The culture in Hollywood California is as resistant to Christianity as almost any.
Church planter Joseph Barkley shares strategies around community, how to do church and innovation that are making an impact in otherwise resistant city.
Welcome to Episode 31 of the Podcast.
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3 Things You Can Do Right Away
Joseph invested his time and talents to channel a difficult demographic that has traditionally gone unreached. If you’re developing a church plant in unfamiliar territory, here’s how you can get started:
1. Build a community. There is a growing trend that suggests that being part of a community is optional, especially if it’s something you can log into, i.e., social media. Culture creates different habits of community, but because some have settled for an inadequate need for community, they bring that into the church. The opportunity becomes re-learning how you create sacred space for community, how to become transparent and how to build trust. If you’re stumbling your way into community, you want to create simple ways of glimpsing it – low cost, low fear opportunities for others to be themselves. In that space, social connection happens organically.
2. Host a great party. In Hollywood, it made sense for Joseph to organize sophisticated social events to reach out to the un-churched. Joseph and his team use mixers to break the ince with unchurched. Mixers are basically a really well done part, Hollywood style. Many guests can’t believe a church threw it. The goal is to build great relationships in a fun environment. Ask yourself a few key questions: What’s going on in your city? What are the felt needs? What is the language they’re using? Start by creating bridges there.
3. Up the quality level. The evidence of excellence in the public things you do as a leader gives outsiders clues into what you do privately. How you welcome someone in the church parking lot tells them how you’re going to treat children in the children’s ministry. While excellence is under attack today, it’s better to err on the side of simplicity and excellence than complexity and mediocrity.
Quotes from Joseph
It's better to err on the side of simplicity and excellence than complexity and mediocrity. Click To Tweet CNLP 031: Reaching Hollywood: Keys to Planting a Church Where No One Goes to Church—An Interview with Joseph Barkley Click To Tweet CNLP 031: Reaching Hollywood: Keys to Planting a Church Where No One Goes to Church—An Interview with Joseph Barkley Click To Tweet CNLP 031: Reaching Hollywood: Keys to Planting a Church Where No One Goes to Church—An Interview with Joseph Barkley Click To TweetA New Episode Every Week…Just Subscribe
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Next Episode: Mark Batterson
New York Times best-selling author Mark Batterson has written 12 books in ten years that have sold millions of copies.
What’s even more remarkable is he’s done this while planting a church and raising a family. Mark takes us on a rare behind-the-scenes tour to show us his process for writing and how he gets it all done.
Subscribe for free now, and you won’t miss Episode 32.
