited. Since St. Luke’s United Methodist Church provides Sunday school and related activities, the problem is not as urgent as it might be. To our surprise and delight, most children choose to attend THE GARDEN service with their parents. So the education piece of the ministry consists primarily of child care for infants and toddlers. Plans are underway to coordinate the Sunday themes into materials and activities for families and children to share.

Membership is an evolving issue and has not yet been fleshed out completely. Part of being a “member” of THE GARDEN means discovering where your place in ministry is, where your passions lie, and where your gifts best serve. For instance, one regular attendee (who prior to THE GARDEN had not been attending church and whose past is marked with abuse) formed Fresh Start, a resource for victims of domestic violence and for women and children in transition between a shelter and setting up homes for themselves. Under the auspices of Fresh Start, the first Indianapolis support group for families and friends of domestic violence victims was established.

Seedlings, Cuttings, and Root Divisions
Always hoping to be on the leading edge, THE GARDEN leadership team recently began meeting to explore new avenues of ministry.

Because of THE GARDEN’s unique nature, many visitors from other congregations in the state and around the nation come to observe and learn. Consequently, THE GARDEN’s long-term vision has grown to include teaching outreach as part of its ministry. Examples:
· THE GARDEN hosted a seminar for the two Indianapolis districts of the South Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1997.
· THE GARDEN was instrumental in designing and implementing the Disciple 2000 gathering at the Indianapolis Convention Center in 1996.
· THE GARDEN was part of William Easum’s national conferences in 1998.
· THE GARDEN will provide the closing worship experience for Christian Theological Seminary’s Focus on Ministry event this fall.
· THE GARDEN receives inquiries weekly from across the country. We fill each request with an information packet that includes themes, video clips, music, and an introductory video of THE GARDEN [see Appendix A at the end of this article].
· Eventually, THE GARDEN hopes to export not only information but its own music and video products, enabling congregations with limited facilities or resources to create dynamic contemporary worship services with a minimum of expense and personnel.
· Discussion continues with the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church about serving as a training site for interns.
· Our staff has explored the possibility of THE GARDEN Toledo with a Presbyterian church there.

Are the fruits of the labor worth all the time, trouble, and expense? Those in THE GARDEN's ministry think so. Attendance numbers are a minimal indicator of its worth. More than that, many faith stories have emerged -- illustrative of transformed lives as those attending have been touched by the love of God.

Planting a Garden?
Is your congregation contemplating adding a contemporary worship service? Is there any special way to begin? As with any good garden, preparation is essential. Be sure that you’re ready before you begin.

Checklist:
· Begin with a team of dedicated people. Empower each one to share in the vision and to be creative in the areas of individual passions.
· Color outside the lines! Remove all restrictions and constraints on creativity. Just because it has never been done a certain way before doesn’t mean that you can’t start now.
· Ask a core group to serve as the beginning congregation. Newcomers will feel more comfortable if they’re not the first and only ones there!
· Be very clear about your vision. Why are you undertaking this new path? For whom? What do you want to see accomplished? Is this God’s vision?
· Be authentic. Don’t do what others have done just because it is successful. Do what you do well. Create what feels right to you.
· Pray. A lot.

THE GARDEN is unique, as all churches are, in its members’ various gifts. And that is the beauty of a garden, each one special in its own way. Different soil, different plants, different designs. Bloom where you are planted.

Copyright 1998 by Net Results

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