Ron Mobley has served as senior minister with Northwest Christian Church, Acworth, Georgia, since 1989.
Walking Through the Wilderness
By Kent E. Fillinger
Faithfulness leads to fruitfulness, but this process requires patience. Ron Mobley and Northwest Christian Church, Acworth, Georgia, have experienced this truth over the last two decades.
When Mobley arrived as senior minister in 1989, he found a very established, inwardly focused church that had alienated several ministers and many members of the community through the years. In spite of the church”s poor track record, Mobley saw potential for growth.
Mobley spent his first five years establishing relationships and serving the church. There was an effort to build a family life center on the church”s campus, but Mobley knew the church really needed to relocate in order to grow. Drawing on prior ministry and relocation experience, Mobley attempted to prepare the church for the necessary move.
Wilderness Wandering
Mobley and the leadership team spent much time in prayer and special meetings with the congregation to cast the vision for relocation. When the votes were counted, 44 people voted against relocating the church, but 160 people supported the relocation effort. Determined to press on despite the opposition, the church decided to change its name from East Marietta Christian Church to Northwest Christian Church. The church sold its property in 1994 and moved eight miles away to a local school.
Mobley described the next 12 years of meeting in a local school as a “wilderness wandering” and a “long, difficult season” in the life of the church that he would not want to repeat. The congregation continued to pray diligently and stayed faithful to the vision despite a lack of visible fruit or numerical growth. The church leadership team realized God was working in the lives of the remnant that had stayed at Northwest to support the relocation project.
The congregation believed and trusted that God would be faithful, and members took heart they were following his lead. During this dry season, Mobley said he became a better student of God”s Word and that he, like Moses, had many faithful people who held up his arms as he served.
During their “wilderness wandering,” the church completed an 18-month congregational self-analysis and consideration of community demographic studies. In the process, they made some important discoveries.
“¢ Only five families who attended the church lived in the same area as the original campus in east Cobb County.
“¢ Among their population of church guests, 70 percent were coming from the northwest section of Cobb County.
“¢ Among residents in northern Cobb County, 60 percent were unchurched.
With a unified and committed eldership, the church continued the long journey toward relocation, knowing it would involve saying good-bye to some people, but remaining confident God had called the church to northwest Cobb County.
Breaking Ground
The groundbreaking for the new church campus was October 24, 2004. Northwest experienced some growth in its final year of meeting in the local high school due to publicity about the new building and renewed energy and excitement around the vision. Mobley noted that throughout this entire period there was a strong core of people who continued to pray and that the church”s prayer ministry is one of its most significant.
Northwest”s vision was never about buildings or property. The aim was to cast a vision for what the church should be. Northwest has also focused on caring for and loving people and has designed events to serve the local community.
For example, an annual Trunk or Treat event draws almost 700 people to the church. Vacation Bible School has also served as an outreach, in addition to a family festival community health fair that drew 700 people last fall. Northwest has participated in a community makeover project involving work at three local schools. The church maintains a duplex to house needy families and provides an enormous outreach to the community through its food bank. The church also has a strong Hispanic ministry with a good ethnic mix in the congregation.
Doubling in Size
After following a long and winding road, on December 17, 2006, Northwest held its inaugural worship service in its new facility in the northwest corner of Cobb County, 20 miles from where it started its journey 12 years before. In the first three years at its new campus, Northwest has doubled its size, averaging 437 in worship in 2009. Mobley credits God”s faithfulness and the church”s commitment to Christ and his Word as keys to the recent growth.
Another positive statistic for Northwest has been the number of baptisms. Northwest baptized 59 people last year; which is 11 more baptisms than the average large-sized church. It has baptized 138 people in the last three years and has experienced more baptisms than church transfers. When asked about the baptisms, Mobley responds Jesus is the issue, not baptisms.
Northwest is committed to improving its discipleship and leadership development processes. It also intends to implement some Simple Church principles while staying focused on the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. The church experimented with advertising in the local movie theater during the previews and has seen positive results. It is exploring the possibility of creating a third worship service to target singles and young couples. Northwest has room to grow on its 16.5-acre campus, and is committed to being a good neighbor in the community and to prayerfully following God”s lead.
Kent E. Fillinger is president of 3:STRANDS Consulting (3strandsconsulting.com) and associate director of projects and partnerships with CMF International (Indianapolis, Indiana).
Enjoyed this series, thanks you for the insights. Thanks for reminding your readers that the quality not the quantity of our offerings (Churches) is what gives God the glory. Praying for your ministry and all who contribute to His work via Standard.