Mountain Christian Church’s growth story
Mountain Christian Church has leveraged deep community trust built over generations while keeping a clear focus on reaching people who don’t attend church. Leaders emphasize conversion growth through preaching and worship, alongside serving the community through organized outreach. The congregation also relies on small groups and intentional church planting to extend its mission.
- Longstanding community credibility supports outreach to those suspicious of new churches.
- Preaching and worship are central to the church’s commitment to conversion growth.
- Small groups and a partner-led church plant expanded the church’s reach beyond its main campus.
By Kent Fillinger
A church rooted in history and focused on the future
Mountain Christian Church started in 1824 and is the oldest megachurch in our fellowship. The Mountain church campus indicates that this church has embraced its proud history while focusing on the future. Its old Gothic building and its new ministry center, completed in 2004, illustrate both dimensions of the church’s personality.
The stability and longevity of the church have produced a good reputation and bred trust in a community that is suspicious of new churches. Senior minister Ben Cachiaras said a phrase the church repeatedly shares is, “Nothing we’ve seen happen in the past compares to what God will do in the future.” He credits the long-term members of Mountain with embracing the vision of providing a welcoming atmosphere for the unchurched.
Growth focused on reaching the unchurched
Mountain has consistently been one of the 10 fastest-growing Christian churches the last six years, growing 120 percent in that time. Cachiaras indicated the growth is a result of the church’s commitment to targeting people who do not know Christ. Mountain has a vision to be the church for people who do not go to church. It is also not content with transfer growth, but aggressively strives for conversion growth. Sixty to 70 percent of the people at Mountain describe the church as the source of their first spiritual experience.
Mountain has achieved its goal of conversion growth through emphasizing preaching and worship. Cachiaras describes the church as “seeker aware, not seeker driven” and believes the best way to impact the unchurched is to help them experience believers engaged in worship and teaching.
Serving the community through outreach
The church’s second strategy is serving the community. Mountain mobilizes people to serve beyond the walls of the church through local “serve fests” and community agencies. Its small-group ministry primarily serves as the vehicle for externally focused endeavors.
Small groups and church planting
Mountain is a small-group based church with more than 250 adult groups providing community, pastoral care, and the feel of a small church with the advantages of a large one. The expectation is for every person to be in a group.
Recently the church targeted the high-growth, high-density area of White Marsh, Maryland, about 10 miles south of Mountain’s campus, and partnered with several local churches to plant a new church there. Mountain has given four vital full-time staff members to the effort and will seed the church with more than 250 pioneers from the church. Attendance at the launch, March 5, 2006, was 955.
Cachiaras expressed appreciation for the eldership at Mountain. They’ve remained committed to change and to paying the price to reach lost people, even when it is uncomfortable. He said, “The elders are quick to give God credit for the growth and for promoting a holy sense of expectation for what God has in store for the church.”
Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, Maryland
FAST FACTS:
Senior Pastor: Ben Cachiaras
2005 Attendance: 2,722
Launched: 1824
Size Rank: 27
Web site: www.mountainchristian.org
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