Larger churches rely on many hands to meet the needs of congregations

Gone are the days when Sunday morning church required a few faithful volunteers arriving early to unlock doors, turn up the thermostat and set out hymnals. At least, for many of the larger churches.

Church today happens because of organized long- and short-term planning by teams of paid staff paired with volunteers who deal with every task from coordinating weddings to budget planning, working out traffic flow and parking concerns, as well as the omnipresent task of laying out future growth initiatives - just like any other business organization, but with one slight difference.

The goals are not about increasing company stock value or boosting profit margins. They're about building faith-based service communities and connections from within.

Modern high-technology videos, live stage drama and upbeat contemporary music formats are leveraging the effectiveness of ministry methods to transform the former one-hour worship service format into cooperative communities actively engaged on a daily basis in mutual ministry and outreach.

The New Covenant Bible Church building, for example, seats 1,100 in a sanctuary outfitted with two 22-by-13-foot screens, choir loft seating for 119 and a full media/sound/lighting control booth on the floor that is run by volunteers.

“Seven years' worth of master planning went into the process from the time we decided to relocate to the time we moved in,” said Executive Pastor Kim Pagel. “We had a lot of people on a wide variety of teams, from financing to relocation to planning to communications.

“Everything was master-planned to allow for expansion,” he explained. “The walls in the worship centers, our youth center and our children's ministry area can come out to allow for expansion.”

Although the church employs 27 full-time equivalent employees - 11 of those being “equipping” staff - pastors and directors, it's the 1,000 volunteers who help bring cohesive success to a wide variety of program offerings that range from serving as teachers and/or leaders for every level of Sunday school offering for toddlers to adults.

Volunteers staff the nursery, serve as greeters and ushers, run sound/video and light control boards, perform with the choir or the church's orchestra during three weekly blended format worship services - blended referring to a combination of contemporary and traditional worship formats.

Volunteers also reach beyond the walls of the church to lead small groups that meet in homes and for the 20 mission projects aboard, as well as working to support 10 local ministries such as the Lunch Buddy Program, Aid to Women or His Hands Free Medical Clinic.

“Instead of duplicating what those programs are doing, we partner with them,” Pagel explained.

One ministry team assists with parking for the 785 parking spaces.

“With hundreds of people coming and going from the church each Sunday, traffic control is a must,” Pagel added.

The church also contracts with the Linn County Sheriff's Office for traffic control at the North Center Point Road entrance.

With a continuing increase in attendance, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, made special parking arrangements for its five Easter services last Sunday.

“We plan to utilize a rented shuttle service for various church volunteers-musicians who arrive at church early,” Church Administrator Jane Lindell said the week before. “By having people park their cars off-site, more parking spots remain available for other members and visitors.

“We'll also be able to park extra rows of cars on the grass, if needed.”

The church steers all its programming, education and small groups with the guidance of 21 full-time/part-time staff members and help from another 400 active volunteers in ministry areas such as youth, children, hospitality, evangelism, equipping ministry, worship/music ministry and office/building support.

One full-time facilities manager oversees the operation of all the building's high tech media equipments and control boards, assisted by volunteers.

St. Mark's holds services in two worship centers, one named Life (seating 650) and the other Faith (320 on the floor, “370 if you include the choir,” Lindell added).

“We have traditional worship format, a contemporary - or praise music format - and then our third service is high-impact-style worship,” Lindell said. “High energy - like rock music.”

Having outgrown their former building at 2100 First Ave. NE, the church purchased 21 acres north of Cedar Rapids.

“The original part of our new building was 32,000 square feet,” Lindell recalled, “and just last September we dedicated a new space that added another 40,000 square feet.

“We added on to our kitchen as we feed nearly 350 people involved in programs here on Wednesday nights.”

Walls and flooring for future offices were framed in.

Lindell noted it takes two staff janitors and a supervised contracted crew of 5 from Goodwill Industries to clean the building for 3 hours every Monday and Thursday.

Burgeoning growth in their youth sector made it necessary for King of Kings Lutheran Church to move from its former three-and-a-half-acre site to a new building north of Cedar Rapids.

Before the move, the youth meetings were held in homes and behind the church in temporary buildings that had been hauled onto the property.

Outreach/Connections Coordinator Elise Hexum explained that there is a wide variety of groups for men, women, couples, young adults and even a couple of support groups.

“King's Jewels is a brand new group that has just started,” she added. “It's a group for women whose husbands have left them.

“We also have a group of men, they're mostly younger, whose wives have left them. So we do have a variety here.”

While King of Kings is a younger congregation, it also has a group for retired people called YAH - Young at Heart.

“We have a very active small group ministry here,” Hexum said. “With an average of 20 small groups at a time, we probably have an average of 220 people involved ongoing, and it's been a wonderful ministry for our congregation because it keeps people in Bible study and it also keeps people connected and developing relationships with one another.”

The Churches

New Covenant Bible Church

3090 N. Center Point Rd., Cedar Rapids (since August 2011)

Membership: 2,100

Employees: 27 full time

Volunteers: 1,000

Building size: 100,690 square feet

Sunday Worship Services: 3

Annual Budget: $3.37 Million

Parking spaces/grounds: 785 slots on 55 acres

St. Mark's Lutheran Church

8300 C Avenue NE, Marion (since 1999)

Membership: 2,300

Employees: 21 full time/part time

Volunteers: 400

Building size: 72,000 square feet

Sunday Worship Services: 3

Annual Budget: $2 Million

Parking spaces/grounds: 380 slots on 21 acres

King of Kings Lutheran Church

3275 N. Center Point Rd., Cedar Rapids (since February 2011)

Membership: 500

Employees: 3 full time, 4 part time

Volunteers: 220-plus

Building size: 20,000 square feet

Sunday Worship Services: 3

Annual Budget: $400,000+

Parking spaces/grounds: 185 slots on 15 acres