In 2019 Grace Avenue United Methodist Church will celebrate its 20th birthday. It will be a time to remember and give thanks for all that has happened in our first 20 years. It also marks a significant turning where we begin to ask:
What will our church become in the next 20 years?
How will we need to shape our ministry differently in the next 20 years?
What kind of foundation has been set for the next generation who will be coming in the next 20 years?
Where will God lead us as a church in the next 20 years?
Challenging our hopes and dreams, is the fact that the landscape for practicing Christianity is changing in America. More and more churches in all denominations are experiencing shrinking attendance, and limited engagement. Many churches are wondering if they will survive and even be here in the next 20 years.
Preservation and survival should not be Grace Avenue’s focus for the next 20 years.
To do that would place our church in the unfortunate mindset that are best days are behind us. We need to be bold enough to flip the script… This is the essence of 20 Next.
Please enjoy these video celebrations that tell the story of what Grace Avenue has been for the next 20 years and how that leads us in to the next 20 years.