Methods

How We Structure Things

The identity that we have found through our mission, vision, purpose, beliefs, and values means nothing if we don’t act it out with intentional and relevant methods.

Our plan for doing ministry in the context of our church is simple. We have adopted three environments where our mission, vision, purpose, beliefs, and values can be expressed and structured. These three environments are something that everyone can identify with and are represented by the different environments of the home. It is our desire that someone visiting Fellowship Church would start out in our first environment and be compelled to become involved in our second, and finally our third.

The Three Environments (of Our Methods) are:

1. The Foyer- Where friends are made

foy.er (foi-er, foi-ey; Fr. –yey) –noun

A vestibule or entrance hall in a house or apartment.

The Foyer is the place in your home that serves as the welcome area for guests and new friends. It’s the first step, and it’s often your only chance to make your guests feel comfortable enough to return.

That’s how we see our Foyer Environments at Fellowship Church. They are the first point of contact that people have with our church community. They are the entry point of Fellowship Church and serve as the perfect place to invite newcomers to the life of our church. It’s an environment where the guest gets to know the church and its people through casual conversation. We want our guests to come back, so we do everything with them in mind.

Our Foyer environments are not only places or events to invite people to. They are also the environments that each of our church’s members creates whenever they interact with the public, whether directly related with the church or not. This is because each of us represents the church, and more importantly Jesus Christ, wherever we go.

Most ministries (or areas) of our church have their own Foyer environments. Examples of some of them are:

• Weekend Worship Gatherings
• SALT Student Ministries’ Thursday Evening Gathering
• Sunday Morning Kid’s Church

2. The Living Room- Where Life Happens

living room -noun

a room in a home used, esp. by a family, for leisure activities, entertaining guests, etc.; parlor.

Once a guest or new friend has arrived in your Foyer, and they feel comfortable and welcomed, you invite them into your Living Room. Living Rooms are where life happens.

In Living Rooms, people find a comfortable place to sit, and then the interaction begins. It’s a safe environment where you can let down your guard and begin to connect with others on a personal level. Relationships are strengthened and enjoyed in the Living Room.

At Fellowship Church, we strive to create authentic and hospitable Living Room Environments where people can be themselves, ask tough questions, grow closer to Christ, and develop lasting friendships.

This is the environment that people move to after they have experienced one of our Foyer Environments, and have decided to take part in community at Fellowship Church. It is where guests and members get to know each other in a deeper way through engaging conversations. The Living Room is all about relationships- with Jesus and His people.

The Living Room environment is usually a place or an activity that people visit and take part in.

Like the Foyer, most ministries (or areas) of our church have their own Living Room Environments. Examples of them are:

• Small Group Home Bible Studies
• Senior’s Fellowship
• SATURDAYNIGHT Social Activities following the Worship Experience.
• Youth Bible Studies and Activities

3. The Kitchen- Where Work Is Done

Kitch.en (kich-uh n) –noun

a room or place equipped for cooking.

The Kitchen is a place in the home where members of the family work together to accomplish the mission of the household. It is a place of ultimate belonging where everyone does their part to meet the needs of the family. Once someone has become a good friend, they are invited into the Kitchen to take part in the family’s work and enjoy life with them. When a good friend or family member comes over to your home, the kitchen is usually the room where everyone tends to gravitate towards.

This is the environment we envision here at Fellowship Church. The Kitchen is the work of the church, or preparation for it. It is an environment for friends and members who are actively supporting and involved with the mission of the church, or are interested in doing so.

It is a place of ultimate belonging, fellowship, and sacrifice. The Kitchen is an environment where relationships are valued with accountability and intimate conversation. It is an environment that is usually entered after someone becomes very comfortable with the Living Room and decides that they would like to become a member of the church.

The Kitchen environment is not usually a place to visit or an activity to attend, but rather is an opportunity to serve or to become more involved.

As a church, we seek to find ways for all of our people and/or ministries to be involved in the Kitchen environment in some way. Some examples of the Kitchen environment are:

• Prayer Meetings
• Ministry Teams
• Membership Classes
• Mission’s Trips
• Small Group Home Studies’ Service Projects

As church visitors move through the different stages of these environments, it is our goal that they would begin to invite their friends, family members, and acquaintances to a Foyer environment, and thus begin the cycle all over again with their guest.