Welcome to the first edition of At the Intersection, a monthly blog where I muse about navigating the intersections of life. Since we’re nestled a ¼ mile from the historical intersection of SR-124 and US-78, it seems appropriate to focus on how we can become a Welcome Center to help people navigate the crossroads of life.

One year ago, when I was blessed to become your pastor, you gave me marching orders to grow the church! Of course, I can’t do this alone, and it will take all of us listening to and responding to the Holy Spirit to grow. What I can do, however, is to set the table for our work together. My definition of growth is the ability to adapt to external changes. Likewise, my definition of decline is the inability to adapt to change. So, it’s not just about numbers but more about the willingness to change.

You’ve heard me talk about focusing on community engagement with families in the South Gwinnett School Zone. We’ve seen fruit from our partnership with the city on events in our parking lots, such as the 4th of July Star Spangled Snellville celebration and Frozen Christmas while lighting the community Christmas tree. These two events brought over 800 people to our campus, many of whom were grateful for our efforts and didn’t know what we did, and a few became first and second guests at our worship experiences.

The primary reason for our emphasis is that Snellville UMC is in an area where people are looking for meaning and encouragement in their lives. We have a history of engaging with people looking for hope, inspiration, community, and a place that will provide opportunities for connection and engagement. This is the same need I discovered about people outside the church’s walls seven years ago when I was a church planter trying to build a new church from scratch.

As a church planter, I learned the importance of relational work with people in the community. Additionally, I learned the vital lesson of Gospel Relevancy, how the good news of Jesus could address the questions people ask about hope, life, relationships, work, family, disappointment, fear, and uncertainty. Even though I eventually pulled the plug on the church plant, I learned engagement involves navigating the intersection of church culture inside the walls and the people outside the church walls.

Over the next few months, we will begin creating a Road Map for Sustainability and Gospel Relevancy by learning to use what our church does well internally to adapt it to address the changing needs of our community. The method may sometimes feel like navigating a newly constructed roundabout on a well-traveled road. It will require cautious driving and adjusting speed to arrive safely at our destination. Similarly, the congregation will need significant time and energy to work with the Holy Spirit to grow the church. But it can be done!

I look forward to navigating this intersection with you in the next few months!

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown
Senior Pastor