Eastside Christian Church Growth and Renewed Vision
Eastside Christian Church growth under Gene Appel brought renewed energy, record compassion giving, and significant attendance growth. The church’s Christmas services, strategic planning, and outward-focused love helped shape a fresh vision for ministry.
- Eastside’s Christmas services helped launch a 70 percent attendance increase in early 2009.
- The church baptized 120 people after a series based on One Month to Live.
- Eastside grew 39 percent in 2009 and began planning for relocation by 2012.
By Kent Fillinger
In business and in politics, much is made of a leader’s first 100 days in a new role. With 25 years of ministry experience, Gene Appel had a plan as he transitioned from Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago to Eastside Christian Church in Southern California on October 1, 2008. Appel’s plan was simple: focus on getting to know his new staff, their strengths, and the key influencers in the church; preach well; and prepare for a fantastic Christmas.
Catalytic
Appel really wanted Eastside’s Christmas services to be a catalytic energizer for the church. In those first 100 days, the church began laying the groundwork by making some simple updates to the facility to get it ready to receive guests.
The leaders worked hard to plan a special, artistic, and creative Christmas service, and they asked church members to start praying for the Christmas services and to invite people to join them on Christmas. All of these steps created a great energy, and the church held eight Christmas services, five of them with capacity attendance.
The church gave away one copy of One Month to Live to each household and invited everyone to return in January as it kicked off a series focused on the message of that book. The attendance at Eastside in January and February 2009 soared 70 percent over the previous year.
At the end of the series, church leaders challenged people to make a decision for Christ, and ultimately 120 people were baptized. Eastside had a great sense God was blowing a fresh wind through the church.
The church had been raising funds to build a new children’s ministry building. But leaders decided to delay that project and to ask the church to pray about what to do next.
For almost a year, the church asked God, “Now what?” as a long-range planning team was established and Appel led a core group through a strategic planning process. A second question they asked was, “God, what do you want Eastside to look like in 2012?” which will be the church’s 50th anniversary.
In April 2009, Eastide voted unanimously to move forward with a new vision and mission. The next step was to realign the staff according to the new vision and to hire key staff members in the areas of need. Next, the staff began to create ministry plans within the new mission. In June 2009, staff communicated the new vision and mission of the church through a four-week series. Then, last fall, staff began to operate based on the new vision and mission.
Compassion
Appel said the authentic love of Eastside’s members is a major strength of the church. “Their love is almost a skill set because they know how to express love without any ulterior motives. . . . That love is very deep in the DNA of this church.” Since arriving, Appel said he has challenged members to focus their love a bit more outwardly, and he has tried to harness their power and capacity to love.
Over the last year, Appel said, the church’s heart for local and global compassion efforts has really grown. Last fall, the church involved 1,700 people in a six-hour local service day that included 25 different community projects. In 2009, Eastside gave away $1.3 million to local and global compassion efforts, which was a church record—an amazing accomplishment given the difficult economy.
The wonderfully supportive elders at Eastside have also played an instrumental role in the recent changes and growth at the church, noted Appel. He said he was grateful for a unified eldership of godly, high-character leaders.
Eastside Christian Church grew 39 percent in 2009, from 2,313 to 3,210 in average worship attendance. Given that growth, Eastside has decided to relocate, with the goal of being in a new location and facility by the end of 2012.
Kent Fillinger is president of 3:STRANDS Consulting (www.3strandsconsulting.com).
Author: Kent Fillinger
Kent Fillinger is President of 3:Strands Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Regional Vice President with Christian Financial Resources.
