Success Stories
Shall We Hold 'em or Fold 'em?
On June 15, 2014, the Park Place Baptist Church in Montgomery, IL was a 147 year-old American Baptist congregation with a dwindling membership, insufficient resources, a pastoral vacancy, a baptismal filled with church records instead of water, and a tired remnant of dedicated members. Uncertain about how to proceed, the congregation partnered with Sam Hamstra…
Read MoreThree Congregations – One Mission
Three congregations have come together on one mission: to reach the teenagers of their congregations and community with the love of Jesus Christ. The Federated Church of Sandwich, the United Church of Sandwich, and the Union Congregational church of Somonauk have embarked on a unique journey. In a remarkable statement of unity in Christ, these…
Read MoreWorship Workshop
This past Saturday (Jan 4, 2014), I had the privilege of leading a worship workshop with the wonderful people of the Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Sheboygan, WI. About twenty people gathered. The group included vocalists, instrumentalists, audio technicians, and video technicians. In addition to working hard and stretching ourselves out of our comfort zones,…
Read MoreVanu Kantayya Ordained as Pastor With Rock Church
Vanu Kantayya, a member of the ChapterNext team, as well as an amazing woman of God, was ordained as Pastor during an inspiring service led by Pastor John Sprecher of Rock Church in Rockford, IL. The service took place on November 17. Vanu is the Teaching and Connections Pastor of Rock Church. As a member…
Read MorePastors Called & Installed: Serving the Local Church
This past summer ChapterNext had the privilege of playing a role in the installation of three pastors, each serving a congregation within the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Out in the Central Valley of California, Justin Carruthers (pictured to the left) was ordained and installed as the Co-Pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Event Planner: The Holy Spirit
Recently, I had the privilege of participating in the 46th Assembly of the American Baptist Churches (ABC) of the Great Rivers Region. A few hundred folk gathered at the Holiday Inn in Mount Vernon, IL for a spirit-filled time of fellowship, discipleship, and worship. When all was said and done, we were refreshed and renewed…
Read MoreChapterNext Launches "Congregational Wellness Survey"
ChapterNext has developed a “Congregational Wellness Survey” to measure a congregation’s perception of its health. By measuring the vital systems of a congregation – including but not limited to worship, nurture, and witness – this tool allows the people in the pews to share their thoughts about the effectiveness of their congregation’s ministry. ChapterNext founder…
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