Planting in the Hard Ground

(First of two parts).

Among those cities topping the Barna Group’s new list of “least Bible-minded” U.S. cities are four urban areas in which the Assemblies of God has recently planted or is in the process of starting congregations as part of the Church Multiplication Network.

The Barna study, commissioned by the American Bible Society, ranked Las Vegas, Nevada, as the sixth least Bible-minded city. This came as no surprise to Jake Musselman, who in November 2014 planted Sought Church downtown in what is often referred to as “Sin City.” The CMN Matching Fund provided assistance.

“People come to the city because they think there’s going to be a lot of fun and freedom,” says Musselman, who grew up in Carson City, Nevada. “That draws people who are not going to be familiar with the Bible.”

While many come in search of pleasure and riches, Musselman says disappointment and hopelessness frequently result instead. In an effort to engage people before they reach a point of desperation, those from Sought Church participate in local community groups through which they initiate meaningful conversations.

“If the Bible isn’t on your mind, then church isn’t on your mind,” says Musselman. “You have to put yourself in places where you can build relationships.”

A weekly Bible reading plan Musselman developed has people asking questions and reconnecting or connecting to church for the first time.

Joining his efforts are two churches that will be planted this year: City Reach Las Vegas pastored by Bruce Folwell and City Reach East Las Vegas pastored by Russ Cambria. They are part of the City Reach network initiated by Brian Bolt.

Practical evangelism is drawing people to City Reach Buffalo, the New York metropolis ranked fifth on the Barna list. In September 2014, Jaison Randall relaunched what had been called Expressway AG.

That congregation is among the other area recent AG church plants of Nickel City Church pastored by Eric Watson, Lumber City Church pastored by Chad Riselman and Steel City Church pastored by Dan Cudmore.

With higher than average refugee and Arab populations, Randall describes the culture in Buffalo as diverse with a melting pot of religions. To reach residents, those from City Reach Buffalo employ basic approaches such as street evangelism and door-to-door visitation. Partnerships also have been established with Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and a local homeless shelter. On Wednesday nights, neighborhood children play basketball and hockey in the church gym, while staff members connect with the kids and their families.

Randall says this practical approach has proved effective as church attendance is increasing.

“We let people know what Christ has done for them on the Cross,” he says.

Sean Lawton hopes to see revival come to Albany, New York, the region ranked as the least Bible-minded area of the nation. Lawton is the lead pastor of Converge Community Church, which he planted in Scotia, New York, in September 2014.

Lawton had been on staff at Calvary Assembly of God in Cobleskill, New York, when he joined the staff of Bethel Full Gospel in nearby Schenectady for the expressed purpose of launching a new church.

Three years later, he started Converge as a Parent Affiliated Church of Bethel, with a team of 23 from that congregation and $32,000 toward startup costs. Money also came from the CMN Matching Fund. The church began meeting in a local movie theater, which once housed an AG church that had closed after attendance dwindled.

A total of 67 people attended the first service, most of them Lawton’s family and friends. Only a handful came as a result of 14,000 mailers and 3,000 door hangers in area neighborhoods. When attendance began to drop a few months later, many returned to Bethel leaving only one member of the original launch team.

Undaunted, Lawton continued reaching out by meeting practical needs, including co-chairing a large local holiday event and doing projects through the local Rotary club.

Doors are opening with the local school district. Backpacks are distributed and free haircuts offered by barbers and beauticians in the congregation to students in need.

“It takes a lot of plowing to open hearts,” he says. “We have to remove the stones as we go along, which is painstaking, but there’s so much potential.”

The church moved to its new location near the high school last May, and Lawton hopes Converge can begin to offer tutoring and an after-school program. Three local pastors recently volunteered their services and attendance has tripled as new families started attending.

“There are easier places to plant, easier places to grow, but God called us here for such a time as this,” he says. “The harvest is ready.”

Tomorrow: The AG targets Boston.

 Pictured: Congregants of Converge Church in Scotia, New York

Shannon M. Nass

Shannon Nass and her husband, Greg, are credentialed ministers with the Assemblies of God and live in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with their twin daughters, Naomi and Charlotte. Shannon is a freelance writer and special education teacher who also serves as coordinator for Beyond Survival Ministries, a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the gospel.