Recently I visited First Baptist Church of Greenwood. While I was there I was immediately captivated by their children’s and youth space. It wasn’t the flashiness or the new construction that grabbed my interest. In fact, the church building was built in the 1950’s and most of the children’s and youth space is located in their basement where the rooms have drop ceilings and cinder block walls. Rather, it was the crispness, simplicity, colorfulness, and thoroughness of the space that was so impressive.
While talking to Associate Pastor Joyce Castleman, I became even more impressed with their revitalized children’s and youth space. Joyce and the children’s ministry committee successfully utilized other congregations as resources. When First Baptist’s children’s ministry committee knew it was time to freshen up the Sunday school classrooms, they called the Center for Congregations for ideas. Among the resources recommended to them were three local congregations whose leaders intentionally updated their children’s area. The committee members visited all three congregations, took tours and tons of photos, and returned home to process what they saw. The congregations they visited were all much bigger in membership and budget than First Baptist Greenwood. 
But this didn’t discourage them. Instead they were inspired by the possibilities for their own church based on what they saw others doing. They took bits and pieces of what they learned from the other three churches and tailored those ideas to fit their own setting. As their project continued over time, they called upon those same three churches to get more advice and again tailored what they learned to their own setting.
As a resource consultant it is deeply satisfying to hear success stories of how congregations learn from each other. No two settings are alike; therefore the goal of learning from other congregations is not to duplicate their process in your own context. The value of learning from other congregations is to be inspired by the possibilities, to generate creative thoughts, and to glean insight from those who have already been there, done that. If your congregation is embarking on a new project, consider seeking out others who have traveled the road you’re about to travel.
Kara Faris,
Resource Consultant and Education Director
