Growing Churches: UMCs Thrive Through Outward Focus, Hospitality, and Discipleship
4/3/2024
By Sybil Davidson
From one side of our Annual Conference to the other there are growing and thriving United Methodist Churches! We recently checked in with a few churches that have seen an increase in members and worship attendance over the last year and found some meaningful similarities: discipleship, hospitality, and an outward focus.
Peachtree Road UMC
On Palm Sunday new members filled the front of the sanctuary to take vows to faithfully participate in the life and ministries of the congregation through their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. (Pictured above)
"It has been a good year at Peachtree Road," said Rev. Bill Britt, senior pastor.
He shared two valuable priorities that are bearing fruit for the Atlanta church: an outward focus and a commitment to hospitality.
In the last year, Peachtree Road UMC celebrated the opening of the Welcome Home House, a supportive, transitional house for women reentering society from prison. They worked to be a light to those who are hurting through the One Lamb Initiative offering mental wellness support. And they hosted families for the City of Atlanta's New Year's Eve Family Fun Day.
"We find again and again that folks are drawn to a church that is generous in its outreach to others," said Rev. Britt.
Another priority at Peachtree Road has become a church-wide movement — hospitality. Every ministry of the church is an opportunity to express hospitality. Peachtree Road UMC has a director of evangelism and hospitality who has an unwavering commitment to hospitality, and that spirit is infectious.
He shared two valuable priorities that are bearing fruit for the Atlanta church: an outward focus and a commitment to hospitality.
In the last year, Peachtree Road UMC celebrated the opening of the Welcome Home House, a supportive, transitional house for women reentering society from prison. They worked to be a light to those who are hurting through the One Lamb Initiative offering mental wellness support. And they hosted families for the City of Atlanta's New Year's Eve Family Fun Day.
"We find again and again that folks are drawn to a church that is generous in its outreach to others," said Rev. Britt.
Another priority at Peachtree Road has become a church-wide movement — hospitality. Every ministry of the church is an opportunity to express hospitality. Peachtree Road UMC has a director of evangelism and hospitality who has an unwavering commitment to hospitality, and that spirit is infectious.
When someone encounters Peachtree Road UMC, the church intends for them to know they are welcome. People may first come to the church for a music program or a special event, but they come back because they genuinely feel welcomed.
Mt. Olive UMC
Mount Olive UMC in Newnan is another growing congregation. The church has had more than 50 new members join in the last year.
"The momentum is outstanding," shared Rev. YoLanda Jones Colton.
When she was appointed to Mt. Olive a year and a half ago, there were 15 to 20 active members and the church bank account was empty. A large portion of the congregation left the year prior and the members were ready to rebuild.
On her first Sunday as pastor, the church held a 'pack the pews' Sunday calling on each-one-to-reach-one, and they did! That energy has continued.
"They were small in number, but are a vibrant congregation that had not done many of the things that God planted for us to try, and they were willing," said Rev. Jones-Colton. "A lightbulb has come on for them about being intentional about being missional."
Because the church doesn't have a service on 5th Sundays, they started using that day to canvas the community.
They became intentional about hosting meetings, services, and seminars for the community. They started partnering with Piedmont Newnan and offering workshops led by the physicians there. A Black maternal wellness workshop, for instance, is in the works after the hospital reached out to the church about hosting. And some of their outreach is more simple - like meeting up at Dunkin Donuts to drink coffee.
"We want to be the church for the community, not just meeting our own needs," Rev. Jones-Colton said of the Mt. Olive congregation. "This has truly been a fresh start but I wouldn't trade anything for the place we are in ministry right now. When people come to Mt. Olive they say, y'all are so loving and so genuine."
Golden Memorial UMC
Golden Memorial UMC in Douglasville has long been a growing congregation.
"We keep coming back to the foundation of our faith: loving, welcoming, and seeking to help people grow in their relationship to Jesus Christ," said Rev. Robert King, pastor of Golden Memorial.
The church has a clear discipleship plan based on the acronym CARE:
- First: Connecting to God in worship (participating in the vibrant worship at Golden)
- Then: Accepting people into loving Christian community (new members classes, shepherding groups)
- Next: Rising up in Christ (Sunday school classes, and children, youth, and adult engagement in small groups)
- And: Extending Christ's love to our neighbors (mission and evangelism)
"It's awesome to see what God is doing in a trying season," said Rev. King.
Acworth UMC
The Acworth UMC congregation is committed to welcoming those without a church home.
"We haven't even published our next scheduled New Member Sunday and already we have 15 people prepared to join," said Rev. Emily Whiten. "God is doing cool stuff!"
More than an increase in members, Rev. Whiten feels energized by the increase in average worship attendance and participation.
"Our choir, for instance, has grown in the past year by almost 50 percent," she shared.
Some of that growth has come as the church welcomed displaced United Methodists from other nearby congregations. In one case, a Sunday School class transferred their membership to Acworth UMC together. But that's not the only source of growth.
"We're getting just as many who simply haven't been in church in a long time and are looking for a faith community," Rev. Whiten shared.
While metrics offer insight, they certainly aren't the only indicator of church health and don't encapsulate the entirety of a church in mission that's making a difference. These four exciting examples are just few of many North Georgia Conference UMCs growing and thriving in 2024!
Sybil Davidson serves as Communications Director for the North Georgia Conference.