Frequently Asked Questions







Who is Word of Life Fellowship? What We Believe What's Most Important to Us What We're Doing What God Wants Us to Become How We'll Get There History FAQ Worship at Word of Life Newsletter & WordofLife4u Email Teaching Pastor Life Stories	Frequently Asked Questions Why are new churches needed? Why is a new church needed in the area? Who are you seeking to reach? When will you build your first building? What is the LCMS? Why are new churches needed? Out of the 350,000 churches in the United States, more than four out of five are either plateaued or declining. Of the 15% that are growing, 14% are growing as a result of transfer rather than conversion growth. No wonder 3,500 to 4,000 churches die every year. No wonder most denominations, including my own, are declining in number. Some denominations are growing. Lyle Schaller, perhaps the best-known church consultant in the U.S. says, "Without exception, the growing denominations have been those that stress church planting." He goes on to say that church planting "continues to be the most useful and productive component of any denominational church growth strategy." Another consultant, Peter Wagner says, "The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches." This shouldn’t surprise us. In Acts we find the early church fulfilled the Great Commission mandate primarily by planting churches. Churches that are more than 15 years old reach on average 3 people a year for every one hundred members. Churches that are 3 to 15 years old reach 5 per hundred. Churches that are less than 3 years old reach 10 people a year for every one hundred members. The statistics speak for themselves: New churches grow faster than older, established ones. New churches are more likely to be very focused on evangelism and reaching people not actively involved in a church. New churches are also more likely to try new and innovative ideas. It takes all kinds of churches to reach and disciple all kinds of people. New churches are the most efficient way to make new disciples. BACK TO TOP Why is a new church needed in the area? Roughly 40% of the people in the U.S. have no religious affiliation. An additional 31% are Christian in "name only." That means for every 10 people we meet, 7 of them are not meaningfully connected with Christ and His church. These people need the love, liberation, laughter and life that come from a relationship with Jesus and His church. We’ve been taking every opportunity to talk with our new neighbors wherever we go: Some are regularly attending a church. Others have no relationship with Christ. Some are at risk of losing their relationship with Christ because they’re out of contact with God’s Word and God’s people. One drives 20 minutes away, passing several churches, to go to a church where she hears God’s Word in a way she can understand it and sing Christian music in a style she enjoys. One complains about an hour and a half Easter service, although he probably only goes to church three hours a year. One goes to two different churches every week but is still looking for meaningful relationships and involvement in ministry. One family isn’t going anywhere but is interested in attending a Bible Study in our home. There are several churches already in the area, but only one or two seem to be focusing on seeking and reaching people. One in particular is being blessed with new converts. Their obvious ministry strengths are Biblical teaching, inspiring contemporary worship and an intentional focus on inviting and welcoming nonchurched people. Our neighbors need a new church that can help people experience the love and life of Jesus. BACK TO TOP Who are you seeking to reach? In Acts, we read about apostles who targeted different regions and different people. God blessed their efforts mightily. The geographic ministry area we will target for now will include Schertz, Cibolo, Universal City, Garden Ridge, Selma, and part of Converse. There are over 70,000 people in this area and more are moving in every day. The Interstate 35 corridor between San Antonio and New Braunfels is projected to grow rapidly. More intensive demographic studies and personal surveys remain to be done; yet, early indications show a preponderance of families. Over 80% of the households have children in them. In the various communities, the median age of the people ranges from 33 to 43. Economic status ranges from low to upscale. Children’s, Youth and Family ministries will be very important. Most importantly, we will focus on seeking people who do not have a vital relationship with the Lord and helping them experience the love and life of Jesus Christ. This will be quite a challenge. Most experience church as boring, irrelevant, high-pressured. They say things like, "I don’t like the music; it’s old-fashioned and strange." We’re beginning to recognize the enormity of this undertaking: We’re trying to build a church for people who don’t like church! BACK TO TOP When will you build your first building? The earliest possible date we could begin building a building is a year away. We want to look at the feasibility of starting a Preschool and building a multi-use facility. Our primary focus is not on building a building but building people! Buildings are expensive and have little impact on helping people receive the better and eternal life Jesus wants to give them. The early church grew at a phenomenal rate (that has not been matched in modern times) while meeting in another religion's temple and in each other's homes! BACK TO TOP What is the LCMS? Word of Life Fellowship is associated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, a conservative, international church body which stands on the authoritative Word of God, upholds moral values and proclaims the free gift of heaven and abundant life through Jesus Christ. For more information, click www.lcms.org BACK TO HOME BACK TO TOP