Neighborhood Gatherings – A Great Way to Get to Know Your Congregation

Over the years I’ve had pastors ask me about my process for getting to know a new congregation that I learned about first from Dr. Jim Jackson when he served as the Senior Pastor of Chapelwood UMC in Houston, TX. I’ve used this process in two different churches and a modified version in my current context. I hope you find it helpful.

Upon entering a new congregation a great way to get to know your congregation is to hold neighborhood gatherings throughout your new community. Here is a quick step by step process you can use to do the same.

1. Find the persons best able to organize these for you. For me it was the church secretary in all three churches. You need someone who knows the community and the congregation well enough to figure out how to best do this.
2. Ask this person to group the congregation’s members/prospects into…