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Multicongregational Ministry

Church within a Church: Are multiple worship services healthy? - Greg Warner
The day of one-size-fits-all worship is apparently a thing of the past--if it ever existed. The watchword for worship in the new millennium is "diversify."

A House of Prayer for All Nations - Jorge A. Zayasbazan
The church I attended as a teenager was a sharp contrast to the city that surrounded it. Miami in the '70s was a mix of African-Americans, Haitians, Cubans, Jews, Anglos and other groups that usually kept to themselves and were often at odds. That was what the world looked like. My church was different.

Ministry Compass: A Multiethnic Model of the Church - Russell C. Rosser
The First Baptist Church of Flushing lives out its worship and witness as a multiethnic, multicultural, and multicongregational fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ. This one church with numerous congregations is one as a people in membership under the oversight of a team of pastors and spiritual leaders. This united community of faith in the triune God ministers in the midst of religious pluralism, paganism, and diverse ethnicity in a neighborhood that speaks over one hundred languages.

The Diversity Project
Stories and Practical Learnings about the Origins of Multicultural Urban Churches
By Rocky Kidd and Allan Howe
Multicultural Churches: Challenges and Creative Responses

Ethnic Church Planting: A Documentation of the Work of Dr. Chris Thomas - Nancy Kruger, Spring 1994 (Introduction, Ministry Focus, and Challenge)
In 1988, Dr. Chris Thomas began an inter-cultural ministry in the Seattle area that would result in the planting of twelve ethnic churches and home fellowships serving refugees and immigrants who have come to live in the U.S. Dr. Thomas, born in Madras, India, formerly served as a missionary in Singapore and Malaysia. He received his Masters in Biblical Studies from Seattle Pacific University and his Doctorate in Missiology from the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

On Multi-Congregational Churches: A Preface to the Statement of Understanding
This paper, by Tom Nees, director, Mission Strategy USA/Canada, can be read as a preface to the Statement of Understanding or as an informative perspective on the issue of multicongregational ministry.

Statement of Understanding
You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this file.

This document is intended to encourage the multiple use of church buildings where such arrangements foster evangelism and the development of new churches, especially among immigrants.

The Statement of Understanding is a model or outline intended to give shape and structure to those engaging in shared-space ministry, as well as prevent potential misunderstanding. Since many variations of the multicongregatonal or shared-space concept exist, the content of the Statement can be contextualized and modified to more accurately fit a local situation. Since this document is intended to have a broad application, the Statement will be subject to review and revision as needed.

Passport to a Multicultural Church
Read this to gain entry on the challenge of building a culturally diverse church (PDF requires Acrobat Reader)

New Trend in U.S. Worship
Thousands of churches across the country are adding worship services to reach different groups of people.