About seven months ago, I began to see a change.  Lots of people, lots of activity, banners announcing church programs and events and a new sign with the name of a new pastor, Rev. Ted Rollins.  The church I am speaking of is Leland United Methodist Church in Mableton, Georgia.  They have recently changed their name to Leland Qwest United Methodist Church.

Earlier this week the South Cobb Community Newspaper ran an article about the church.  It seems as though over the years, the church’s attendance had declined to about 30 members.  The article said several changes were made to bring the church back to life.

• A traditional service at 9:30 with a chancel choir
• A contemporary service at 11:00 with a praise team, drums and keyboard
• Podcasts of sermons on their website
• Wednesday Night Live midweek services for youth and children
• They kept a buddy program that ministers to veterans from the VA Hospital and a monthly Seniors Ministry
• A small group Bible study meets at a Starbucks near the church

This church was open to new ideas and stepping out on faith.  We live in a world that is much different from our parents and grandparents.  What Rev. Rollins did was offer something for the older, more traditional members of the church and a contemporary service for its younger members.

If your ministry is struggling and looking for a life preserver, you may want to look at some changes that will benefit your church.  There’s a saying that’s been around for years - “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you always got.” The members at Leland Qwest UMC embraced the changes that were proposed to them.  As a result, they have grown from 30 members to 150 members.

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