By Susan Kane, Church Multiplication

St. Louis, Missouri—Connecting with the community is one of the most important ways a church can grow, whether it is new to the area or has been a part of the community for many years. Community Christ Fellowship, in St. Louis, Missouri, has found that community outreach events are excellent ways to do this.

Community Christ Fellowship began in 1953 in a small neighborhood, and by the early 1980s, more than 250 called the church home. However, by 2003, that number dwindled to less than twenty. It was at that time in the life of the church that Pastor Randy Butler was called to be the senior pastor of the small struggling congregation.

Since coming to Community Christ, Pastor Butler has seen a slow but steady increase in attendance. What is the key to this growth? Pastor Butler believes it is due, in large part, to its partnership with the Missouri State Office and involvement in the Natural Church Development process. Specifically, working on the church’s “minimum factor,” the ministry area where the church most needed to focus its attention. It had become evident that connecting with the community was the church’s minimum factor.

It was decided by Pastor Butler and his staff to map out a strategy to become a more active part in the Hazelwood community. In August 2007, the church held its National Night Out Block Party, a tradition that had become an annual event. To prepare for the party, the church passed out four hundred flyers throughout the surrounding neighborhoods to announce the event and invite people to attend. Local businesses donated funds for door prizes, and the church grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and made popcorn and snow cones. More than two hundred people came to the event, and seventy-five families received much-needed school supplies. Since then, Community Christ Fellowship has held a vacation Bible school, outdoor movie nights, and a harvest party, an alternative to Halloween. Each time an event is held, the church distributes flyers and extends personal invitations. “We know that if we want to reach our community we must be able to interact with them,” shares Pastor Butler. One of the fastest-growing ministries at the church is the ladies ministry, which meets each Wednesday. And Pastor Butler plans to encourage them to reach out to another newly-formed single mother’s ministry. “We are going to focus on starting a ministry that will help supply their needs.”

Sunday attendance is now averaging sixty-six and has reached as high as eighty-three. Community Christ Fellowship is indeed a testament to its name. It is a fellowship of believers that is striving effectively to bring Christ to the community of Hazelwood. Pastor Butler sums it up well: “My vision is to have a church that loves God so much that we can’t stand by and let our neighborhood miss Jesus!”